Growth Hackers Guide: The Ultimate List of Top Strategies to Retain YouTube Viewers

6 Ways To Increase Audience Retention on YouTube

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Audience retention is one of your most important stats on YouTube. It is even more important than your view count. Your view count really only tells you how many people are finding and clicking on your videos, not whether they are actually watching them. Audience retention refers to how much of a video a viewer watches before clicking away, which is very useful information to have. If you know when people are leaving your videos then you know what you need to work on.

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• Part 1: What is Audience Retention?
• Part 2: How to See Your Audience Retention Report in YouTube?
• Part 3: What is a Good Audience Retention Rate on YouTube?
• Part 4: 6 Ways to Increase YouTube Audience Retention

Part 1: What is Audience Retention?

To put it in simple terms, YouTube audience retention is about how much of each video your viewers watch. It’s usually expressed as a percentage, so if your viewer gets half way through, they will have a retention of 50 per cent.

For YouTube analytics, audience retention is taken as a mean of the retention figures for each of your viewers. For example, if you post a ten-minute video and half your viewers get to the five-minute mark, that’s a retention of 50 per cent. If the other half watch it right to the end, that’s a retention of 100 per cent. The mean of these two figures is 75 per cent, and that’s what YouTube will use as your audience retention figure.

This retention rate affects how highly your video is ranked on YouTube, with videos boasting higher audience retention rates appearing higher in the search results than those which do not. This is because both YouTube and Google are highly focussed on customer satisfaction, and a long watch time means a very happy customer was watching that video. For this reason, it’s well worth considering how to increase YouTube audience retention as it demonstrates that you’re making great content as well as helping you get more viewers.

Part 2: How to See Your Audience Retention Report in YouTube?

YouTube will produce reports to help you keep track of your audience retention. There are two types of audience retention reports; absolute and relative. Absolute allows you to view a graph of your video’s retention and see when people might be clicking away, or if they are skipping to later parts of your video. If you lose a lot of viewers in the first 15 seconds of your videos then that is a clear indication that your content is not what the viewers who find your videos really want. The relative report is where your video is compared to the average retention of similar videos.

Note that by ‘similar videos’, YouTube means videos of a similar length. There is no way to compare your videos only to other videos in your genre. The relative report will always be somewhat skewed because your videos will be measured against very different content.

To see an audience retention report log into your YouTube account and go to yourCreator Studio. There, selectAudience RetentionunderAnalytics.

Part 3: What is a Good Audience Retention Rate on YouTube?

When you’re considering how to increase YouTube audience retention, it can be good to have a goal in mind. Obviously 100 per cent is going to be the Holy Grail of retention rates, but how many videos are actually going to achieve that? It only takes for one person to ‘accidentally’ click on your video and rapidly click away, or for someone to have to stop for outside reasons, to drag your average down.

According to the YouTube community, a good goal to aim for is around 50 per cent, but as there is a lot which can affect your retention rate, that number may be different for you. Low view numbers sometimes get higher retention rates because it’s mainly subscribers watching, whereas channels with millions of views may suffer due to more people abandoning. Rather than setting yourself a golden number, focus instead on increasing your retention rate from wherever it is now, and celebrate your own success instead of measuring yourself against others.

Part 4: 6 Ways to Increase YouTube Audience Retention

If you’re serious about learning how to increase YouTube audience retention, here are five of the best ideas for you:

1. Compare your videos

Investigating your audience retention report will highlight the videos where you achieved maximum success. Think about what you did here, and work to replicate that technique. Perhaps you were talking about a product, or maybe your structured your video slightly differently. It’s up to you to dissect your video and find out what it was that kept people watching for longer, so that you can repeat this success in the future. You can also use some influencer marketing platform such as InflueNex to take a look at the videos in your similar channels, and learn the popular videos on their channels.

2. Get on with it

Research shows that YouTube viewers have an incredibly short attention span. Depending on who you believe, you could have as much as six seconds or as little as just three to grab their attention and compel them to carry on watching. If you want to improve your audience retention, coming in with an engaging, attention grabbing statement right at the start is crucial to your success. Nobody wants to waste their time watching someone waffle on for ages about their granny or their favorite hobbies, so get right down to it straight away, by telling them what’s in store.

