Conventional wisdom may tell you that video views are a superficial metric, but I think they’re actually a good indicator of how well your video, especially its hook, performed.
I also think that the number of views as a metric has disadvantages, for example that you cannot tell who the target group is or whether the video will resonate with them.
That’s why I created this list of important video marketing metrics to track based on data from the video marketing survey I recently conducted. Let’s dive in.
What metrics do brands track?
According to video marketers, these are the most important video engagement metrics to track to measure video content performance:
- Commitment (43%)
- Watch time (39%)
- Number of views (32%)
- Audience retention (27%)
- Follower/subscriber growth (25%)
- Average view time (22%)
1. Commitment
Engagement (likes, comments, etc.) is the most commonly tracked video marketing metric and the most important video marketing metric to track.
This makes sense to me: it’s one of the most important factors in increasing your video’s organic reach. If a video resonates with one portion of your audience, it’s likely to resonate with the rest.
Adriane GrünenbergHubSpot automation and digital analytics expert, says engagement rate is the most important metric because “A high (engagement rate) indicates that your content is relevant and engaging, which leads to greater organic reach can, as viewers are more inclined to share content and discuss the video.
I’ve found that engagement also provides marketers with valuable quantitative data. Comments can show you the emotional impact your video has on your viewers. Do they seem inspired? Or are they angry that you covered a controversial topic? This data can help you decide which video topics to focus on in the future.
Social shares can provide a clearer picture of your audience’s brand affinity and loyalty. This metric measures how much your audience values your content and your brand. It also strengthens your brand credibility.
Because people share content that confirms their ideal selfPeople who share your video are ready to show their community that they trust and support your brand.
Social sharing is also one of the best forms of word of mouth marketing.
2. Playback time
Watch time is the second most important metric and clearly explains how much time people actually spend watching your videos.
For example, if the average watch time of your 3-minute video is 2 minutes, the average viewer is sitting almost entirely, likely because they are interested in the content.
On the other hand, if the average watch time is 30 seconds, your video may not be able to capture people’s attention or pique their interest. That’s exactly it Michelle TaborSolutions Engineer at Lynton, told me: “Watch time is a key indicator of whether my content is boring or not.”
3. Show number
It seems logical that your view counts would increase every time your video is viewed on any device, right?
This is usually not the case, and different platforms also have different ways of measuring the number of views.
For example, YouTube counts a view as a video played by a person on a device. When that person refreshes the page, their watch time still counts under that one original view.
On TikTok, however, views increase every time a video is played.
So what’s a good measure of the number of views your marketing videos should receive? Most marketers (45%) who responded to the video marketing survey I recently conducted say their average views are under 10,000 views, while 16% say their videos average under 1,000 views.
I also found that 82% average less than 100,000 views per video.
5. Follower/Subscriber Growth
Follower/subscriber growth can be a great measure of a video’s performance because it shows that your video is reaching new audiences and attracting people to your brand.
You can also see which audience your video attracts. This can help you create a buyer persona and create higher quality content tailored to your target audience.
6. Average view duration
Average watch time is the total watch time of your video divided by the total number of video plays, including replays. It measures how long your viewers watch your video on average.
Average watch time is a powerful metric that tells you what video length your audience prefers. For example, if your 45-second videos continue to have an average watch time of 30 seconds, you may want to shorten those videos by 15 seconds.
Video Marketing Benchmarks
Different types of videos have different benchmarks. Here are some video types and the associated benchmarks we found:
1. Short videos
Short videos are the most popular format among survey participants – 83% use it. It has the highest ROI, generates the most engagement and generates the most leads. This doesn’t surprise me, considering the rise of short-form video tools and platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok.
82% of marketers say the optimal length of a short marketing video is under 60 seconds. Most say the optimal length is between 21 and 30 seconds.
2. Long videos
Long videos generally refer to all videos that are longer than three minutes. This format ranks second in terms of usage, ROI, lead generation and engagement. 
I’ve found that the optimal length for a long-form marketing video is three to six minutes (36%). 31% of respondents say it should take longer than 10 minutes.
Pro tip: Regardless of the video format used, Clip Creator by HubSpot is an AI-powered video maker that helps you streamline your process.
You simply answer a few basic questions about your video to give the tool an idea of what you want to create, select a video template, and then sit back as it uses AI to generate the clip you’re looking for.
Over to you
As video sharing platforms continue to grow, video marketing becomes increasingly important to your brand’s success. Now that you know the metrics that most marketers – including your competitors – measure, you can make informed decisions for your next video marketing campaign.