Intro Length And Its Effect On Watch Time.

[WingManGT]

As most of us newborn motovloggers, I see quite low average view duration and that can mean two things.

1st. My content is shit so people don't wanna watch
2nd. My intro is too long, so people get bored before getting to my content in the first place.

currently my intro is around 20s (yeah I know), It looks quite nice to me and I thought people will like it. 8 videos later and I start to see an issue which I didn't in the beginning. I am getting bored waiting for it to finish as well, so I'm wondering what the perfect duration is. I've managed to reduce it to a 10s and 6s version. It doesn't look as good as the long one, but that should do till I make a new shorter one.

 

[R-Rated]

Great question! If you are bored with it the perhaps your followers are too? You can try mixing it up a bit such as standard intro, title cards, cold open all depending on the video content?

A while back I was corresponding with a "big motovlogger" and they revealed they use templates. They even shared on of them where it tells them type of thing to put where. Well, I was sorely disappointed since the content becomes cookie cutter.

I am interested to see what others on here think. I don't have a standard intro yet. I might after building a base a little to let the audience settle in with popcorn and the device to buffer.

 

[Superballs]

I have a standard intro.

I named my motovlog after my bike sort of (VFR -> Vlogging For Riders), it's got some quick channel branding and the title, a bass-walk intro tune (youtube audio) that I like, but it's in the 16s-20s range too.

The nice thing is that it will give me a bit of flexibility for sub-title cards and things I can cut/fade to before the video starts, and the YT Audio track gives me some sonic flexibility.

My intro though, is just a stepping stone. I have a plan for one but have to learn some techniques and...well...just make it work, and it will involve some frame by frame rotoscoping, which I'm not looking forward to, but I can't wait to see it done.

Before setting out that route though, I'm going to work on content first. I'm overall, OK with my content, but I need to tighten things up. I also tend to Um and Uhh a lot (I kind of make fun of that in the video I'm working on now).

If your content is gripping quick off the intro, then a slightly longer one will do nothing to hurt you.

I do miss annotations though for one reason, and that was so that you coulld put little "skip" markers to certain points in the video.

 

[WingManGT]

I actually decided to cut out the intro altogether. May insert a floating title instead, so it won't interrupt the video. We shall see how that goes.

 

[lupin]

I've had longish ones, short ones and no intros.

Can't really tell the difference to be honest.

 

[SighBored]

... I am getting bored waiting for it to finish as well, ...

This is the surest sign it's too long. If you can't wait, most likely a whole bunch of people can't wait too. My personal philosophy is to have short intro/outtro so that is flashes upon the viewer but not long enough for the viewer to consider reacting to it, such as scrolling forward/close the video. I found 3 seconds the best for me, at least I can tolerate it myself when I watch the video.

 

[RiderInRed]

Sometimes I use my long intro which is around 3 or 4 seconds and oftentimes I use my short intro which is basically the logo in my avatar except white letters and it is shown as an overlay over the video. 1-2 second or something.


The quicker you catch their focus, the better.

 

[Superballs]

I kind of want to try and work little gags into my intro, but I do want a finalized intro first I think. Mine right now is a bit of a placeholder.

 

[2WV]

5s-8s seems ok to me but after all, you really shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I've skipped over vlogs due to their excessive intro times to realise the content was actually alright..

 

[Hippo-Drones]

I just have a short intro and outro music clip but I don't run a video intro. I used to have a video outro but it didn't seem relevant really so no longer use it.

 

[2WV]

I just have a short intro and outro music clip but I don't run a video intro. I used to have a video outro but it didn't seem relevant really so no longer use it.

Yeah i get that! For outros, its how i feel - I either include it or i dont to round up the runtime (im slightly ocd like that lol). My intros are always changing, im forever never happy with my intros haha

 

[Superballs]

I just changed my outro to something that (sort of) works with the endscreens on youtube.

It's a bit clumsy but it's a first attempt. I will make it better as I improve.

 

[Jafnhaar]

This i think depends on the viewer.... If people are interested in your video I think they won't mind waiting....

That said... If its a nice little jingle or something that gets stuck in your head then I think you've done the trick

 

[2WDutch]

No shit! My intro is 26seconds

It is pretty Fast content, my goal was to take the watcher with me and make him stoked, and in the end put him back in his seat ready to watch my thing.

 

[TriumfAnt]

No shit! My intro is 26seconds

It is pretty Fast content, my goal was to take the watcher with me and make him stoked, and in the end put him back in his seat ready to watch my thing.

That sounds great for a channel trailer, as new visitors to your YT page will see it, but regular viewers and subscribers will soon become bored of seeing the same footage on every video. At best they will skip it, at worst they will move on to the next video in their View Later list. Lots of people have a short attention span. If you don't grab their interest in the first few seconds, you risk losing them.
Maybe make it your outro.

 

[2WDutch]

That sounds great for a channel trailer, as new visitors to your YT page will see it, but regular viewers and subscribers will soon become bored of seeing the same footage on every video. At best they will skip it, at worst they will move on to the next video in their View Later list. Lots of people have a short attention span. If you don't grab their interest in the first few seconds, you risk losing them.
Maybe make it your outro.

Thank you for your reply that make sense, for the outro i want to use just some music and a thank you for watching and. A subscribe tumbs up thing.
I think i have to shorten my intro, otherwise sometimes i start with something to create interest and then.. first the intro and then further with the topic. (Just like on tv, first some information then to the commercials and after that back to the program).