Creating a great explainer video is just the beginning. You can have stunning animation, clever scripting, and perfect voiceover, but if the video isn’t helping your business reach its goals, it’s just eye candy. So how do you measure whether your explainer video is actually working?
In this article, we’ll break down the key performance indicators (KPIs), tools, and strategies that will help you evaluate the real impact of your explainer video.
Start With the Goal
Every explainer video should have a clear purpose. Are you trying to:
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Increase sign-ups or conversions?
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Reduce customer support requests?
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Drive traffic to your website?
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Educate users about a product?
Your goal determines which metrics matter. If your video is meant to boost conversions, then tracking clicks and sign-ups makes sense. If it’s about engagement, you’ll focus more on view duration and shares.
Track View Count (But Don’t Stop There)
Yes, view count is the most basic metric. It shows how many people clicked "play" on your explainer video. But it’s not enough.
View count doesn’t tell you if people actually watched the whole video, understood your message, or took action.
Think of it as the top of your measurement funnel. It shows reach, not impact.
Watch Time and Retention Rate
These two metrics show how much of your video viewers are actually watching. If your explainer video is 90 seconds long, but most people drop off after 30 seconds, you have a problem.
Retention rate is especially useful. It highlights where viewers lose interest. This can point to issues with pacing, scripting, or relevance.
Tip: YouTube, Wistia, and Vimeo provide detailed audience retention graphs. Use them.
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
If your video includes a call-to-action (CTA), like a link to a landing page or a "Sign up now" button, CTR is critical. It tells you how many viewers were compelled to act.
A low CTR might mean your CTA isn't clear or the video didn't build enough trust or urgency. A/B testing different versions of your video or CTA placement can help here.
Conversion Rate
Ultimately, this is the golden metric for many businesses. It measures how many viewers took the desired action after watching your explainer video.
This could mean:
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Signing up for a free trial
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Buying a product
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Booking a demo
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Filling out a contact form
Use tools like Google Analytics, HubSpot, or Mixpanel to tie video views to conversion events.
Engagement Metrics
These include:
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Likes
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Comments
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Shares
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Social media mentions
While these don’t always lead directly to revenue, they indicate how well your video is resonating with your audience. Explainer videos that get shared often have strong emotional or educational appeal.
Play Rate
Play rate is the percentage of visitors who actually click "play" when they see the video embedded on a page.
Low play rate? You might need to:
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Change the video thumbnail
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Reposition the video on the page
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Adjust the page copy or headline
It’s not always about the video itself – sometimes it’s how the video is presented.
Bounce Rate and Time on Page
If your explainer video is embedded on a landing page, check how it affects bounce rate and time on page.
A good explainer video can reduce bounce rate and keep visitors engaged longer. That usually leads to better SEO and more conversions.
Heatmaps and Scroll Maps
Tools like Hotjar or Crazy Egg can show you how users interact with your page. Do they scroll down and watch the video? Do they skip it? Do they click your CTA?
Combining heatmaps with video data gives you a deeper understanding of user behavior.
Qualitative Feedback
Don’t underestimate direct feedback from viewers. Ask questions like:
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Did the video help you understand the product?
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Was anything confusing?
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Would you share this with a colleague?
Surveys, user interviews, or feedback forms can surface insights you won’t get from data alone.
A/B Testing
Test different versions of your explainer video. Change the script, visuals, CTA, or even the length. Small changes can lead to big differences in performance.
Platforms like Vidyard and Wistia let you run video A/B tests directly.
ROI: The Bottom Line
After all is said and measured, the question is: did your explainer video bring a return on investment?
Calculate your ROI like this:
ROI = (Revenue generated from video - Cost of video production) / Cost of video production
This is especially useful when pitching video marketing to stakeholders or planning your budget for next year.
Final Thoughts
An explainer video isn’t a one-and-done project. It's a living asset that should evolve based on performance data.
By regularly reviewing these metrics, you can refine your video content, test new ideas, and ultimately build a video marketing strategy that works.
Remember: a beautiful explainer video means nothing if it doesn’t move the needle. Make your videos work smarter, not just harder.
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