How to deal with inconsistent view counts?

[Precious]

My videos get wildly different views and I can't figure out why. one video gets 5k views, the next gets 200 views, then one gets 1,500. there's no pattern

Is this normal? how do you figure out what's working when results are so random?

[Flaky]

Inconsistent views are totally normal but they're not random - you just haven't found the pattern yet

how i figured out what works:

step 1: deep dive into analytics

• looked at top 10 performing videos
• noted common elements (topics, titles, thumbnails, length)
• checked traffic sources (search, suggested, browse)
• analyzed audience retention graphs

step 2: identify the patterns

• my "how to" videos got more search traffic
• my "5 mistakes" videos got more suggested views
• videos under 10 minutes had better retention
• thumbnails with before/after images performed best

step 3: test hypotheses

• made 5 videos following "winning formula"
• all performed better than average
• confirmed the pattern was real

common reasons for view count variations:

• topic interest - some topics just have bigger audience
• thumbnail quality - CTR varies wildly based on thumbnail
• title effectiveness - some titles are more compelling
• timing - when you post can affect initial performance
• algorithm testing - youtube tests videos with different audiences

what to track:

1. click-through rate (should be 4%+)
2. average view duration (should be 40%+)
3. traffic sources (where views come from)
4. audience retention graph (where people drop off)

views are the output. focus on the inputs (CTR, retention, topic selection)

make 30 videos, then analyze. patterns will emerge

[Dre]

Inconsistent views mean you're still experimenting - that's good!

creators with consistent views have found their formula. you're still discovering yours. that's part of the process

my view ranges over first 50 videos:

• lowest: 87 views
• highest: 43,000 views
• average: 1,200 views
• massive variance

what i learned from the variance:

• don't let low-performing videos discourage you
• analyze high-performing videos for clues
• every "flop" teaches you something
• you need volume to find what works

mindset shift that helped:

instead of:
"why did this video fail?"

think:
"what data did this video give me?"

every video is an experiment:

• testing a topic
• testing a title format
• testing a thumbnail style
• testing a video structure

after 50-100 videos, you'll have enough data to see what consistently works

tips for faster learning:

• change only 1-2 variables per video (so you know what caused the difference)
• keep a spreadsheet tracking topic, title format, thumbnail style, views
• review data every 10 videos

embrace the chaos. inconsistency means you're learning. consistency comes later