Online Video Viewers – A Fickle Bunch

December 11, 2008 by Butterfly Filed under: Video

I read some statistics today that were a bit disheartening.

According to Tube Mogule dot com, online video viewers are some of the most impatient people imaginable. After a mere ten seconds of watching, 10% of online video viewers have clicked out of your video. By the one minute mark, over 50% have clicked out of it. Yup, after one measly minute, only 46.44% of people who were interested enough to watch your video in the first place are still watching.

It gets worse. For those who do hang around past one minute, most of them don’t hang around for long. A paltry 9.42% are still watching your online video at the five minute mark. That means 90% of people decided they had something better to do than watch your video. OUCH!

These people have itchy mouse fingers! Obviously, this means your video had better be dynamite right off the top. Don’t save your good stuff for last!

Trying to decide how long to make your video is one of the most FAQ of all video FAQ. The best advice is shorter is better. Add “start with a bang” to that. If you don’t, your precious video will not do well with impatient online video viewers.

As video producers, most of us are in love with our videos. We want them to pack in every detail of information and ten minutes doesn’t seem like long enough. Obviously viewers feel differently.

Some of the best advice I can give you is listen to your viewers! You are NOT making online video to satisfy yourself, you are making it for other people.

To make your video as short as possible yet still pack in quality information, make sure your script is as concise as possible. Give the big picture and let some of the details go. Stay laser focused and don’t go off on tangents. I always go over a script 3 or 4 times, chopping out every unnecessary word I can.

While editing, keep the pace going quickly. Three 5-second shots are usually better than one 15-second shot. Have your narrator speak fairly rapidly. Add upbeat music.

Online video viewers are a fickle bunch. Why shouldn’t they be? They have 50 gagillion-billion-zillion videos to choose from. (Give or take.) So your video has to start with a bang, keep on banging, and then end with a bang.

Thanks for reading video production tips.

Lorraine Grula

Internet video gal