I make travel videos. On two trips I made 6-9 episodes of about 20 mins. They all got about 20k views each and drop off quickly. Then I cut them into 90 min full length "documentaries" and my channel exploded. Two videos now have about 2,5M views each and delivers consistently for years. My theory is that my viewers bring popcorn and watch this format on TV, which RUclips likes. I enjoy your channel. :)
Starting a RUclips channel is a lot like fishing-patience, persistence, and creativity are key. It’s not always about landing the biggest catch (or going viral); it’s about building something meaningful with the tools and resources you have. If you can make it exciting and bring value to your audience, you'll not only feed your family but also inspire others to cast their own nets. Keep casting those lines; the right audience will bite!
I got 30 minutes to an hour without realizing it. Not the best quality and visualy boring but podcast like and, in my humble opinion, full of value. I didn't chose the lenght, it was how much it took me to deliver the message. You are extremely intelligent to be able to connect the dots of time and value so accurately. Thanks you for providing one way to objectively analyse our videos based on human percepction instead of yt statistics.😊
Absolutely goated channel. Genuinely useful info and personality rather than rehashed garbage and fancy editing. As a beginner youtuber, this is one heck of a find.
Length is so important as time is an incredibly valuable piece of capital. If there is an 8 minute tutorial vs a 3 minute one, I will always go with the 3 minute one because it does the same thing in less time.
While watching (listening) to this video, I checked my analytics and quickly saw that 10-12 minute videos get 3x to 4x more views. Valuable information, as always.
After conducting a poll. 50% of my viewers I found out prefer 30 to 45min. vids, so I always aim for 30 with my numbers showing 30% of my views are on a TV. On your graff I would be a teaching hero🤣 Thanks for all you do✌
I aim for 24 minutes. There's a strong correlation between the 22-35 minute lengths and watch numbers. In that range, I have vids with 1M, 550k, 400k, 350k, 200k, 150k and several around 100k. If I drop to 14-18 mins, I get 10k, or occasionally 50k. Just feels wrong to stretch things out, but I need to dive deeper into the subject I guess. Thanks so much for this vid, I was getting very confused about why YT wasn't surfacing some of my vids - like less than 5% of the usual impressions and flatlining after a day despite good CTR. Length Matters, it seems!
My videos typically fit in the 8-11 minute range. I try to be really concise and respectful of audience time, so I usually find myself cutting down to as short as possible. There are times I drop a 7 minute video without really caring because I have nothing more to say in that moment.
We can fix that (again) for him! Just have him climb a sand dune, walk for miles, then bike multiple miles in a few short hours while telling bad dad jokes.
@DIYAudioGuy, based on your handle and without actually viewing any of your videos, I would expect your channel to be more in the teacher position. So perhaps look at your video stats to see whether your numbers vs. video length correlate with this hypothesis.
Thanks Nate - Im in the late 50s bracket just starting out in YT and every episode I watch of yours is both entertaining and educational - Inspirational, addictive and humorous - Great work
@@AdventuresWithKristin-ru8pt Thank Kristin, you have a new one too. Looking forward to following your adventures - Interesting niche "Travel with an eye towards accessibility"
Very good information as always Nate! (Also you have an impressive number of coloured pointers! lol) I'm glad my channel sits nicely with this template, I am in the performer category and the majority of my videos are in the Meme and Moment zones. 🤘😎
This, to me is your most helpful advice and video to date. I have slow and steady growth, but always look for how I can offer more and what is needed to the audience. Thank you for this.
Nate, once again you are hitting on all cylinders. I LITERALLY just came back to my channel a month ago and started making 20-25 minute videos. Ive gotten over 100k views in the last 30 days when i averaged maybe 20-30k a month.
You've nailed it Nate - my host position is all over the place on my channel, and I really think that's (the main reason) why my views go from 200 to 4K depending on the video!
