The Value of Viewer Retention and Ways to Master It

You’ve followed the advice about using storytelling techniques and trendy content for short-form video when marketing a new product or service; but how do you keep viewers watching till the end? You have probably heard about, “viewer retention,” or “audience retention,” but do you know why it matters?

Data shows that video is an effective way to share your brand. The human brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than text, and 90% of the information that the brain receives is visual. Studies show that visual learning is more effective than traditional print methods. Therefore taking advantage of sharing images with your audience makes sense. 

Visual content is on the rise but keeping your viewer engaged for the entire segment is a different challenge. Follow these tips for audience retention. 

Viewer, or audience retention, simply means the amount of time a person spends viewing content before clicking away. With constant distractions you have a short amount of time to capture your audience’s attention. To increase retention, make sure you provide viewers with a reason to stay, often referred to as the hook. Think of your hook as a compelling headline. When you appeal to the emotion of your audience, persuading them with the value of your message, you have tapped into a powerful response mechanism. 

Pattern interrupts are another technique which can be thought of as changes, or transitions. This can be accomplished by changing the angle of the camera or displaying a graphic. Camera angles which start with a close-up can transition to a wide angle, providing a broader perspective. When it comes to graphics, think of graphs, tables, animations, anything visual. The purpose is to switch up your content. The psychology behind the concept is that it captures the attention of the viewer, which is exactly what you want.

Don’t forget to check analytics. If you are using YouTube, check out your “audience retention report.” Pay attention to the peaks and valleys. These metrics tell you where your audience retention was highest, and lowest. Your peaks indicate what content your viewers were most interested in and your valleys are where you most likely lost your viewer. Adjust your content accordingly. 

Give your viewers a reason to engage with your content, switch it up to keep it interesting, and keep tracking analytics. Incorporating these three, simple techniques, can elevate your video content by increasing audience retention.