3. Make it visually engaging

Perhaps all you’ve got is a presentation to make. You’re not a gamer, you’re not showing clips of your cat and you’re not doing a makeup tutorial, so surely all you need is a camera, good lighting and your face, right? Wrong. Viewers like to see the visual content changing, and videos which have a range of scenes are usually far more successful than those where it’s just a person talking to camera. Think about how you can insert cutaways, pop up text, different footage and other graphics to keep it interesting for your viewers.

4. Make it shorter

This one is a no brainer really. If you make a one-minute video, how hard is it going to be to keep viewers watching to the end compared to a 20-minute marathon. However, going too short can be negative too, unless you really do have something very quick and simple to showcase. Long videos work well for YouTubers in the gaming niche, in particular, because viewers want to know the end result, but for most of us, these sorts of viewing statistics are hard to reach.

If you consider a viewer who watches three minutes of your content, would you rather they watched three minutes of a ten-minute video and then clicked away bored, or would you rather they finished an entire video that was only three minutes long? Both in terms of audience retention and of your own reputation, having a viewer finish a short video is much more valuable to you than losing someone half way through a long one. That person probably enjoyed your content to the end and will more than likely watch another one of your videos. Conversely, the one you lost half way through was bored enough to stop watching and will probably not bother viewing any other videos of yours in future.

5. Keep them hooked

Think carefully about your YouTube video structure. Ideally, you will tell them at the very start that you’ve got something amazing to share with them later on. This could be a tip, a tutorial, a new product reveal or even something funny. Whatever it is, tell them they’re going to love it from the start, and keep reminding them to watch from the end to get this gift. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give them great content all the way through, just that you should save a carrot for the end of the ride to reward those loyal viewers.

So, now you know how to increase YouTube audience retention, what are you going to do about it? Have a go at modifying your videos to boost the numbers who will watch to the end and let us know how you got on.

6. Use an Excellent Video Editor

Content is the king. It is necessary to use a powerful video editor to help you edit videos. With an excellent video editor like Filmora, you can custom stunning videos effortlessly.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Mac’s Top MP4 Cutters for YouTube Success

What is the Best MP4 Cutter for YouTubers On Mac?

Liza Brown

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

Editing videos is a big part of YouTubers’ job including cutting MP4, customizing intros and outros, grading video colors, adding a multitude of effects, and many more. All YouTube celebrities use a diverse set of video editing features such as filters, transitions, custom titles and captions, and overlays.

These post-processing effects ensure that their videos don’t only look aesthetically pleasing but are more engaging and interactive to keep their viewers hooked from the beginning right till the end. This is exactly why cutting MP4 videos and editing have become monumentally significant for newcomers.

Having said that, most of the beginners and hobbyists either can’t afford or want to pay for professional video editing software for cutting MP4 such as Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro. In this time, FilmoraX will be a better choice to cut MP4 for Youtube

Before we further delve into the details of advanced video cutter functions, let’s first develop an understanding of the basics.

Section1. Basic Video Cutter Functions

Section2. Advanced Video Cutter Functions

Section 1. Basic Video Cutter Functions

These are the features of cutting MP4 videos that are used by almost all of the YouTuber to give their videos a more engaging look and contextualize them based on the content. For instance, almost all of the YouTubers use customized captions and titles to share information that is highly valuable for the viewers and enables them to develop a connection with the YouTuber.

Almost all of the YouTubers have customized intros and outros in their videos but some of the notable names include MKBHD, PewDiePie, and Smosh. In the process of cutting MP4 videos, they add these effects to create a brand for themselves.

• Customizing Intros & Outros

One of the most basic functions of cutting MP4 or other videos intended for YouTube audiences is to add your intro and outro.

- Intro - It is a customized beginning where YouTubers usually add their channel name or its logo along with the title of the video. This helps them to develop a personal brand and add context to what their audience is about to see.