THANK YOU!!!❤!This video clarifies what are our inklings into words and now have a much better understanding as to how to apply our strategy for our upcoming content!🥰Still need sit down with the team, see this video again when not rushed for work, slowly apply what we found here and one things for sure, you've just saved our founder from a trip down the strategic rabbit hole !🤣
I think you're totally right about the audience's perception of value based on video length and subject and/or "position" as you're calling it. I do that myself as a viewer. As a creator, I've almost never concerned myself with video length and just said and shown everything I have to say about a subject. I think I'm mostly in the teacher zone, with a bit of hero/presenter. I'd guess my average video length is over 30 minutes though I'd have to figure that out. I've got 10 videos over 100,000 views now, with 3 in "Odd", 3 in "High Value", and 4 in "Extra Value". The one with by far the most views, 783k views, is in your "Odd" category. My worst 10 videos are a different mix: 1 in "Meme", 1 in "Standard", 1 in "Stretch", 2 in "Odd", 3 in "High Value", and 2 in "Extra Value".
With regards to the dedicated zone, it also important to consider whether it is a podcast or if the visuals are important as well. I personally love listening to long podcasts even from creators I see for the first time. I listen to them while I paint. If I however I need to watch a video that long, I would save it for later when I eventually have the time. Also I fond that if you are a painting/art teacher channel people like the videos to be longer if you speak a lot. But if you just make demonstrations people prefer them short at within the meme time frame. Also if I have a specific question such as how to change the nibs of a stylus, a 1 minute educational demonstration is better than waiting 10 minutes to get to the point. So exceptions exist, but overall the breakdown presented here is very useful.
I make it a point to watch youtube with my non-creator friends and always pay attention to their reactions to editing, packaging, performance, etc. At some point I noticed that they expected videos within a certain length from certain creators, so vid length was a concept I understood implicitly but you illustrate it so well, and tying it back to channel purpose makes it more obvious what times I should personally be aiming for. Great vid! (as always)
I've been struggling with consistent views on my channel recently. I think this video was the thing I needed to get me over the edge. That you Nate. Please do the video on the 4 content creator quadrants.
I love your new teaching style here Nate. I think my model car channel is more keyed to me being a teacher. I never really thought of this until I saw your video here. - I mean, I knew I was teaching people things in my video...but not that I was going to "Specifically" teach people things - as in "This is my goal". Your time frame to "Position" concept is good here. My videos usually hit 26 - 45 minutes.
Great video as always! It feels like I already was falling into a relatively consistent video length, whether I intended to or not with 80% of my long form videos falling in the 8-16 minute range with 12-14 being the sweet spot. Also, identifying the type of creator you are (commentator would ultimately be where I fall) is great for trying to hit that ideal length. Ultimately, consistency is key. Consistent video length, ideas, presentations, uploads, etc
Interesting that it's almost precisely how my subconscious mind interprets videos based on length when I'm the one choosing which ones to watch. Great video!
This is a rare subject Nate! Thanks for putting it together. I think you are spot on when you say to jump from stretch/standard to High Value. Also, if you deliver a good video in a High Value zone video, you probably now have a committed follower. I've also noticed high/extra videos make a crap ton more money than standard. 😉 I tried to avoid the High/Extra Value zone because I always heard 10 min was the sweet spot and viewers would say. . . "Bah - I don't have time for that!", but then, I noticed the high/extra did very well. All very interesting, but your odd video really hit the mark! Nice work!
REALLY liked this video. I really enjoy when your videos both confirm things I was thinking were true AND makes me realize why certain videos I've done didn't work.
Hello Nick, after watching this video the second time (and continuing to receive value) I realized that you literally made this video for your wife. I caught you! As for the content, this was insightful and yes I think you are breaking new ground on this concept. I will heed your advice and download the updated template. Ok, back to what is clearly going on. You ordered an entire case off Amazon and in order to keep your wife happy you likely told her that it was on purpose and will help viewers really connect with your content. I know you know what I'm about to reveal. The ever changing presentation pointer. Way to go! Russ
Very interesting. I've never seem the psychology of those time-counters considered before. Yet they do influence our choices. Hopefully the 16-20 minute range also says - I tightened this up to not leave a single wasted second, but there's just too much good stuff in here to make it bite size :) I seem to hit this range often.
Good stuff, btw yes would be nice to see vid about creator positions. Time expectations, concept is so good that it gave me 2 content ideas at the same time. Thanks.
Nate, regarding the 30+ zone. Many times I don't have time to watch except in the evenings and end up pausing or saving it for later. With many of my videos the 20 minute mark is the sweetest spot in views.
