HollyInTheSky

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Hey everyone,

So as you have read from the title I am curious as to how you all keep your audience (big or small) engaged in your videos? Sure, having subscribers to actually subscribe to your channel is one thing, but getting your new or older subscribers to Actually engage in your content is another!

So I would love to know:
- What are the top 5 things you do to boost your engagement?
- What are 3 things that make you engaged with the content you watch?

Now when I say 'engaged' I mean what makes you watch, like, comment or even share videos!

Thank you in advance for help! :thumbsup2:

Holly!

P.S. If you have some free time and wouldn't mind giving me some tips on what You think I should do to improve on my engagement on my channel/videos, please watch anything you fancy on the channel and let me know! :)
 
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UhoohExtra

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1. You have to ask. And not 'please do this for me'.. but instead "please subscribe to see more of" etc.. People are motivated by the benefit to them not you. Applies to asking for likes, subs, or shares.
2. Place you call to action prompts near beginning of video not the end where you may only have 10% still watching! There is a massive difference.
3. people may sub anyway if you invoke an emotional response or simply have content which appeals to a strong interest that they want to see more of.
4. you also asked what makes people watch. Deliver what your video title says. Don't have viewer repellants such as naff intros that go on for ever (or at all - which seem compulsary to many noob youtubers).. else you will get massive bounce rate. Mention something near the beginning that will feature at the end for better watch time percentage. And don't have tails to your videos. ie. winding down with outros or similar that gives the game away that the video is near end. Cut it abruptly to also gain better watch time percentage.
Theres a few ideas
 
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Ezrider92356

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keep your video's moving at a fast pace don't dwell on any one thing for more than 15 seconds. preferably even less keep the visual constantly changing. if you can use multiple camera angles if there is something you have to spend a little more time showing you could cut to the other camera angle to keep the something new triggering. or you can even crop and zoom in your editing program if only one camera angle is available. and or add a fitting sound effect.

on my video's if the video almost doesn't feel rushed as I'm editing it that part of the audience retention will drop a bit.

when i re-watch after a good period of time passed the pace never feels as rushed as it did when i was editing it.

as far as audience interaction. on my outro iv always asked people for likes comments and subscribers. in my last couple video's i have said thankyou to everyone who has liked commented and subscribed to the channel and although interaction seems to be up for those video's (particularly likes and subscribers) i still have a big drop in retention as soon as the outro starts i may be still holding 60% right up to the outro and it will drop 20% the moment the outro starts, my best video for comments i asked the viewers in the middle of the video for there opinion on what we will find out in the rest of the video. my next video that will be uploading shortly im going to say for more related content on everything from …. to …. (using a couple short b roll clips from other videos) be sure to check out my other content. and were see how that does.

i think ultimately i will probably start ending my video's more abruptly to increase overall retention.
 
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HollyInTheSky

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1. You have to ask. And not 'please do this for me'.. but instead "please subscribe to see more of" etc.. People are motivated by the benefit to them not you. Applies to asking for likes, subs, or shares.
2. Place you call to action prompts near beginning of video not the end where you may only have 10% still watching! There is a massive difference.
3. people may sub anyway if you invoke an emotional response or simply have content which appeals to a strong interest that they want to see more of.
4. you also asked what makes people watch. Deliver what your video title says. Don't have viewer repellants such as naff intros that go on for ever (or at all - which seem compulsary to many noob youtubers).. else you will get massive bounce rate. Mention something near the beginning that will feature at the end for better watch time percentage. And don't have tails to your videos. ie. winding down with outros or similar that gives the game away that the video is near end. Cut it abruptly to also gain better watch time percentage.
Theres a few ideas
I am really trying to up my engagement levels on my videos as I seem to have heaps of subscribers, yet, the majority of them do not actually view or even engage in my content. Thank you for your advice, I do some of what you have mentioned, but I am definitely going to try some of your other suggestions! You have certainly offered some great tips that I look forward to trying!
 
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HollyInTheSky

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keep your video's moving at a fast pace don't dwell on any one thing for more than 15 seconds. preferably even less keep the visual constantly changing. if you can use multiple camera angles if there is something you have to spend a little more time showing you could cut to the other camera angle to keep the something new triggering. or you can even crop and zoom in your editing program if only one camera angle is available. and or add a fitting sound effect.

on my video's if the video almost doesn't feel rushed as I'm editing it that part of the audience retention will drop a bit.

when i re-watch after a good period of time passed the pace never feels as rushed as it did when i was editing it.

as far as audience interaction. on my outro iv always asked people for likes comments and subscribers. in my last couple video's i have said thankyou to everyone who has liked commented and subscribed to the channel and although interaction seems to be up for those video's (particularly likes and subscribers) i still have a big drop in retention as soon as the outro starts i may be still holding 60% right up to the outro and it will drop 20% the moment the outro starts, my best video for comments i asked the viewers in the middle of the video for there opinion on what we will find out in the rest of the video. my next video that will be uploading shortly im going to say for more related content on everything from …. to …. (using a couple short b roll clips from other videos) be sure to check out my other content. and were see how that does.

i think ultimately i will probably start ending my video's more abruptly to increase overall retention.
I noticed that in my very first videos! I edited a video and it was like 35minutes long. So I really had to think hard on what I was showing and whether it was going to be interesting for the viewers! Ultimately, it is still a skill I am working on! haha

I love your idea for asking a question in the middle of the video! I am so going to try that! Thank you!

I appreciate your opinion! Thank you for your tips! I am definitely going to be trying them out!
 

the_drifting_dad

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Definitely have engagement opportunities early on in the video, I need to update some of my older videos as well. Keep things short too, I like to watch my video as I edit and ask myself if I get bored, always a good check.
 
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HollyInTheSky

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Definitely have engagement opportunities early on in the video, I need to update some of my older videos as well. Keep things short too, I like to watch my video as I edit and ask myself if I get bored, always a good check.
I have definitely been working on that! I have planned my next 6 or so videos and have been incorporating my engagement questions towards the start and middle of the video! I am looking forward to seeing if that helps! :)

Cutting my videos shorter is one thing I am trying to get better at! haha

Thank you for your opinion!
 
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the_drifting_dad

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I have definitely been working on that! I have planned my next 6 or so videos and have been incorporating my engagement questions towards the start and middle of the video! I am looking forward to seeing if that helps! :)

Cutting my videos shorter is one thing I am trying to get better at! haha

Thank you for your opinion!
No problem, You can always try out some cards in older videos too
 
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Courtney Candice

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e showing you could cut to the other camera angle
Really good advice, but changing the camera angles works for certain videos not every type of video if it was a sit down storytime type of video you don’t want to change the camera angle if it’s not necessary I’ve seen some YouTubers do this with some there storytime videos where they have different angles of their face every second and I had to click off because it made feel dizzy
 
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Ezrider92356

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yeah every second would be way too much but 10-15 seconds wouldn't be near as dizzying. you could still crop and zoom in on your face as you make a facial expression in your story. or have a further back camera angle as well if your someone that talks with there hands a lot as you kind of animate your story.

when i watch tv or a movie i tend analyze all there edits. say there is just a conversation 2 people walking and talking for 50 seconds, there is probably 3-4+ camera angles one on each persons face one 1 or two more distant angles. and maybe one that shows both of the people. and in that 50 second conversation there may be 20 cuts.

so just because its a story time does not mean it has to be just one angle stationary camera. and even if all your using is one camera there is still things you can do with that post edit to mix up the visual a bit.

if you did story times you may even try doing them in different places with different back ground surroundings maybe in a park or by a river or your back yard.
 
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