Increasing the amount of time guests spend watching your hotel’s YouTube videos not only ensures that more of your content gets viewed, it helps it get discovered by an even wider audience. Following a 2012 algorithm update, watch time or “audience retention” has been the most important ranking factor on the world’s number one video sharing platform. The more time people spend viewing your videos, the more likely YouTube is to promote your channel by recommending your content and ranking it prominently in the search results.
So how do you maximise watch time?
In today’s blog, we’ll look at 3 simple strategies to help you do just that.
1: Choose Compelling and Accurate Video Titles and Thumbnails
It’s no surprise that the titles and thumbnails you pick for your videos are the number one factor that determine whether your guests click to watch, or just keep scrolling. These components should entice viewers to find out more, tell an intriguing story and perhaps most importantly when it comes to watch time, accurately reflect what your video is actually about. If you mislead your audience, they’re going to be frustrated and won’t stick around for long. To check if you’re guilty of this, delve into the data in your videos’ Audience Retention reports. If you notice a significant drop in viewers within the first 10 seconds, your content may be failing to deliver on the promises set up by your thumbnail and title.
Lastly, don’t forget to check that your thumbnails display optimally across mobile and desktop.
2: Use Cards To Drive Viewers To Your Other Videos
Using cards to link to other relevant videos on your hotel’s YouTube channel is a great way to keep viewers engaged with your content for longer.
Again, take a look at your YouTube stats and identify the point in your videos where most viewers are dropping out. Right before this point, insert a card to direct viewers to other videos and playlists they might be interested in – the longer you can keep them browsing through your channel’s content, the better your Audience Retention stats and the more likely YouTube is to promote your videos to its users.
3: Formulate Content Around Long Tail Keywords
If you want your guests to find and watch your videos over your competitors’, it’s important to base your videos around popular long-tail keywords that are trending on YouTube.
To identify these, make use of the platform’s search suggestions feature. Click in the search box, start typing in a word relevant to your target guests and take note of the popular related topics YouTube suggests – these are the very topics users are searching for and want to see most.
It’s a good idea to take a peek at the kind of content your main competitors are producing too, as well as the keywords they’re targeting. Could the same work for you in future videos?
Watch time is the key metric YouTube uses to assess the quality of videos and determine ranking results. Will you try any of the tactics above to boost watch time? What other strategies have you tried? Let us know in the comments below!
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