Your first statement is completely true; I figured this out a while ago. If you call a video "I did something that took 5 days" and it's 45 seconds long, people will expect a comedy sketch. I also have a theory on the 16-20 minute thing... in a way, 18 minutes sounds longer than 21 minutes. Because you think of them both as 20 anyway, but 21 has a 1 in it... and 1 is low, but 8 is high.
This is spot on. I did a 60 hour project and made a solid, information packed, three minute video about it. Comments on it said it was great, but most people saw the length time and assumed it was just an advertisement for a class.
Great information! I always check the video length but never before connected that to my expectations. I'm going to resume making educational videos and this is priceless info as I plan my content.
Yes… I noticed your little pointer had change colour. 😂 I enjoyed this video. Thank you for the insight. It made a great deal of sense. Much appreciated. Jen. Watching from Australia. ❤️🙏🕊️❤️
Who else stayed for the full 20 minutes? Well, Nate, you passed your own test. You pulled it off, delivering value (and rapidly) in your 20 minute video to warrant the time. BTW, capris are cool, but gotta love cargo shorts!
Thank you for your video, I didn’t watch it for the information; I watched it because I appreciate who you are and Nate, and your character. I do strongly disagree with a lot of of the information herein; as we can only probably observe 24 hours of footage if we watched 24 hours a day, meaning you missed the other 3 million videos uploaded to platforms like ours daily, so making a statistical assessment based on less then 0.001 percent seemed flawed. How do we peer view this? You know? It can’t be. But I appreciate you, and when your videos come out, I do watch them. Your 3 point lighting dad style is my type of deal, and I love it. Keep up the good work. Onlison
Nate! I've binged your content before starting my RUclips channel and then you didn't post for three weeks 😂 I was so excited to see your video this morning!
Lol the pointer changing colour. I think I had already intuited a lot of this info about my channel, but it was great to have this laid out so clearly!
This definitely got a like from me. This is the first time I've seen something like this, and it makes sense to me to actually implement this strategy in my videos! I'll subscribe after I watch 5 more videos since this is the first video I saw of yours.
This is a really interesting insight. I can't imagine how much research and analysis went into this, Nate. I guess I fall into the 'performer' category, but my niche makes it difficult to make regular videos longer than 2-3 minutes, thus my cpm/rpm is relatively low 😅
It's something I've been thinking about a lot. I sort of think of 60+ as documentaries. I've often felt frustrated as a viewer that RUclipss longest filter is 20, because I do want to sit down and watch something big, as if I was watching a documentary. I plan to try some long length even though its wildly outside of your recommendations. But its early days for me and I still really want to test and try things.
I get that. I watch class type stuff that is longer, and body doubling type content. If I'm sitting down to watching something it is rarely more than 20 minutes.
That’s so interesting. I literally just saw a video with solid thumbnail and topic I was interested (workbench build) and I clicked on it and it was 8 minutes long. I literally started scrolling through because I thought there is no way he can explain stuff and it lost me after 30 sec on the video. Great video Nate
I would love for you to make the position video. I'm definitely in performer category but I'd like to do some teaching videos or other content. Can you have any other position videos?
Nolan,, I love your videos, always. They are so informative. I haven’t seen one in a minute, but anytime you pop up, I quickly click because they always help fill my cup and inspire me to keep going. Thanks so much for all you do Nicholas. 😜
I hate the idea of creating content for an algorithm. But this has value to me, because it's really about meeting the viewer where they're at. You showed me how to offer better *value* to my viewers, and that's rare for a RUclips marketing video. Thanks! PS. Yes you got the "like" 😉
This makes so much sense, because before D’Angelo Wallace started doing 20-60 minute videos he was doing exactly 10 minute videos for a long time. It was a cool gimmick to keep his audience coming back to see how he would fit topics into that time frame and he built the expectation and trust that he was going to deliver. When he did longer content that raised people’s curiosity to see how he would pull it off, plus they had a belief in him being able to keep them engaged for at least 10 minutes constantly, so it’s likely he can do that 6 times in one video. Thank you for this. Super helpful.
