There is no doubt that YouTube is currently the biggest online video platform where all kinds of video and content creators strive to create a successful career. Currently, the creators on this platform are called YouTubers who are able to monetize their video content and earn from the platform based on the organic views received from the users. However, there are some crucial guidelines for monetization eligibility, and if you do not maintain those criteria, you will not be able to become part of the YouTube Partnership Program (YPP), which allows monetizing video content.
What is Watch Time on YouTube? Why is it important?
Watch time refers to the total time that viewers have spent watching your video content. YouTube allows you to be a part of the YPP only when your channel can cross a certain threshold of watch time, which makes them eligible for monetization benefits. In order to become a part of the monetization program, the creator or the channel must receive more than 4000 hours of watch time on their video content in the last 12 months or a year. Not necessarily, the videos have to be posted from last year as well, since it mainly focuses on the time of the gained views rather than the video's initial launch. It is based on public watch hours only, and you cannot increase it privately.
How to Improve Watch Time on YouTube?
It is not necessary to gain more than 4000 hours of watch time, as you can push with 3000 hours of watch time, where you get to monetize your video content through in-stream activity and fan funding rather than creating expensive ad campaigns for the results. However, it requires a lot of engagement and online communication through chat. Only then will fans be more likely to donate via Super Chats, Super Thanks, channel memberships, and other convenient options.
10 Easy Steps to Improve Watch Hours for Your YouTube Videos
People or viewers are more likely to connect with stories rather than just flat content. Storytelling is very crucial to keep the viewers engaged as it creates a hook. It makes viewers watch the whole content, which improves the overall watch hours for the channel. It is important to create emotional connections with your audience to keep them interested in your content. There are three main areas to focus on in this case, namely the title and the thumbnail that convince people to click on the video, the video description that persuades people to watch the video, and lastly, emotional connectivity that makes people invest in the story.
A good story may pique interest among a lot of viewers, but you need to retain them as well. And that is where editing comes into play. When you know how to edit a video in a trendy and attractive manner, it can help boost watch hours significantly. There are many types of pattern interrupters currently being used in the market to engage more audiences through video content. Utilizing these elements can help to add more variety to your content, even if you craft videos based on the same industry. Some of the most popular pattern interrupters are,
These editing tricks are used in social media content to engage more audiences, and they work for YouTube videos as well.
Captions in video content can greatly improve the watch hours as it makes it more accessible for people who might not be able to listen to the whole video or have some issues with hearing. Captions can help to retain more viewers and allow them to watch videos when they cannot engage with the audio. This is also helpful for the viewers who are watching video content in a public place, which is usually noisy and crowded, and sometimes even the headphones do not help. Captions are also useful to cater to the needs of global audiences, as not everybody would understand your language. If you have a multicultural audience base on YouTube, captions are a must for every video, and it is recommended to keep them in English to reach the maximum audience.
Also Read: Ways to Promote Your YouTube Videos and Channel
Filming an outro is perhaps necessary, but sometimes the viewers are not patient enough to watch till the end. Most viewers on YouTube are more likely to skip watching the video when they hear phrases like, "If you liked this video, then…", "And that's about it!", or "Those are all of my tips for...". Therefore, announcing the end of your video might not be the right choice here. Instead, try to leave before the viewers understand anything that leaves a long-lasting impact on their minds. This trick is already utilized by many directors at the climax of their movies, which keeps the audience thinking. Skipping the outro can help you gain maximum watch time from each video.
Evergreen content on YouTube can stay fresh for a year around, and such videos are more likely to gain views throughout the year than just for some occasional period. Therefore, try to make more content that stays relevant and allows for improving watch time quickly. You can easily find many evergreen topics to work on, such as how to switch careers, how to backpack for camping, how to maintain fitness in your 30s, etc, to name some. The evergreen videos are mainly search-based, and the creators create such common content that can show up in the search results pretty easily.
Live streaming on YouTube is the best way to generate a huge amount of watch hours, as every minute spent on the live session by the audience will be directly counted along with total watch hours. YouTube allows live streaming for 9 to 12 hours at a time. And even if you host a live stream for just two hours, you will see the views stacking up on your content. This is a straightforward method utilized by most creators on the platform who are trying to get a quick boost on their channel. Even if you start with just 10 viewers, it will quickly rise to 50 to 100 viewers after consecutive live streams.
Have you ever imagined how people tend to spend hours on Netflix and end up watching something else that they did not plan earlier? It happens due to the curation and the playlist of videos that constantly navigates viewers to the next content. A similar effect can be noticed on YouTube, where viewers are more likely to binge videos when they are put in an organized playlist. The playlist works like an automatic recommendation that improves watch time greatly by making viewers watch more videos on your channel than they initially planned to.
Most online users these days are active on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others. YouTube can also be treated as a social platform, and you can easily share the video links through these platforms and among thousands of active users. Create your social media profiles for your brand and promote your videos to find more potential viewers from these platforms. These active users are more likely to stay and become followers or active subscribers. They can also bring more traffic and online engagement with them.
The end screen feature helps to add interactive outros at the climax of the video for 5 to 20 seconds only. As a creator, you can add all kinds of clickable elements to this part, which include website links, a subscribe button, and or even merchandise pages. Such creative outros are great for engagement and can help to improve watch hours as viewers stick to the end of the video when something interesting is being represented.
YouTube is constantly getting bigger and more competitive every year, with an increasing number of YouTubers and an enormous amount of video content. It is quite difficult to stand out in the market filled with powerful competitors, and the best way to shine would be to upload good-quality video consistently. Audiences love consistency, and they are more likely to forget your channel if you take too much time to post video content. Therefore, always be ready!
Final Thoughts
As a creator, you might already have a lot on your plate, and it is convenient if you hire a professional to handle the task. You can easily find reliable professional agencies in the market that specialize in promoting YouTube videos. Taking their help can help you improve watch hours significantly within a short duration.
