YouTube Opinion Do you prefer views or audience retention?

[Beanie Draws]

I'm currently editing a longer video, my longer videos typically get more views than a short video (not to be confused with #shorts) but the longer videos tend to get lower audience retention of about 10%. My shorter videos get an audience retention closer to 30% which is still not the best, but better.

It got me thinking because ideally, longer watch time is better, and having more of a video being watched is preferred, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't prefer having the view number for that sweet flex.

It got me wondering. What do you prefer in terms of success... the view count, or the audience retention?

Would you rather a 20 minute video getting 5000 views but only 10% retention, or would you rather a video getting 500-1000 views only, but a retention somwhere in the 40-60%

Just curious where people's priorities sit with their own content and preferences.

 

[nate polmateer]

This is super tough to assess. Only because the creator in me says, I would love people to watch right to the end. That is my goal not because of algorithms, but because when I am talking about a financial topic the whole video completes the topic. If you stay for 30% then you will only get 30% of the content and that's not super useful. But the other side of me wants to see that I am able to reach more people and the more views you get the more people it will reach.

Overall, I want audience retention. I want to build a community that is able to help one another and I can offer my input.

Hope that's a helpful response.

 

[SILTHW]

You are asking a wonderful question. I suspect the answer is "better for who?"

I see audience retention as useful for confirming your audience/niche and I would suspect it is more useful for YouTube because it provides better data for ad targeting. I mean, a person that sits through 20-30 minutes of a specific niche topic is very likely going to do that for similar video and channels for the niche. If I roll ads relating tot he niche, I have a much higher chance of getting ad engagement.

On the other hand, views helps with velocity, and velocity helps with search and discovery. That helps YOU create a better brand, etc. since that personal brand still seems heavily tied to what people can see - subs and views.

 

[Ehtisham Muhammad]

Audience Retention 100%

 

[Drscottbland]

IΓÇÖd settle for a ton of either right now, haha

 

[Cesar479]

Son mucho mejores las visualizaciones para la monetizaci├│n por que significa mas oportunidades de poner comerciales en los videos

 

[TheShihTzuFamily]

I think views are better. Million view with 2 min AVD is whole a lot better then 100 views only with 5 min AVD

 

[Lemonn]

I'm currently editing a longer video, my longer videos typically get more views than a short video (not to be confused with #shorts) but the longer videos tend to get lower audience retention of about 10%. My shorter videos get an audience retention closer to 30% which is still not the best, but better.

It got me thinking because ideally, longer watch time is better, and having more of a video being watched is preferred, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't prefer having the view number for that sweet flex.

It got me wondering. What do you prefer in terms of success... the view count, or the audience retention?

Would you rather a 20 minute video getting 5000 views but only 10% retention, or would you rather a video getting 500-1000 views only, but a retention somwhere in the 40-60%

Just curious where people's priorities sit with their own content and preferences.

pretty hard to decide, but it's audience retention. Audiences might not come to your end screens and info cards

 

[Lemonn]

I think views are better. Million view with 2 min AVD is whole a lot better then 100 views only with 5 min AVD

audience retention is what he is saying, but that 2 minute thing is recommended too!

 

[Kindred]

I think watch time (audience retention) is more important but IΓÇÖm not sure why I look at views so much more. Maybe I should consider audience retention more as I need hours to get into partnership program

 

[tropicthunder]

I want both, lol. But yeah, like @SILTHW said, "better for who?" , is it better for the audience, better for myself as a creator, or better for youtube algorithm.