Dang it, Nate! You're good. I usually look at a video's time before I watch it. Generally, I prefer somewhat shorter ones, but it depends on the topic. If they start pushing 25 to 30 minutes, they'd better be high value. LOL I really dislike it when I see a thumbnail with something that interests me, then look at the time and it's like an hour and a half, or 2 hours or more....who has time for that in their day. I never watch RUclips on my tv. I'm always sitting at my desk, at home, watching on the desktop. I haven't started making videos yet, (I'm a severe procrastinator), but after watching this, I now have some very good info about the length I should aim for. I also like the suggestion of keeping the length fairly consistent. 😀
Love u Nate, you rock, 16minutes and there..! was the best advice I could retain from that video, people need to get to know you better before they trust you for more time !
Hey Nate, my channel is a teacher channel. I hit video length in all sections you described. Just wondering what your thoughts are on this... I have a series where I answer specific questions, these videos usually last 5-7 minutes. No fluff, just to the point and all about specific questions. They seem to perform really well and also do well with search and future traffic. For example, I might do a video on Venus Flytrap Care, this video will be longer. Or, I might do a specific questions like, Why are my venus flytraps turning red? People have search intent for that question and are looking to answer that question specifically. None of these videos are going to go viral, but I don't really need them to for them to have a huge positive impact on my overall channel. Just curious on your thoughts of sprinkling in these videos along with the other types? I feel like even as a teacher, there is room to share videos of all lengths. It just depends on the users search intent.
From at least how interpreted the video, that sounds fine since the shorter videos have more focused, bite sized vibes. If you had a 5 min video that was the complete guide to Venus fly trap care instead of answering a single question or two about their care, it would probably do poorly. Your short videos might benefit more from being actual Shorts or Capris though.
Great video! Please do the Hero/Performer/Commentator/Teacher video. I feel like this could really help me as I shift the focus of my channel. I had RUclips coaches tell me to do more reviews and talking head “teaching” videos and commentary. And while I have had some success with those, my heart is to vlog, but I am having trouble shifting to that. How do I and my doggy side-kicks become the hero of my own channel? Gotta figure this out! Thank you!🙏🏻
Nate, we challenge you to a roast!! We are a late night show with a full studio audience!! Do your thing man! (Don’t worry, we don’t expect you to order McDonald’s again!)
Good Video Nate, I am still waiting to see these "longer" shorts hasn't happened for my channel yet. I have a few people I will watch their longer video, but once they hit the 60+ minutes it gets harder, I usually have to split it up and watch in 2+ viewings and by then they they don'y show up on my page and I forget about them. Once I remember it has been a ahwile and I feel bad cause I like watching the people video that I subscribe to all the way through to help them with there stats. Thanks for this Video.
This was great info! I just do gaming content for now, so I kind of have to live in that 20-60min area. It's almost impossible to accomplish anything worth watching in a gaming video at less than 20. Great to know what zone I fit it!
I can personally confirm that I ALWAYS take the length into account. Either because I don't have time or because I don't want to waste a lot of time on a short topic. I don't mind if videos are shorter, but if they're too long they're out.
Now that I'm focusing more on longer content 45mins-2+hours I've noticed that the click through is lower, but the retention is much higher. FAR LESS clickaways.
HAHA, 4:40 I was *JUST* talking about this with friends, and I even mentioned it in a recent video, I think! So true. I *know* I judge a video partially by its length before clicking on it - if it's a 5-minute review... it won't be in-depth. If it's a 20-minute vlog... it better have a dang-good topic, or one I expect in-depth explanations on. Nate nails another one!
Great video and information Nate. I'm one of them small channels with mixed views on videos. Although I've told my channel audience that they can expect different types of videos. What I find interesting is just about every videos gets 90% of views in the first 24 hrs and then just die.
I'm only 5 minutes in and already hearing some uncomfortable truths. I still don't have a position on my channel. I bounce around between all four and its utter chaos!! A separate video on positions would be most welcome Sir..
I wanted to troll so bad and make this video in the "odd" zone 😅
Here's the free advanced template (and group): www.radicalyt.com/howdy
Great video Nate. One question....why did the little hand on your pointer change color😂
I see what you did there.
High Value video in the Teacher format.
hey.. nice video.. interesting take. i was thinking similarly lately..
First of your videos I've seen and it was incredibly insightful. Gained a new sub. 😎👊
got that like button glow when you asked 'boop the like button'.
The fact that this video is 20:35 and all of us still watch it means this video is indeed high value as you predicted!
