So, you’re about to embark on your first animated video project – how exciting! But how clear is your vision of success? How will you know if your video is truly successful?
Like most of my clients, you may have some hesitation or doubt around measuring the success of your video.
Questions may bubble up, such as, how will I know my ideas are getting across? Will this investment really bring in the results I’m expecting? And how do I measure all of this?
If you are unclear about online video metrics, you are not alone. Besides the “like” counts on YouTube, there are not a lot of obvious ways to measure the success of your explainer video. And you may be surprised to learn it’s not always about the hard numbers.
But before we jump into the elusive world of video analytics, it’s important to take a moment and sort out a couple details about your video.
First, you must define a goal for your video – what is the one thing you want this video to accomplish? Be focused and clear!
The second step is to define your audience – who will see this video and how will they choose to watch it? Through your website? YouTube? Facebook?
Once you’ve taken the time to clarify these items, it’s time to choose a couple metrics to follow that align best with your project and audience. Below are the 5 most relevant metrics I’ve found in regards to explainer videos.
Reach
Although getting as many views as possible may seem like the most obvious metric for everyone, it is not always the most relevant. However, if you goal is to build a wide audience and get your video seen quickly, this is certainly an important goal.
I’ve found that view counts are important for organizations with international reach and are looking to expand into new markets. Or for research foundations looking to expand their audience beyond the scientific networks and to the general public.
Engagement
Engagement is all about making a genuine impact on your target market. Rather than focusing on the number of views, the focus here is on the number of views by the right people and the value they receive from your video. Is your tribe watching your video? And are they watching long enough to receive your call to action?
If you have your video hosted on YouTube, you can track the “watch times metrics” to get a sense for how long your audience watches your video and if they play it more than once.
Another handy way to measure engagement is through the number of channel or newsletter subscribers you have gained through the “engagement core metrics”.
When it comes to YouTube metrics, keep in mind that engagement metrics take time to accrue. This metric is based on your specific, niche audience, so if you are new to YouTube, it will take time to get these numbers off the ground.
Community
Sometimes video is created to get people talking, encourage discussion and social interaction. Creating community is an organic process and in order to measure this success, there are no hard numbers to track.
The best way to see if your video is building community is to track the comments resulting from the video. Are people talking about the topic you had set out to communicate? How many likes and shares are you getting from other social media platforms? And what is the quality of the conversations bubbling up from your video? These are all excellent ways to track your community success.
Clarity
When it comes to Explainer Videos, this metric is key for each video we produce. But, similar to “community”, this one is a bit difficult to measure. The best way to track this success is by the number of questions you get from audience – are they asking the right questions about your product or brand? And furthermore, what is the quality of the questions?
If you’ve successfully answered your audience’s basic questions with your video, you should then begin receiving more in-depth questions.
Trust
A huge reason many of my clients choose to create a video is to improve trust. With an explainer video, friendly graphics and an approachable story are always a great way to communicate personality and encourage trust.
Unfortunately there is no way to track a viewer’s emotional response, so this one is a bit trickier to measure. But over time, you can feel if the video is helping you build trust. Are more people recognizing your brand and approaching you? Whether it’s online or in person.
These 5 specific metrics are a fantastic way to gauge your Explainer video’s success. But remember, stay focused on your main goal and make sure the one or two metrics you choose to follow are relevant.
If you are concerned about Clarity, don’t get distracted by the small number of YouTube views you’ve accrued over a couple months. Be focused on the conversations and questions you receiving from your audience. As they say, numbers don’t lie, but they aren’t always relevant to your goals.
I hope this post has clarified some of the metric confusion for your next video! Good luck and if you are liking this content, don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter (see below!) and get animated explainer video tips straight to your inbox.
