Addicted to analytics, going cold turkey

[Idec Sdawkminn]

I'll look at Analytics on average once a day, just to see any big changes. If there is a new upload that I was especially curious how it would do, I might look at the realtime views a little more. Other that that, I look at the Analytics for a purpose, like to see which videos with reinstated copyright claims on them had the highest views so I know which one to appeal next.

Beyond once a day, they are boring to me. Not much changes from week to week. My 90-day and 365-day graph looks like a slowly rising ocean surface that has waves each weekend. I also view it as something I don't have much control over, so I don't have much of an expectation. When it is going down, I assume it will go back up soon. When it is going up, I assume it will go back down soon.

 

[Stearmans Toy Review]

Haha Just like a lot have said, if I had your views I would be gluing my phone to my hand haha... but I agree.. I check them all the time.. in hopes that mine will spike again and keep spiking, but like you, my mood seems to be inline with how my views are, which isnt so great.. Not sure if I could stay away from checking but ill try haha

 

[KidsCorner]

I'm quitting looking at analytics. Over time I have realized that the view/revenue upswings were bringing me no real joy, and the downturns were bringing me too much angst. It was just an unhealthy compulsion that's not really necessary. I've been doing YouTube full time three years now, and I wasn't really learning anything new from the analytics anyway, and it was starting to dictate my mood too much.

This forces me to just concentrate on what matters most, just making the best videos I can make every time. That's what really counts, right?

Has anyone else found themselves overly obsessed with analytics, particularly realtime views and CPM/revenue? Anyone else want to join me in quitting looking at them? Let's see how long we can stay away from them!

I know exactly what you mean, when the views are going down for a while it's a depressing feeling. When I notice that it drags me down a bit, I reduce checking the live statistics to a few times a day only. I don't want to fly blind and do find it important to see where my big suggesteds are coming from to plan next videos. I check my CPM usually once a day only, just to see the trends. Bad cpm somehow is not too depressing for me (yet?), it's something I can try to influence with choosing my content and titles next time for better results.

 

[sledrunner31]

I hear ya. I have been known to obsess over analytics, especially the realtime views. I've tried to back off it a bit and get better at making videos but every now and then I like to see how its going. Usually once a day or so.

 

[KatyAdelson]

I feel like I don't look at mine enough...Sometimes I don't login for the entire day and I feel like a bad YouTuber (but I login here at YTtalk! Does that count?! ^_^ )... =/ I think I could learn a lot about how to grow a better channel if I analyzed some of the retention time statistics more closely. I feel like some of the statistics are very very addictive (the realtime charts are cool to look at lol), but sometimes they really don't say much about what's actually going on. I can see them becoming stressful when YouTube starts poking algorithm buttons! That's no good! =S

 

[pioneer1]

I have multiple channels and view analytics on my phone and at home probably 50 times + a day.

One channel is really growing tremendously so I am monitoring constantly.

When I see the momentum starts dropping then I upload a new video. Then everything climbs again.

Google analytics is part of my daily routine and habit. Very difficult to ween off haha

 

[TATWWK]

Would love to but can't. Two analogies spring to mind - would you fly with a pilot who doesn't look at the cockpit displays? Or go under with a surgeon who refuses to look at the ECG monitor?
I need to look at my analytics, to make sure I can pay the rent next month.Would hate to get a $700 deposit from Google when I'm expecting $7000 to cover the bills.

Nicely quoted.
But I wouldn't fly with a pilot who is obsessed on just looking at the cockpit display noting the numbers and not bothering to look at the real world in front of him.
Similarly, its scary to be operated by a surgeon with his eyes just glued to the ECG monitor

 

[Lightsen]

Analytics are fun, my latest venture is to group certain videos together and measure their combined analytics (I've got a group called 'do people still watch these?")

 

[KatyAdelson]

Analytics are fun, my latest venture is to group certain videos together and measure their combined analytics (I've got a group called 'do people still watch these?")

Whoa!! I had no idea we could do that! That sounds awesome! : D I'm going to go try to do that after I'm done modding stuffs.... lol

 

[Lightsen]

Whoa!! I had no idea we could do that! That sounds awesome! : D I'm going to go try to do that after I'm done modding stuffs.... lol

...and in one small post I've accidentally ruined the OP message xD