I make travel videos. On two trips I made 6-9 episodes of about 20 mins. They all got about 20k views each and drop off quickly. Then I cut them into 90 min full length "documentaries" and my channel exploded. Two videos now have about 2,5M views each and delivers consistently for years. My theory is that my viewers bring popcorn and watch this format on TV, which RUclips likes. I enjoy your channel. :)
That’s awesome! My daughter’s family does that with travel videos.
Very cool. Congrats! We'll check out your channel.
Interesting! I do real estate tours of castles, chateaus, private islands, etc and maybe I’ll try a long version 🤔
@Nomad Did you edit them as well or just gather them all in one video as it is?
@@DearTraveling I compressed them a bit to keep up the tempo and keep it interesting.
Starting a RUclips channel is a lot like fishing-patience, persistence, and creativity are key. It’s not always about landing the biggest catch (or going viral); it’s about building something meaningful with the tools and resources you have. If you can make it exciting and bring value to your audience, you'll not only feed your family but also inspire others to cast their own nets. Keep casting those lines; the right audience will bite!
I got 30 minutes to an hour without realizing it. Not the best quality and visualy boring but podcast like and, in my humble opinion, full of value. I didn't chose the lenght, it was how much it took me to deliver the message.
You are extremely intelligent to be able to connect the dots of time and value so accurately.
Thanks you for providing one way to objectively analyse our videos based on human percepction instead of yt statistics.😊
Absolutely goated channel. Genuinely useful info and personality rather than rehashed garbage and fancy editing. As a beginner youtuber, this is one heck of a find.
Dang thank you! Glad you’re here!
Can't believe the algorithm hid this from me for 2 whole minutes
Whew 😅 glad you made it here! :)
🤣
😅
😅😅😅
lol😂
I've found a number of short, 2 minute or so, "teacher" videos to be useful when they're very specific, for example, "how do I reset a GE dishwasher".
👍🙂
Length is so important as time is an incredibly valuable piece of capital. If there is an 8 minute tutorial vs a 3 minute one, I will always go with the 3 minute one because it does the same thing in less time.
Great video!
Big Channels all started with 0 subs, 0 likes, 0 views. Don't give up. Keep working hard and will all get there someday!
While watching (listening) to this video, I checked my analytics and quickly saw that 10-12 minute videos get 3x to 4x more views.
Valuable information, as always.
After conducting a poll. 50% of my viewers I found out prefer 30 to 45min. vids, so I always aim for 30 with my numbers showing 30% of my views are on a TV. On your graff I would be a teaching hero🤣
Thanks for all you do✌
Nate, your content keeps getting better and better! You have helped me so much!
This is the exact thing I was wondering.. perfect timing!
The complete two-minute guide to gardening. “Get dirt. Get seeds. Dump dirt. Plant seeds. Pour water. Make sure sun shines on it.” *publish*
25 million views. Boom. :)
😮😂
I watched you when I first started! Learned everything I know from good ole Nate dog!
One of the Few People that actually care about helping RUclipsrs, Thanks Man!❤
I aim for 24 minutes. There's a strong correlation between the 22-35 minute lengths and watch numbers. In that range, I have vids with 1M, 550k, 400k, 350k, 200k, 150k and several around 100k. If I drop to 14-18 mins, I get 10k, or occasionally 50k. Just feels wrong to stretch things out, but I need to dive deeper into the subject I guess. Thanks so much for this vid, I was getting very confused about why YT wasn't surfacing some of my vids - like less than 5% of the usual impressions and flatlining after a day despite good CTR. Length Matters, it seems!
Great video like always Nate
My videos typically fit in the 8-11 minute range. I try to be really concise and respectful of audience time, so I usually find myself cutting down to as short as possible. There are times I drop a 7 minute video without really caring because I have nothing more to say in that moment.
👍
NATE HAS LEGS?! AND CAN STAND UP?!
Ahaha 🤣
We can fix that (again) for him! Just have him climb a sand dune, walk for miles, then bike multiple miles in a few short hours while telling bad dad jokes.
When I look at that position chart I realize I'm doing something wrong, because I can't figure out which one of those I am.
@DIYAudioGuy, based on your handle and without actually viewing any of your videos, I would expect your channel to be more in the teacher position. So perhaps look at your video stats to see whether your numbers vs. video length correlate with this hypothesis.
