YouTube average view duration is the measurement of how long viewers watch. It’s a pretty simple metric. Astonishingly, I was so very surprised when my last video with an average view duration of less than three minutes went on the drive 1000+ views a day and crush it. After closer examination, I noticed the YouTube audience retention was exceptional. Furthermore, the click through rate was solid as well. And with that in this video, I breakdown in detail the analytical information and share how I made it happen. I hope you find this video helpful.
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So it happened again. This video went to number one in a really big way on day four, five, and even day six. The video continues to pick up views to the tune of 2,000 views a day with hundreds of people subscribing. For me, the thing that’s weird is the average view duration is literally less than 3 minutes. Even better, this was a non-scripted, very simple video for me to create. I mean, literally, it took me maybe 20 minutes to film and come up with the idea. I was done, and the edit wasn’t really that difficult at all.
Over the last few weeks, my channel’s really been doing fantastic, but it’s this video that’s driving 2,000 views a day. I really want to talk about it and specifically why it was able to do so well with the algorithm, especially with such an average view duration of two minutes and 39 seconds. That is insane, especially considering all the views the video is getting.
When publishing a video, I’m always focused on metrics like keeping people watching, average view duration, audience retention, and click-through rate. This particular click-through rate was just a little bit better than I typically do – around 6.9%, compared to my usual 5.5% to 6.5%. And the response has been incredible.
What’s particularly interesting is the concept of new viewers. Subscribers are great, but what really matters is getting new viewers not just watching one video but returning to your channel. Over time, when new viewers come into a video, the metrics typically drop considerably. However, this video had exceptionally good audience retention. Sure, on average, viewers watched for just a little bit more than two and a half minutes, but the amount of people dropping off was extremely low.
One of the key things I want to emphasize is not to get caught up in the big dream of massive views. Instead, I personally strive to improve by 10% or 30% on the next video. By focusing on what I can control instead of dreaming about thousands of views, I’m able to make consistent progress. It’s about making small adjustments and small gains, which helps maintain motivation and prevents feeling crushed when a video doesn’t hit huge numbers.
The secret to success, I’ve found, is to be authentic while also being strategic. This means covering new topics, being slightly contrarian, creating an emotional connection, and always focusing on your core audience. It’s about finding your unique voice and approach, not trying to copy someone else or chase a mythical shortcut to success.
For creators struggling to grow, my advice is simple: commit fully, be willing to put in the work, and understand that YouTube is a long game. Don’t just “test out” a channel. Instead, approach it with excitement and a commitment to consistent improvement. Measure your progress by seasons, not individual videos, and keep pushing forward with passion and persistence.
