๐ฏ If Thumbnails are MOST Important, then what about your analytics?
Many YouTubers will fall into the trap of SOLELY focusing on their thumbnail and title.
And yes, that may get them a lot of impressions and maybe even a lot of views - but theyโre messing up BIG TIME without thisโฆ
๐ Watch Time
The bottom of the funnel is the goal of the ENTIRE funnel itself.
We donโt build a funnel to get more email address, we build a funnel to close more sales. YouTube is the same way. YouTube doesnโt care about how many clicks or views it gets on videos across the platform.
It cares about retention. Keeping your ass glued to the site for as long as possible.
The best indicator of โasses in seatsโ metric is watch time.
So, how do YOU increase watch time?
๐ฎ 1. Hook โEm.
We cover this technique in YouTube Intro Hacks but essentially, you wanna focus your sights on the first 3-10 seconds of the video.
Startle your audience, pose a question, drop a cold opener, and an out-of-context joke - whatever your style - pack a huge punch in the 1st ten seconds.
Much like the buying process, audiences are weary if what they clicked on is going to be worth their timeโฆ
Which is why you need toโฆ
๐งจ 2. Deliver The Goods
I know there are some insane thumbnails out there, but the best ones deliver on the Promise.
Your videos need to deliver this promise in the most efficient AND effective way possible.
โHere are 5 Tips to Grow Your YouTube Channelโ
โOk, you better serve these 5 tips up ASAP, and they better be good.โ
Fail to deliver on Tip #1 or #2, and youโll have viewers drop off thus slowing down your watch time accumulation. YouTube doesnโt care about your channel, it cares about the audience watching as much YouTube as possible.
If you canโt help YouTube achieve that goal, then prepare to watch your impressions fall off a cliff into obscurity.
Itโs refreshingly that simple.