Thanks Nate - Im in the late 50s bracket just starting out in YT and every episode I watch of yours is both entertaining and educational - Inspirational, addictive and humorous - Great work
Im in the same boat and find his info so helpful. And you got yourself a new subscriber.
@@AdventuresWithKristin-ru8pt Thank Kristin, you have a new one too. Looking forward to following your adventures - Interesting niche "Travel with an eye towards accessibility"
Very good information as always Nate! (Also you have an impressive number of coloured pointers! lol)
I'm glad my channel sits nicely with this template, I am in the performer category and the majority of my videos are in the Meme and Moment zones. 🤘😎
I caught that too after the second watching....good eyes!
Commenting for the algorithm because you always provide so much value
This, to me is your most helpful advice and video to date. I have slow and steady growth, but always look for how I can offer more and what is needed to the audience. Thank you for this.
Nate, once again you are hitting on all cylinders. I LITERALLY just came back to my channel a month ago and started making 20-25 minute videos. Ive gotten over 100k views in the last 30 days when i averaged maybe 20-30k a month.
You've nailed it Nate - my host position is all over the place on my channel, and I really think that's (the main reason) why my views go from 200 to 4K depending on the video!
This is one of the best video in the youtube education space! Thanks for sharing!
Glad it was helpful!
Wasn’t expecting to see my comment 😂❤ 0:24
THANK YOU!!!❤!This video clarifies what are our inklings into words and now have a much better understanding as to how to apply our strategy for our upcoming content!🥰Still need sit down with the team, see this video again when not rushed for work, slowly apply what we found here and one things for sure, you've just saved our founder from a trip down the strategic rabbit hole !🤣
That’s awesome to hear! Glad this was helpful
I think you're totally right about the audience's perception of value based on video length and subject and/or "position" as you're calling it. I do that myself as a viewer. As a creator, I've almost never concerned myself with video length and just said and shown everything I have to say about a subject. I think I'm mostly in the teacher zone, with a bit of hero/presenter.
I'd guess my average video length is over 30 minutes though I'd have to figure that out. I've got 10 videos over 100,000 views now, with 3 in "Odd", 3 in "High Value", and 4 in "Extra Value". The one with by far the most views, 783k views, is in your "Odd" category.
My worst 10 videos are a different mix: 1 in "Meme", 1 in "Standard", 1 in "Stretch", 2 in "Odd", 3 in "High Value", and 2 in "Extra Value".
With regards to the dedicated zone, it also important to consider whether it is a podcast or if the visuals are important as well. I personally love listening to long podcasts even from creators I see for the first time. I listen to them while I paint. If I however I need to watch a video that long, I would save it for later when I eventually have the time. Also I fond that if you are a painting/art teacher channel people like the videos to be longer if you speak a lot. But if you just make demonstrations people prefer them short at within the meme time frame. Also if I have a specific question such as how to change the nibs of a stylus, a 1 minute educational demonstration is better than waiting 10 minutes to get to the point. So exceptions exist, but overall the breakdown presented here is very useful.
I make it a point to watch youtube with my non-creator friends and always pay attention to their reactions to editing, packaging, performance, etc. At some point I noticed that they expected videos within a certain length from certain creators, so vid length was a concept I understood implicitly but you illustrate it so well, and tying it back to channel purpose makes it more obvious what times I should personally be aiming for. Great vid! (as always)
Smart!
Reminder to self, come back to this video.
Come again 🎉
I've been struggling with consistent views on my channel recently. I think this video was the thing I needed to get me over the edge. That you Nate. Please do the video on the 4 content creator quadrants.
I love your new teaching style here Nate.
I think my model car channel is more keyed to me being a teacher. I never really thought of this until I saw your video here. - I mean, I knew I was teaching people things in my video...but not that I was going to "Specifically" teach people things - as in "This is my goal".
Your time frame to "Position" concept is good here. My videos usually hit 26 - 45 minutes.
Great video as always! It feels like I already was falling into a relatively consistent video length, whether I intended to or not with 80% of my long form videos falling in the 8-16 minute range with 12-14 being the sweet spot. Also, identifying the type of creator you are (commentator would ultimately be where I fall) is great for trying to hit that ideal length. Ultimately, consistency is key. Consistent video length, ideas, presentations, uploads, etc
Interesting that it's almost precisely how my subconscious mind interprets videos based on length when I'm the one choosing which ones to watch. Great video!
