Imagine you are a B2B buyer looking for a new software solution. You’ve done your research, but you are still not sure which option is best for you. What do you do next?
If you’re like most B2B buyers, you watch some videos.
7 in 10 B2B buyers watch videos throughout their sales journey. That means video is not just a nice-to-have, but a must-have for your B2B marketing strategy.
But how do you make sure your videos are delivering results? How do you measure and improve your video performance?
That's where video KPIs come in.
Video KPIs are key performance indicators that help you track and optimize your B2B video marketing efforts. They help you answer questions like:
● How many people are watching your B2B videos?
● How long are they watching them?
● How engaged are they with your videos?
● How are they responding to your videos?
● How are your videos impacting your bottom line?
In this blog post, we'll show you the 9 most important video metrics you should measure and optimize to improve your video marketing performance and ROI.
Enough rambling. Let’s dive right in!
Vanity Metrics vs Meaningful Metrics
Before we get into the specific video KPIs, let's clear up a common misconception - not all metrics are created equal.
Some metrics are what we call vanity metrics. These video metrics look good on paper but don’t tell you how effective your B2B videos are in achieving your marketing goals. In fact, they can be misleading to your B2B video strategy.
Some examples of vanity metrics include:
- Impressions: The number of times your video is displayed on a platform or website.
- Likes: The number of times people click the thumbs-up or heart button on your video.
- Subscribers: The number of people who follow your channel or account on a platform.
These metrics are not useless, but they are not enough to measure your video success. They don't tell you how people are interacting with your videos, or how your videos are influencing their behavior or decisions.
That’s why you have to focus on meaningful metrics. With these video metrics, you can gauge how your videos are contributing to your business goals. Some examples would be:
- Play rate: The percentage of people who click play on your video.
- Watch time: How long people have watched your video in total.
- Engagement rate: The percentage of people who watch your video until the end or a certain point.
- CTA Click-through rate: The percentage of people who click on a link or a call to action in your video.
- Conversion rate: The percentage of people who complete a desired action after watching your video, such as filling out a form, downloading an ebook, or requesting a demo.
If you want to see how your B2B videos are moving prospects along the buyer's journey, these are the video metrics you want to keep your eye on.
Choosing Video Metrics Based on Your Marketing Goals
So you’ve created some awesome B2B videos that showcase your brand, solution, and USP. But how do you know if they’re doing their job?
The key is to choose the right video metrics for your goals. To have a targeted approach. 🎯
Now, not all videos are created equal. They have different purposes and target different stages of the marketing funnel. Let's break it down:
- Awareness videos are magnets. They aim to attract and educate potential customers about your brand, industry, or solution. They typically target the top of the funnel (TOFU) and use platforms like YouTube, Facebook, or LinkedIn to reach a large audience.
- Consideration videos are helpful guides. They help and persuade potential customers to consider your offer and compare it with other options. They focus on the middle of the funnel (MOFU) and use platforms like your website, blog, or email to nurture leads.
- Decision videos aim to convince and convert potential customers to choose your offer and take action. They typically target the bottom of the funnel (BOFU) and use landing pages, webinars, or demos to close deals.
- Retention videos aim to delight and retain existing customers by providing them with value, support, or upsell opportunities. They typically target the post-purchase stage and use platforms like email, chat, or customer portals to build loyalty.
- Advocacy videos empower and encourage existing customers to spread the word about your brand and refer new customers. They typically target the referral stage and use platforms like social media, review sites, or case studies to generate word-of-mouth.
So depending on your video's funnel focus, choose KPIs that align with your goal. That’s how you structure and plan which video KPIs to measure.
The 9 Video KPIs That Matter Most for B2B Marketers
Let's look at the basic 10 video KPIs you need to monitor in your B2B marketing campaigns. Keep in mind that there are plenty of other metrics out there - these are just the essential ones.