- Outro - It is the customized ending of the video where most content creators choose to add a call to action (CTA) encouraging them to engage with the channel or the video in some manner. For example, they may add an outro that asks the users to subscribe to the YouTube channel.

• Rich Stickers & Titles

These are customized stickers, captions, and titles that enable YouTubers to add contextual information at any point in the video to add more value to their content during the process of cutting MP4 videos. For example, if a YouTuber is running a smartphone review channel, they can add rich stickers that contain specifications of the smartphone for those who are interested in particulars.

Including such information, while cutting MP4 also adds to the credibility of the content creator as they are perceived as more professional and dedicated to their job.

Steps to Perform Basic Video Cutter Effects on Filmora X

Here’s how you can add intros and outros to your YouTube videos using Wondershare Filmora X for cutting MP4 videos.

1. Add intro background and select your favorite audio or sound effect
2. Add your logo and/or text to the intro video
3. Now add cool effects to improve the appearance of your intro
4. Export your intro video and add it to shared media

You can also use Filmora templates for cutting MP4 videos to create your intro video for your YouTube content.

In Filmora, you will find a wide variety of templates for titles, openers, end credits, plain texts, callouts, and more for cutting MP4 and other video formats. You can use the premade template to add the desired text effect and then edit them according to your preferences. If you want to use these settings again, save the customized text effects as presets. It will save you a lot of time.

Section 2. Advanced Video Cutter Functions

These are the cutting MP4 effects that aren’t used by beginners but hobbyists and professional video content creators may use them to add production value and interactive dimension to their content.

• Green Screen - This effect allows YouTubers to add any type of live or static background while cutting MP4 videos adding production value to their video.
• Motion Tracking - This is a cinematic method that enables YouTubers to include digital visuals in live-action video. It ensures that everything including scale, position, relative motion, and orientation is accurate.
• Color Matching - If you are shooting your video with different cameras, every camera records the footage in its own color profile. Color matching is used to introduce color consistency throughout the video. Filmora X is perfectly capable of handling color matching while you are cutting MP4 and other videos.

Some of the channels and YouTubers that rely on advanced video cutting MP4 effects include Vlad and Niki, MKBHD, Dude Perfect, Canal KondZilla, Like Nastya Vlog, and Kids Diana Show.

Performing Advanced Cutting MP4 Video Effects on Filmora X

• Using Green Screen

Step 1 - Set up and position the green screen and add adequate lighting.

Step 2 - Make sure that you don’t wear anything that’s green and start shooting.

Step 3 - Download green screen backgrounds from the website of your choice.

Step 4 - Import your green screen footage into Filmora X and adjust the settings according to your preferences.

Step 5 - Position the background-clip so it looks natural and then export the video in your required format (MP4).

• Using Motion Tracking

Step 1 - Go to Behaviors in Control Panel and select the top clip. Then click on the “plus” button right next to Behaviors.

Step 2 - Here, select the motion track from the list and open the folder to select the footage you want to track.

Step 3 - This will automatically start motion analysis of the video clip and you’ll be notified with grey tracker points once the analysis is complete.

Step 4 - You can draw around the region that you want to follow the motion and it will be automatically applied to the object.

Step 5 - Preview the clip and adjust any settings if the result isn’t according to your liking.

• Using Color Matching

Step 1 - Drag the video clip to your timeline and move the play head to the frame you want to color match.

Step 2 - Select the remaining video clips and apply color matching through the right-click or the toolbar. Select the frame as a reference and click on ‘Match’.

Step 3 - Now, using the slider, adjust the extent to which you want the color setting of other clips that need to be matched. See the result in the ‘comparison view’.

Final Word

Cutting MP4 or other videos for YouTube content creation is a major part of the process. You need to have reliable and versatile video editing software that can get the job done without any hassle. And while there are professional packages available, they cost way too much for the YouTubers who are just starting out or are just hobbyists. That’s where Filmora X can be an exceptional alternative offering a wide variety of features at a fraction of the cost.

You can try Filmora X for free for cutting MP4 videos before you pay for the fully-featured software.

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Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown