If you’ve had your YouTube channel for a hot minute, you’ve been in YouTube Studio and you have seen a plethora of information there for you to look at, but you’re not sure what it means or what to do with it.
Good news, friend! That’s exactly what we are going to dive into today…
Which metrics matter and what do you DO with the information once you have it?!
Not everything that counts can be counted and not everything that can be counted counts.
Albert Einstein
Read that quote again! Because it is important to understand that growing your business is different than growing your YouTube channel. You don’t have to pay attention to every analytic AND not every action audience takes that results in growth for your business is measure by YouTube!
The metrics that matter to YOU depend on YOUR goal.
GOAL: Monetize
The metrics that matter the MOST to you are going to be:
- SUBCRIBERS (you need 1,000)
- TOTAL WATCH TIME (4000 hours) or SHORTS VIEWS (10,000,000)
Once you have reached these numbers, you are eligible for the YouTube Partner Program. However, ad revenue will still take time to build. This is not a quick to get money into your bank account. It takes, on average, 22 months to become eligible and even longer to start see any sort of significant income from ads.
GOAL: Sell a Product
The metrics that matter the MOST to you are going to be:
- # of video views
- % of rentention (or minutes watched)
- traffic to your website or shop
Disclaimer: The point here is not just to get LOTS of views, but to get the right kind of views. Going viral is pointless if most of the people watching the video don’t care about your products. You want to get views from your ideal customer.
Viewer retention matters because your audience need to understand how your product can solve their problem and they can’t do that if they aren’t sticking around very long. So be mindful of when people are dropping off and aim for 30-40% retention on your videos.
GOAL: Sell a Service
The metrics that matter the MOST to you are going to be:
- # of video views
- % of rentention (or minutes watched)
- engagement on social, emails, and DM’s asking more about how someone can work with you
While this goal is similar to selling a product, you are unlikely to get a sign up directly from your video. However, you may get a comment or message asking for more information about your services which lead to discovery calls or booked clients. A single new client could bring in a significant amount of income to your business and a referral opportunity down the road!
And, above all, know that growth will come IN TIME. Videos will build momentum as you continue to post content consistently (I suggest at least 2 videos a month). Older videos will get more view and YouTube starts to understand exactly what your channel is about and, thus, who will be most likely to want to watch your videos.
Remember, the platform finds videos for the viewer, not viewers for your videos. So be SUPER clear about your niche and always deliver content that they are going to care about.
Now, go it record!! 🎥