Rising Creators Forum

I'm trying to figure out if my average view duration is good or needs improvement. my videos are usually 10-12 minutes long and my average view duration is around 4:30 which is about 38-40%

Is that decent or is that low? what should i be aiming for?

38-40% isn't bad but you could definitely improve it by restructuring your videos

I used to have similar retention until I changed how i start my videos. now i'm consistently at 52-58% on 10 minute videos

here's what i changed:
1. start with the payoff or most interesting part (first 10 seconds)
2. quick intro (no more than 20 seconds)
3. promise 3 specific things they'll learn
4. deliver on those promises with clear sections
5. mini cliffhangers between sections to keep them watching

also cut out any rambling. script your videos or at least bullet point what you're going to say. every sentence should serve a purpose or you're just giving people a reason to leave

and look at exactly where people are dropping off. if 50% of viewers leave at the 6 minute mark, watch your video and see what's happening at 6 minutes. probably boring section or too much fluff

40% retention on 10-12 minute videos is right around average but you definitely have room for improvement

here's the general benchmarks i've seen:
- below 30% = something is seriously wrong
- 30-40% = average, your videos are okay but not great
- 40-50% = good, youtube will promote your content
- 50-60% = excellent, algorithm loves you
- above 60% = you're killing it

for 10+ minute videos, getting above 50% retention is hard but that's what you should aim for. most people can't hold attention that long

check your retention graph in analytics. There's usually a big drop in the first 30 seconds (people clicking away), then another drop around 2-3 minutes (people who realized the video isn't what they wanted), then gradual decline

focus on improving those first 3 minutes. if you can keep people past that point they're way more likely to watch most of the video