1. Impressions Click-Through Rate
Let’s say you’ve just uploaded a new video on YouTube. You’re excited to see how many people will watch it. But before they do, they have to click on it first. And that’s where impressions' click-through rate comes in.
This is one of the most important YouTube video metrics to track.
The impressions click-through rate shows you the percentage of visitors who click on a thumbnail or link to watch the video. It's a simple but powerful metric that tells you how appealing your video thumbnail, topic, and title are to your audience.
The click-through rate is super useful for gauging how well-optimized, well-targeted, and promoted your video is. And a higher CTR shows that the thumbnail, title, topic, and promotion channel do hit the spot for your audience. ✨
How to boost it ⬇️
- Use an eye-catching video thumbnail that captures the essence of your video and entices viewers to click.
- Write a compelling title and description that highlight the value and benefits of your video.
- Optimize your video for SEO by using relevant keywords and tags.
- Place your video above the fold on your website or landing page.
- Test different versions of your thumbnail, title, description, and placement to see what works best.
P.S: You can also track the click-through rate on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
2. View Count
View count is the number of times your video has been watched. It's an essential metric that tells you how popular your video is among your audience. And it’s a fantastic way of gauging the level of brand awareness.
Buut (and this is a big but) view count alone is a vanity metric -it’s only meaningful when you dig deeper into who is watching your video and what impact the video has.
To get real value from view count:
- Compare views across videos. Which topics resonate most? Are certain formats more popular, engaging, or effective?
- Correlate with outcomes. Do higher view counts lead to more buzz, leads, signups, or sales? If not, your video might not be hitting the mark with your potential buyers.
You can aim for a higher view count when your goal is to expand brand awareness and attract a wider audience. To boost view count:
- Promote your video across multiple channels and platforms, such as social media, email, blog, or paid ads.
- Encourage your audience to share your video with their network or embed it on their website.
- Collaborate with influencers or partners who have a large or relevant following.
- Optimize your video for each platform by using the right format, length, and style.
- Monitor your video analytics to see which channels and platforms are driving the most views.
Check out our article about video analytics tools to find the right tool for you!
3. Watch Time - Retention
Watch time is the total amount of time people have spent watching your video. It's an advanced metric that tells you how engaging your video is to your audience.
Why does watch time matter?
Well, it affects your video ranking and visibility on platforms like YouTube or Facebook. The more watch time your video gets, the more likely it is to appear in search results or recommendations. Exposure, baby! 🔥
The watch time also shows you how well your video delivers. The longer people watch your video, the more likely they are to trust you, remember you, and take action.
How to boost it:
- Use a strong hook at the beginning of your video that grabs viewers' attention and sets their expectations.
- Use storytelling techniques to create an emotional connection with your viewers.
- Use visuals, animations, sound effects, music, or captions to enhance your message and appeal to different senses.
- Use transitions, breaks, or chapters to structure your video and maintain the flow.
- Use analytics tools to see where viewers are dropping off and optimize those parts.
4. Relative Audience Retention
As we’ve touched on briefly in the previous blog post, B2B marketing shouldn’t be dull.
It should inform, yet engage.
One way to gauge if the video is relevant for your audience is by measuring the relative audience retention rate. This is one of the most important YouTube video metrics to track - as it gives you insight into the relevancy of your content. The audience retention rate shows you how long your viewers watch your video.
Low audience retention rates might be due to boring, confusing, or inappropriate content.
Improving retention rates in B2B marketing comes down to 2 things - humanizing your content and knowing your audience. Here are some tips and tricks to help you improve this video KPI:
- Find the real pain points, needs, and wants of your audience.
- Create a short, but punchy hook.
- Use a clear, yet compelling value proposition that focuses on BENEFITS, not just features.
- Use a coherent script to guide and engage viewers throughout the video.
- Use humor, emotion, or curiosity to keep your audience interested.
- Learn from previous videos that have good retention rates.
