Ways to boost Audience Retention on YouTube

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay 

YouTube is the second most used social media platform. With over 2 billion users, YouTube has become famous all over the world. Three former PayPal employees created YouTube in the year 2005. But in 2006, Google bought the website. Millions of users use the app regularly to watch various types of videos. Also, many other people join this platform daily to share their work. One of the most important things about the videos is they have to be engaging. Creating engaging content will attract more people to watch the video.

One edits the videos that one creates before publishing them on YouTube. Many editing software programs are available on the market, but most are costly. People looking for a free YouTube video editor should opt for InVideo.

Ways to edit videos for YouTube on InVideo.

Editing videos on InVideo is effortless. First, log in to your InVideo account. Then, you will find many free templates available for the users to choose from. Make sure to select a template that matches your video content and message. The website provides the opportunity to customize the template according to your choice. One can change the colour, add emojis, animation, transitions, stickers, music, and more. Once you finish editing, preview the video. If you are not happy with the outcome, try to change it again. Lastly, preview and publish it on your YouTube channel.

What do you mean by Audience Retention?

Audience Retention, also known as Viewer Retention, refers to the average percentage of a YouTube video that viewers watch. Videos with higher audience retention are likely to have increased visibility on the YouTube platform. For example, if a video is 20 minutes long and viewers, on average, watch it for 10 minutes, then the audience retention for the video is 50%.

Is audience retention necessary?

In short, yes, audience retention is necessary on YouTube. The website loves it when people watch videos using its platform. Recently, YouTube said how important audience retention is to them, as videos with higher watch hours show up more on the search and suggested location. So people should know that videos with high audience retention rank higher in YouTube suggestions.

Strategies that will boost Audience Retention

1. Make your videos compelling.

According to YouTube, the first 15 seconds of a video is crucial as it can make or break your entire video. The viewers on YouTube can decide within the first few seconds, whether they like or hate the video. Hence the beginning of your video should be attractive and catchy so people will get hooked. Some of the ways to start a video are:

• Preview: Open the video with a preview that shows the Audience the content of your video.
• Clearly stated value: Start your video by saying what the viewers will watch. This is a great way to keep your viewers hooked. The best way is to start with an intro for your video 
• Sneak Peek: Start the video by showing any moment that will get the viewers hooked. The moment will be part of the video.

2. Take notes from Peaks and Valleys.

People with an active YouTube account can use it to see their Audience Retention report. The graph shows which part of the video people loved (peak) and when the views went down (valley). With the help of this data, one can avoid doing what made the Audience leave. Also, people can incorporate more parts that intrigue the audience.

3. Use Pattern Interrupt

Pattern Interruption is a way to change a particular behaviour, thought, or situation. Once your Audience gets hooked by watching the first few seconds, you have to keep them engaged throughout the video. Pattern Interruption can be as simple as adding graphics on the screen or including a B-roll. Changing camera angles or trying different settings will also keep the audience engaged. Videos that have Pattern Interruption are more likely to see a boost in their Audience Retention.

4. Try to use a script

Every video creator should remember that viewers are impatient. They need to stay on the topic and keep the viewers engaged. If the video is not on the subject, users will click out without watching it. To avoid this, one should first write a script or an outline. This way, the videos will focus more on the topic and stop the viewers from leaving.

5. Add graphics and visuals.

According to a study, videos with graphics and visuals are more likely to have higher Audience Retention. Adding visuals or graphics to your video works as patterns interrupt. Having this small change will prevent the Audience from leaving and feeling bored. Also, graphics and visuals help the audience understand the critical concept better.

Tips and Strategies

Avoid using the logo at the beginning: Most of the time, one of the biggest mistakes made by the content creator is to place their logo at the beginning. People do not like to see that first. Make sure to open the video with a specific element that will get the viewers hooked, and then place your logo.

• Add B-rolls: A B-roll acts as a pattern interrupt for your video. Try to add a particular type of B-roll that the viewers have not seen before. This will make the Audience more interested in watching your video.
• Use Jump Cuts: Most vloggers use jump cuts to keep viewers watching the video. Jump cuts help turn long static shots into a series of different shots.
• Add humor: If your videos are funny, then people are more likely to stay and watch them all. Adding some humor will make the Audience get hooked, and when people have fun, they are going to stay.

In short, people should do some research about how Audience Retention works, as it can help content creators make videos that will prevent the Audience from leaving.