Retention During Intros....

Hippo-Drones

Hippo-Drones

Pleb
I recently posted a short video (not a video short) on my channel, which allowed me to see an interesting analytic. It showed quite a drop in retention during my intro music, I think it was people skipping ahead as opposed to just leaving the video entirely, although I am sure that happened too. I kind of get that from subscribers, as they have heard it many times, so it doesn't really bother me, I do it myself to channels I follow who have either intros I find annoying or intros that are too long.
It does make me wonder though if there is any value in keeping it. If people skip it who sub, they don't get value from it, and if new people stop watching the video when it comes on, then they and I am getting no value from it.

retention.JPG


What are your thoughts, should I keep it, bin it, or maybe it is time to update it? Have you noticed similar in your video analytics too?
 
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I have not used intros very much. On one series I did, but I decided not to do it again. There are other signature things you can do, so I'm trying some out, as I go along.
I personally don't find your intro long enough to bother skipping. But I suppose everyone has different value to their time. I have found myself skipping some peoples intros, over time.
 
Short answer: Nothing to be worried about

Long answer as to why is below.

I would look it the same as we watch recorded TV. Sometimes we skip ahead and other times we grab a snack or do something until the intro ends.

I see the box of text below the video says it is looking at the 30 second mark and it is above typical.

I have seen similar pattern but my intro begins and ends at different times. Some vids have a cold open, other open with the intro, even others have a tease then intro and a few have no intro.

So maybe there is something else with that dip. Is it due to the thumbnail playing in the viewers list? I know if a thumbnail plays for me it will show up as a watched videos despite me not clicking on the video at all.

For example, I here is a screenshot of a video that I let the thumbnail play for 30 seconds and did not click on the video to actually watch it
SmartSelect_20221120-143832_YouTube.jpg


It shows in my history. So if it counts for me in my history then it likely counts the same for the channel - a viewer left after 30 seconds.
 
Yes, and if you open that video, it (quite annoyingly) starts playing from where the thumbnail left off. So if you get distracted and the cursor hovers over some video, it creates this kind of thing. Luckily not at the subscription list, but it does at the home page, or general view, or what ever that is named in English.
 
As many compliments as I got. I don't do my intro anymore. I flip my logo up for 1-2 seconds that's it. I have thought about doing away with that as well. I don't want to give anyone any reason or time to think about clicking off. Plenty still click off, but I don't need to give them a convenient time to do it.
 
I was thinking about dropping off my channel logo from the bottom corner of my videos, at least when on the Aprilia as that has a channel logo sticker on the screen. Not found a solution for the other bikes yet though.
 
I got rid of my watermark a long time ago - people will tell it's a Road Reality video by the appearance of the idiot on the Harley [not to be confused with the GENTLEMAN on a Harley, that'd be @R-Rated ].

I used to do a 15-second intro, then a 10-second one, then I cut THAT one to 6-seconds. Then I dropped all but the branded 4-second bit. Now I have a logo, and I use that. I try to bring it on-screen and off in a different way for each video, or incorporate it into the footage.

@Dewey316 is right - branded intros are an easy spot for the viewer to think "I am getting value/entertainment out of this already? No? Great. CLICK" and they're gone.

All the pros these days say branded intros are SO 2017.

I like my logo, so I run it. I haven't seen a drop like you're displaying, though. My face does that bit for me.

-John
 
I never had a long intro. I used to just have a six second black screen with my logo, some music, and a few words about the video topic. Nowadays I don't even do that, I just flash up the logo and topic while I still ride and talk. So I kind of meshed my "intro" into the video itself in a way.

It's not that I'm against intros or anything, I just didn't feel like doing them anymore, lol.
 
I get those dips in my videos all the time! They start at 0:01 into the video and... well.... that's that :D

I kid, I kid. They watch at least 10 seconds to figure out that motovlogs aren't for them, apparently. Not that the thumbnail with a pic of me riding a motorcycle wasn't a dead giveaway that I'm gonna be ON a bike, TALKING, throughout the WHOLE video. SMH.

-John
 
I dropped the intro years ago, when I came to the realization this is a hobby and I'm no pro.

But looking at the analytics today, I just noticed the vids with intros get way more subscribers. Maybe 4-5 times the subs. Coincidence? For myself watching a channel, I'd be more likely to sub to a channel than a one off video... an into would tell me this is a channel.

I think I'll remake a shorter version intro with a good beat to keep people listening/watching.
 
GIZZ said:
I dropped the intro years ago, when I came to the realization this is a hobby and I'm no pro.

But looking at the analytics today, I just noticed the vids with intros get way more subscribers. Maybe 4-5 times the subs. Coincidence? For myself watching a channel, I'd be more likely to sub to a channel than a one off video... an into would tell me this is a channel.

I think I'll remake a shorter version intro with a good beat to keep people listening/watching.
Click to expand...
Just make it like 4 seconds and leave it at that, IMO.

The pros are all saying intros are SO 2017... but I rather like having my logo pop up early in the video, to show it's a Road Reality production :D

As for "with a beat" - if you have a logo, that's a primo opportunity to play with the logo to the beat of the music :D

-John
 
The real benefit of intros is in TV, when people making a sandwich, in the kitchen, can hear that Bold and Beautiful started, and rush back to see who gets divorced or married today, with their next cousin. On streaming platforms you decide when the show starts.
 
Theodor said:
The real benefit of intros is in TV, when people making a sandwich, in the kitchen, can hear that Bold and Beautiful started, and rush back to see who gets divorced or married today, with their next cousin. On streaming platforms you decide when the show starts.
Click to expand...
Marrying cousins - I might be able to find some of that here in the southern US:eek:
 
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