5. Play Rate
This video metrics tells you how many people hit play after landing on your webpage. More plays usually means that the content is crushin’ it. That it’s relevant and intriguing for the audience. It also means that the video is well-placed on the webpage.
For instance, if you place the video above the fold, you can expect a higher play rate.
The key to boosting this video KPI is ensuring that your video content is relevant OR exciting to the audience. That it tackles something that they want to find out more about.
6. Conversion Rate
Now for conversion rate - this crucial metric shows the percentage of viewers who take action after watching your video, whether filling out a form, requesting a demo, or making a purchase. It reveals how effectively your video generates leads and sales.
A high conversion rate tells you your video succeeds at driving qualified prospects to convert. A low rate indicates your video doesn't compel viewers to act.
To track conversion rates, you can use Google Analytics to see how your videos impact traffic to your website or your bottom line.
7. Social Shares
Have you ever watched a B2B video that blew your mind? Maybe it was funny, inspiring, or informative. Maybe it was packed with useful tips and tricks. And you just had to share it with almost everyone you know.
Every little share boosts a brand's visibility.
Sooo, if you want to check your brand’s visibility, measure social shares. A higher number of social shares means that your video is generating word-of-mouth and reaching new potential customers.
You can also look at shares to see which video format and content works best for your audience. Checking this before updating your content strategy will give you some insight into what works and what doesn’t.
If you want to increase social shares, here’s what you have to do:
- Use an emotional, entertaining, or educational angle that resonates with your audience and makes them want to share your video
- Use a catchy title, description, and thumbnail that capture the attention and curiosity of social media users
- Use hashtags, mentions, or tags to increase the visibility and reach of your video on social media platforms
- Encourage your audience to share the video.
- Check social media analytics to see which platforms and posts are driving the most shares
8. Comments
Do you remember the last time you watched a video that made you want to comment? Maybe it was controversial, provocative, or surprising. Maybe it sparked your opinion or emotion. Maybe it made you want to join the conversation.
That’s the reaction you want to spark in your viewers!
This video KPI tells you how engaging the video is.
A high number of comments means that your video is sparking discussion and feedback from your viewers. A low number of comments means that your video is not inviting or relevant.
How to boost video comments:
- Use a question at the end of your video that encourages viewers to leave a comment
- Use a controversial, provocative, or surprising angle that triggers viewers' opinions or emotions
- Respond to comments.
- Ask for feedback on how to improve your video or offer
- Monitor your comments to see which videos and topics are generating the most comments
9. Return on Investment
Last but not least, let’s talk about the most important video KPI of all - return on investment. ROI is the ultimate measure of how much money you are making from your video marketing efforts. It shows you how much revenue your videos generate compared to how much they cost to produce and distribute.
A high ROI means that your video is generating more revenue than it costs to make and share. A low ROI means that your video is costing more than it makes.
How to improve the overall ROI of B2B video marketing:
- Use a clear and measurable goal for your video that aligns with your business objectives.
- Use a realistic and reasonable budget for your video production and distribution.
- Use video analytics tools to track and attribute the revenue generated by your video.
- Test different versions of your video to see which one has the highest ROI.
Understand The Story These 9 Video KPIs Tell About Your Content
And there you have it - the nine essential video KPIs that every B2B marketer should pay attention to! 🎥📈
We’ve included everything from YouTube video metrics to general metrics that apply across all platforms. The 9 video KPIs covered in this post give you a good start. But what’s most important is analyzing those video metrics in ways that reveal:
→ Who is watching your videos.
→ What works best.
→ Which channels drive results.
→ Whether your videos are generating leads, bringing awareness, or converting viewers into customers.
The key is understanding not just the numbers – but the story they tell about how to improve and evolve your B2B video content, channels, and overall strategy.
Now it's your turn to apply these video KPIs to your video marketing strategy and see the results for yourself. If you need more help or guidance on how to create and promote great video content for your B2B marketing campaigns, hit us up! We can help.