Haha that's awesome to hear!
Excellent, as always Nate! 🤗
This is a rare subject Nate! Thanks for putting it together. I think you are spot on when you say to jump from stretch/standard to High Value. Also, if you deliver a good video in a High Value zone video, you probably now have a committed follower. I've also noticed high/extra videos make a crap ton more money than standard. 😉 I tried to avoid the High/Extra Value zone because I always heard 10 min was the sweet spot and viewers would say. . . "Bah - I don't have time for that!", but then, I noticed the high/extra did very well. All very interesting, but your odd video really hit the mark! Nice work!
Man, I've got so much to learn regarding video length. This was super helpful, thanks.
Another terrific video Nate! Thanks again for your dedication to high value content!
REALLY liked this video. I really enjoy when your videos both confirm things I was thinking were true AND makes me realize why certain videos I've done didn't work.
Hello Nick, after watching this video the second time (and continuing to receive value) I realized that you literally made this video for your wife. I caught you! As for the content, this was insightful and yes I think you are breaking new ground on this concept. I will heed your advice and download the updated template. Ok, back to what is clearly going on. You ordered an entire case off Amazon and in order to keep your wife happy you likely told her that it was on purpose and will help viewers really connect with your content. I know you know what I'm about to reveal.
The ever changing presentation pointer. Way to go! Russ
Very interesting. I've never seem the psychology of those time-counters considered before. Yet they do influence our choices.
Hopefully the 16-20 minute range also says - I tightened this up to not leave a single wasted second, but there's just too much good stuff in here to make it bite size :)
I seem to hit this range often.
Good stuff, btw yes would be nice to see vid about creator positions. Time expectations, concept is so good that it gave me 2 content ideas at the same time. Thanks.
Nate, regarding the 30+ zone. Many times I don't have time to watch except in the evenings and end up pausing or saving it for later. With many of my videos the 20 minute mark is the sweetest spot in views.
Oohh now we have choices to make! Thanks Nate! This can definitely help our channel. 😊
Thank you this was incredibly helpful and I have not seen ANY other you tube tutorials that address this in such detail. You gained a new sub today!!
Why thank you! Glad you’re here!
Your first statement is completely true; I figured this out a while ago. If you call a video "I did something that took 5 days" and it's 45 seconds long, people will expect a comedy sketch.
I also have a theory on the 16-20 minute thing... in a way, 18 minutes sounds longer than 21 minutes. Because you think of them both as 20 anyway, but 21 has a 1 in it... and 1 is low, but 8 is high.
I am super loving this deep dive and the thought of 'who the host is'. This sounds like such a helpful thought for my channel!
oh that's interesting! I have 2 in the odd zone right now. Haha.
I really need to adjust my primary 'time zone' with these things in mind! Thank you!
This is spot on. I did a 60 hour project and made a solid, information packed, three minute video about it. Comments on it said it was great, but most people saw the length time and assumed it was just an advertisement for a class.
Great information! I always check the video length but never before connected that to my expectations. I'm going to resume making educational videos and this is priceless info as I plan my content.
Yes… I noticed your little pointer had change colour. 😂
I enjoyed this video. Thank you for the insight. It made a great deal of sense. Much appreciated.
Jen. Watching from Australia. ❤️🙏🕊️❤️
This is really insightful especially as both a RUclips creator and a consumer.
Who else stayed for the full 20 minutes?
Well, Nate, you passed your own test. You pulled it off, delivering value (and rapidly) in your 20 minute video to warrant the time. BTW, capris are cool, but gotta love cargo shorts!
Thank you for your video, I didn’t watch it for the information; I watched it because I appreciate who you are and Nate, and your character.
I do strongly disagree with a lot of of the information herein; as we can only probably observe 24 hours of footage if we watched 24 hours a day, meaning you missed the other 3 million videos uploaded to platforms like ours daily, so making a statistical assessment based on less then 0.001 percent seemed flawed. How do we peer view this?
You know? It can’t be.
But I appreciate you, and when your videos come out, I do watch them. Your 3 point lighting dad style is my type of deal, and I love it. Keep up the good work.
