babyteeth4
Taking over the world... ...one kid at a time!
Ever wonder where those "suggested videos" come from on YouTube? Would you like your videos to be one of those?
More than 2 out of 3 of my channel's views originate from the Suggested Video. If you add in "Unknown -Direct" videos which includes suggested videos on mobile devices and direct traffic from the YouTube watch and channel pages, this number is closer to 9 out of 10 views. I have a loyal subscriber base but their views do not make up a large part of my channel's overall view traffic.
So, how did I get so lucky to have my videos suggested by YouTube so often and consistently?
Many long-term YouTubers already know this story, but I'll re-tell it because it plays into which videos are suggested. Back in March 2012, YouTube decided their long-term interests did not lie with the quick quirky videos and one-offs that YouTube had become known for. It was time to turn YouTube into a video content provider that could take a significant market share of advertising dollars away from long-form video providers such as broadcast television, cable and home video, as well as providers like Netflix and Hulu. The only way they could do this was by promoting and rewarding videos that kept viewers watching longer.
Up to that point, YouTube had only tracked the first 30 seconds of the view, mostly just to make sure it was a valid view. Now YouTube is tracking much longer viewing lengths, and promoting the videos that are viewed the longest. Now just getting the view isn't enough, it's about the quality and level of viewer engagement. The best indicator of this is how long people keep watching.
Luckily for me, I had been making longer-form videos for years, several of which had an average viewing length of over 8 minutes. When YouTube made the change in March 2012, many long-time YouTubers started complaining about their views dropping. Were the viewers going away? No, they were just being guided to channels that had higher viewer engagement levels, in other words longer content that was actually being watched to the end.
So how do you use this information? Should you just double the length of your videos? Not necessarily. Increased video length only works if the viewer engagement is there to begin with.
What you really need to do is make sure every second of your video is as engaging as possible in order to retain the viewer's attention. Each second should make the viewer want to watch more. Watch your videos with a critical eye, taking notes, before you upload them. Are there parts that drag? Get rid of them. Anything that feels like a lull? Get it out of there. Every moment that passes, your viewer is deciding whether your video is worth watching a little bit longer. Make videos that people will have a hard time stopping once they've started.
Having trouble being objective about your own videos? Do you know people you can trust who will give you honest feedback? Perhaps even some ytTalkers? Privately share your video with them and ask them to be brutally honest. If you can't take the feedback, you might be missing chances to improve your videos.
If you have the means, burn a DVD of your video and have a screening in your home with a group of friends and family. Not only is it incredibly satisfying to have your work shown to a group on a large screen, you will get a lot of feedback during the actual screening of the video. How are people reacting? Are they laughing at the parts you thought were funny? Are they fidgety during slow parts? Are they watching the screen or are their eyes wandering? Are they talking over the video, or quietly interested and engaged with what's going on on the screen?
Afterwards, do they talk about your video or change the subject to something else? Do they have questions for you? Were parts of the video unclear or confusing to them? All this gives you valuable information about the level of the viewers' engagement and the quality of your video. If everyone has a different opinion, you're probably not going to need to change too much. But if several people mention the same issues, take their advice and go back and re-edit what didn't work.
Remember: make videos that people can't bring themselves to stop watching, videos that they will look forward to seeing, videos they can't get enough of. Be honest and critical with your own work. They won't all be home runs, but you should try to give your videos the best chance of success every step of the way, from thumbnail to sound to visuals, story, humor, you name it. Give it your best. Even if you don't get the views on that video, you'll have learned something for the next one, and who knows, maybe that next video is the one that's going to catch fire and make your channel take off.
More than 2 out of 3 of my channel's views originate from the Suggested Video. If you add in "Unknown -Direct" videos which includes suggested videos on mobile devices and direct traffic from the YouTube watch and channel pages, this number is closer to 9 out of 10 views. I have a loyal subscriber base but their views do not make up a large part of my channel's overall view traffic.
So, how did I get so lucky to have my videos suggested by YouTube so often and consistently?
Many long-term YouTubers already know this story, but I'll re-tell it because it plays into which videos are suggested. Back in March 2012, YouTube decided their long-term interests did not lie with the quick quirky videos and one-offs that YouTube had become known for. It was time to turn YouTube into a video content provider that could take a significant market share of advertising dollars away from long-form video providers such as broadcast television, cable and home video, as well as providers like Netflix and Hulu. The only way they could do this was by promoting and rewarding videos that kept viewers watching longer.
Up to that point, YouTube had only tracked the first 30 seconds of the view, mostly just to make sure it was a valid view. Now YouTube is tracking much longer viewing lengths, and promoting the videos that are viewed the longest. Now just getting the view isn't enough, it's about the quality and level of viewer engagement. The best indicator of this is how long people keep watching.
Luckily for me, I had been making longer-form videos for years, several of which had an average viewing length of over 8 minutes. When YouTube made the change in March 2012, many long-time YouTubers started complaining about their views dropping. Were the viewers going away? No, they were just being guided to channels that had higher viewer engagement levels, in other words longer content that was actually being watched to the end.
So how do you use this information? Should you just double the length of your videos? Not necessarily. Increased video length only works if the viewer engagement is there to begin with.
What you really need to do is make sure every second of your video is as engaging as possible in order to retain the viewer's attention. Each second should make the viewer want to watch more. Watch your videos with a critical eye, taking notes, before you upload them. Are there parts that drag? Get rid of them. Anything that feels like a lull? Get it out of there. Every moment that passes, your viewer is deciding whether your video is worth watching a little bit longer. Make videos that people will have a hard time stopping once they've started.
Having trouble being objective about your own videos? Do you know people you can trust who will give you honest feedback? Perhaps even some ytTalkers? Privately share your video with them and ask them to be brutally honest. If you can't take the feedback, you might be missing chances to improve your videos.
If you have the means, burn a DVD of your video and have a screening in your home with a group of friends and family. Not only is it incredibly satisfying to have your work shown to a group on a large screen, you will get a lot of feedback during the actual screening of the video. How are people reacting? Are they laughing at the parts you thought were funny? Are they fidgety during slow parts? Are they watching the screen or are their eyes wandering? Are they talking over the video, or quietly interested and engaged with what's going on on the screen?
Afterwards, do they talk about your video or change the subject to something else? Do they have questions for you? Were parts of the video unclear or confusing to them? All this gives you valuable information about the level of the viewers' engagement and the quality of your video. If everyone has a different opinion, you're probably not going to need to change too much. But if several people mention the same issues, take their advice and go back and re-edit what didn't work.
Remember: make videos that people can't bring themselves to stop watching, videos that they will look forward to seeing, videos they can't get enough of. Be honest and critical with your own work. They won't all be home runs, but you should try to give your videos the best chance of success every step of the way, from thumbnail to sound to visuals, story, humor, you name it. Give it your best. Even if you don't get the views on that video, you'll have learned something for the next one, and who knows, maybe that next video is the one that's going to catch fire and make your channel take off.
