What are typical views on YouTube? What are high-retention YouTube views? We’re going to explore both of these view types in our in-depth guide. And we’ll also be providing tips on how to boost each type of view as a creator.
If you’ve always wondered what the difference was between typical YouTube views vs high-retention views, don’t worry: we’ll explain everything below.
What Does “Typical Views” Mean on YouTube?
“Typical views” are an average number of views over a certain period of time. For example, let’s assume that your average video uploaded in the past six months is 13,000. You’ll then see the words “typical views” when your video reaches somewhere around this figure.
Creators can use typical views to know if their video is performing well or not.
YouTube started to offer the “typical views” metric in 2020 in an attempt to help creators gauge whether or not a video is performing to expectations. But a few key points that are overlooked often are:
- Views may not be accurate
- Real-time reporting of typical views seems to be inaccurate
- Some videos may have this metric and others may not
It’s crucial to know that typical views are an estimate, and your actual views may be higher or lower than what’s listed.
How to Increase Your Typical Views on YouTube?
Typical views can be increased by getting more views to your videos. You’ll need to increase the average number of views that you receive, which can be done in a few ways:
- Work on creating compelling titles that encourage more people to view your videos. You’ll want to spend a lot of time testing out titles to see what types of titles resonate with your audience and which do not.
- Use keyword tools to help you optimize the videos you create so that they rank higher in search and on YouTube.
- Analyze your analytics to find which types of videos your audience seems to like and watch the most. If a video doesn’t perform well, try to determine why and how you can avoid making the same mistake in the future.
- Engage with your subscribers via comments so that you can encourage them to watch your videos more often. If subs feel a connection with a creator, they’ll become loyal viewers who keep coming back to watch your videos.
- Create playlists to keep your content organized and viewers on your channel. Users are far more likely to binge-watch your videos if they’re grouped into relevant playlists.
- Collaborate with creators and brands to expand your reach and view count. Focus on partnering with others in a similar niche and who have a similar audience.
- Create a content series and encourage viewers to follow the series.
Increasing your total views on YouTube will help you grow your audience.
And if you notice that your views are dropping, read through our guide on how to stop views from dropping and reengage your audience.
What are High-Retention YouTube Views?
High-retention views are a little different from typical views. These views are the number of people who have watched your entire video.
Some users will click the link to your video and then immediately close it out or only watch a portion of your content.
Others will watch your video from start to finish.
High-retention views are the views you want to pay the most attention to because they give you an idea of whether your content is resonating with your audience. Your goal is to get as many people as possible to watch your entire video.
Why?
- The longer people watch your videos, the more ads they’ll see – and that translates to more $$
- Brands want to work with creators with high-retention views
- It means that your content is engaging enough to keep people’s attention
How to Increase Your High-Retention YouTube Views?
If you have a low number of high-retention views, there are several steps you can take to increase your average view duration, including:
1. Creating a Catchy Intro
Hook viewers in during the first few seconds of your video by creating a catchy intro. An attention-grabbing intro may keep viewers around for the duration of your video.
A catchy intro intrigues viewers, and their curiosity keeps them around.What does a catchy intro look like? Here are some examples:
- Before-and-after reveals
- Fascinating clips or facts
- Bloopers
- Preview of what your video will cover
Focus on hooking viewers in at the start, and you’ll be well on your way to boosting your high-retention views.
2. Creating Teasers
If you create videos that are 15-20+ minutes long, teasers are a great way to convince viewers to stick around.
At the start of your video, tease viewers about what’s to come. Give them a sneak peek at some of the best parts of your video and tell them what to expect. Many viewers will stay through until the end because they want to see all the things you teased at the start of the video.
3. Using Chapters
There’s a good chance that some of your viewers are looking for something specific when they click on your video. Adding chapters makes it easier for viewers to skip straight to the parts of your content they’re most interested in.
Chapters also encourage replays because they make it easy for viewers to come back and rewatch chapters that answer their questions or solve their problems.
4. Tell a Story
People love a good story. With a little creativity, you can transform any type of content into a compelling story that hooks viewers in and keeps them around.
Start viewing yourself as a storyteller and treating each piece of content as a new chapter in your channel’s story.
Summary
Typical views and high retention views are two different things on YouTube. Understanding the difference between the two can help you improve your content and grow your channel over time. Use our tips to help boost your average view duration and start increasing your high-retention views.
