View Count
The raw number of times a video has been viewed is known as the view count. A view count does not mean that a user has watched a video all the way through, though. For instance, YouTube analytics count 30 seconds of viewing as a full view, while on Facebook video metrics, three seconds is a view count. On Vimeo, all users have to do is click the play button for their action to count as a view.
View count defines a video’s reach on a certain platform. It is often thought of as the most important video metric, but that is not necessarily true. The number of views does not account for video quality metrics, only raw quantitative data. It does not measure a video’s effectiveness but it’s an important statistic for knowing a video’s scope in comparison with the other videos on the Internet.
Play Rate
Play rate is the percent of page visitors who click play on a video once it’s loaded. In this way, play rate determines a video’s relevance on a page. If a clip has a low play rate, it is not essential to the page it is found on. If it has a high play rate, it is the center of the page. This metric is comparable to video playthrough rate, which reveals how much time viewers spend watching a video before dropping off.
Play rate is vital for test metrics analysis because it determines the effectiveness of a video as compared to other mediums. Essentially, it measures users’ responsiveness to a video in a certain digital environment, such as on YouTube, on a blog, or on social media. Finding the right medium to convey a message or elicit an action is crucial for that message to be successful.
Engagement
Engagement is the percent of a video watched by a viewer. It ties in various metrics to assess the overall quality of a video. Video advertising metrics for engagement not only show how long viewers stay on a video, but they can also show if viewers skipped certain sections.
Video playthrough rate is only one part of measuring engagement. Google Analytics can also monitor the amount of website traffic a video is drawing. If a video has low engagement rates, that is a sheer indicator that the video is not thoroughly watchable. Only engaging videos can hold an audience from start to finish without prompting skipping or stopping.
Social Sharing
Social sharing is one of many sales analysis metrics that essentially measures word of mouth. Sharing a video consists of spreading it through email, messaging, social networks, or any other channels that connect Internet users. Sharing is made easy with plug-ins on WordPress and on platforms like YouTube.
Social sharing is one of the most relevant business analysis metrics for several reasons. First of all, social sharing is the way of the future, and any forward-thinking business participates in social media. Additionally, social sharing is another gauge of reach. The average number of Twitter followers a person has is 208, while the mean is about 156 friends per Facebook user. This means that for every share, a video is being exposed to hundreds of eyes.
Click-through Rate
Click-through rate is the percentage of viewers who click on the call-to-action (CTA) in a video. A CTA is commonly a link to a website or product, or a link to share the video or another message through social media. CTA’s are vital for any business video, so click-through rate is highly valuable when analyzing metrics.
Click-through rate interprets the effectiveness of a video at encouraging viewers to take action. If the click-through rate is low for a certain CTA, then the CTA is certainly not living up to its full potential. One company, in fact, found that a video CTA received 380% more clicks on average than a regular sidebar CTA. If a video is persuasive and powerful, users will gladly take the next step and boost a brand’s sales or influence.
Conversion Rate
For the most part, conversion is the process of turning a viewer, follower, subscriber, or reader into a paying customer. Depending on the goals of the business, however, conversion can mean anything from making a monthly paid member out of a newsletter subscriber, to converting a video viewer into a Snapchat follower. Conversion rate, of course, is the percentage of times that this objective is met.
Conversion rate is arguably one of the most significant video metrics because the whole point of marketing is to increase sales (or at least to increase presence in an effort to increase sales). Tracking this number, however, can be a little less precise than other online video metrics analytics because you never really know what exactly prompted a user to buy a product or sign up for a newsletter.
Feedback
Feedback is a qualitative video metric, which means it is harder to capture but easier to interpret. It can be measured in video reviews, comments, likes/dislikes, or even customer emails regarding the video. This metric has to do with creating a positive image of a brand in the online community and determining how viewers react to your video.
Feedback is important because it accounts for the more human side of video metrics. It is a way to really connect with and listen to your audience. Probably one of the most beneficial parts of feedback is finding opportunities to improve for future videos. All businesses are bound to have critical feedback, but successful businesses listen to this feedback, pay attention to it, and find ways to improve.
