Understanding Changes in Watch Time

0:00 Have you noticed changes in your video or channel performance?

0:02 Do you know what to look out for when it comes to evaluating potential causes?

0:06 Let’s walk through common causes of drops in watch time,

0:09 things to consider when creating your channel strategy,

0:11 and helpful metrics to explore in YouTube Analytics.

0:14 First, have you made any recent changes to your channel or content strategy?

0:19 Changes in topic, editing style, thumbnail design, on-screen talent,

0:23 upload cadence, or video length can impact audience interest.

0:27 If you’ve recently changed your thumbnails and noticed a viewership drop,

0:30 it might be helpful to look at views,

0:33 impressions and click-through rates to gauge

0:34 your audience’s reception to the new look.

0:36 You can also use the thumbnail Test& Compare feature in YouTube Studio,

0:40 which lets you upload up to three

0:42 different thumbnails and compare their performance.

0:44 As you experiment, take note of the thumbnails

0:46 that work so you can implement them more often,

0:49 and the ones that don't perform as well,

0:51 so you can keep iterating and try something else.

0:53 Next, check for topic and audience appeal.

0:55 The topics you cover on your channel

0:58 can affect watch time and overall channel performance.

1:01 Remember that YouTube follows the audience

1:03 and their interests when choosing content to surface.

1:05 The more a video is resonating with audiences, the more it will be suggested.

1:09 For example, a gaming creator playing an older

1:12 release may see a watch time decline compared

1:14 to a fellow creator playing a hot new

1:16 release that’s garnering a lot of buzz online.

1:18 You can use the Audience tab in YouTube

1:20 analytics to see which videos are currently

1:22 growing your audience the most so you can

1:24 learn what’s working not just to drive views,

1:26 but attract viewers who come back for more.

1:28 You can also see other channels and videos your audience enjoys,

1:31 which can help you select topics, evaluate competition, and identify trends.

1:35 The Audience by watch behavior card in Studio

1:38 Analytics is one way you can monitor audience appeal.

1:40 If regular viewers are decreasing,

1:42 this is a sign that you’re no longer serving a need that was driving retention,

1:46 or that viewers have shifted their interests.

1:49 If new and casual viewers are decreasing,

1:50 this is a sign that your content may not be attracting a broader audience.

1:54 If you’re looking to increase reach,

1:56 consider creating content that appeals to a broader audience based on hot

2:00 topics or trends while still staying true to your overall brand.

2:04 Check out tools like Google Trends,

2:05 or the Inspiration tab in YouTube Studio to see how viewer

2:08 interest has shifted in the topics or formats your channel covers,

2:11 and find inspiration for your channel.

2:13 When judging the success of your content, remember that not every video serves

2:17 the same purpose with your content strategy.

2:20 A video aimed at strengthening fan connections might not be judged by the same

2:24 standards and metrics as a video designed to attract a broader audience.

2:27 Tailor your evaluation criteria based

2:29 on the intent behind each piece of content.

2:32 For example, if you have a community-building video and a tentpole event video,

2:36 understand that their success metrics may differ.

2:39 A community-building video might prioritize

2:41 subscribers gained and average view duration,

2:43 while a tentpole event video aims for broader

2:45 reach and appeal through a strong impression rate.

2:48 Rather than solely relying on your most popular video as a tool of comparison,

2:52 establish baseline performance expectations for your videos or series.

2:55 These baselines can help you identify outliers in performance and help you drill

3:00 into specific elements of your content

3:01 that may have contributed to these outliers.

3:03 If you have videos that are underperforming,

3:06 consider promoting them on social media,

3:08 adding end screens from popular videos that point to them,

3:11 or experiment with changing the title or thumbnail.

3:13 You can also create a post promoting the video.

3:16 It’s also important to consider seasonality in your channel strategy.

3:19 Different audiences may have different watch

3:21 habits depending on the time of year.

3:23 Think about your audience, who they are,

3:26 which country they live in, if they’re in school,

3:28 if there are any major holidays coming up,

3:31 and generally what’s going on in their lives.

3:33 Expect seasonal fluctuations and plan your programming schedule accordingly.

3:36 “Off-seasons” can be a good time to relax and refresh,

3:40 or to work on evergreen content that may

3:42 help grow your channel during quieter periods.

3:43 Finally, we recommend making one change at a time to your channel

3:47 so you can track which changes have the most impact.

3:51 Remember, one underperforming video won't

3:54 necessarily impact your entire channel.

3:55 What’s most important is how viewers respond

3:58 to each video when it’s recommended to them.

4:00 What can lead to a decline in overall

4:03 channel views is people’s interests changing over time,

4:05 or when viewers stop watching most

4:07 of your videos when they’re recommended to them.

4:09 For more information check out the links in the description.

4:12 Thanks for watching!