Onlison
For a Newbie Travel channel another Excellent learning guide - Thanks Nate - The 20 to 24 minute mark seems to be my best length.
now I know what are you doing in your free time: inventing names for some time ranges ;)
ahaha! is that why the thumbnail almost looks like that "crazy conspiracy man" meme? :)
Nate! I've binged your content before starting my RUclips channel and then you didn't post for three weeks 😂 I was so excited to see your video this morning!
Well thank you for watching! Ahh yes, many projects, I’ve been doing, and am taking it one thing at a time :)
Lol the pointer changing colour. I think I had already intuited a lot of this info about my channel, but it was great to have this laid out so clearly!
This definitely got a like from me. This is the first time I've seen something like this, and it makes sense to me to actually implement this strategy in my videos! I'll subscribe after I watch 5 more videos since this is the first video I saw of yours.
well dang, glad it was a good experience, and welcome!
YES, i feel that is my problem that I don't know my hero position, my views are all over the place, and not sure why my viewers are watching
Great video! Great insight!
This is a really interesting insight. I can't imagine how much research and analysis went into this, Nate. I guess I fall into the 'performer' category, but my niche makes it difficult to make regular videos longer than 2-3 minutes, thus my cpm/rpm is relatively low 😅
Thanks Nate! You really explain things well.
It's something I've been thinking about a lot. I sort of think of 60+ as documentaries. I've often felt frustrated as a viewer that RUclipss longest filter is 20, because I do want to sit down and watch something big, as if I was watching a documentary.
I plan to try some long length even though its wildly outside of your recommendations. But its early days for me and I still really want to test and try things.
I get that. I watch class type stuff that is longer, and body doubling type content. If I'm sitting down to watching something it is rarely more than 20 minutes.
New fresh very useful content, not the same staff over and over agan like in other channels.
That’s so interesting. I literally just saw a video with solid thumbnail and topic I was interested (workbench build) and I clicked on it and it was 8 minutes long. I literally started scrolling through because I thought there is no way he can explain stuff and it lost me after 30 sec on the video. Great video Nate
Great video as always! Being aware of each minute and breakdown really adds to quality.
I would love for you to make the position video. I'm definitely in performer category but I'd like to do some teaching videos or other content. Can you have any other position videos?
Noted!
Nolan,, I love your videos, always. They are so informative. I haven’t seen one in a minute, but anytime you pop up, I quickly click because they always help fill my cup and inspire me to keep going. Thanks so much for all you do Nicholas. 😜
I hate the idea of creating content for an algorithm. But this has value to me, because it's really about meeting the viewer where they're at. You showed me how to offer better *value* to my viewers, and that's rare for a RUclips marketing video. Thanks! PS. Yes you got the "like" 😉
This makes so much sense, because before D’Angelo Wallace started doing 20-60 minute videos he was doing exactly 10 minute videos for a long time. It was a cool gimmick to keep his audience coming back to see how he would fit topics into that time frame and he built the expectation and trust that he was going to deliver. When he did longer content that raised people’s curiosity to see how he would pull it off, plus they had a belief in him being able to keep them engaged for at least 10 minutes constantly, so it’s likely he can do that 6 times in one video.
Thank you for this. Super helpful.
Top vid Nate, definitely want a breakdown of positions please. As a hiking/camping channel I think I’m a performer channel.
Or hero 😅
Thanks for the deep dive on stats and how length can benefit my audience
Nate, you waggle that pointer with such conviction and authority.
Haha you win 🏆 I laughed
@ 🤣
Dang it, Nate! You're good. I usually look at a video's time before I watch it. Generally, I prefer somewhat shorter ones, but it depends on the topic. If they start pushing 25 to 30 minutes, they'd better be high value. LOL I really dislike it when I see a thumbnail with something that interests me, then look at the time and it's like an hour and a half, or 2 hours or more....who has time for that in their day. I never watch RUclips on my tv. I'm always sitting at my desk, at home, watching on the desktop. I haven't started making videos yet, (I'm a severe procrastinator), but after watching this, I now have some very good info about the length I should aim for. I also like the suggestion of keeping the length fairly consistent. 😀
Thanks for the video - as a new creator , there is so much to take in and learn - at times it feels like a daunting task - 🙏
This is something that I’ve wondered about but never heard anyone talk about either so its super helpful thanks
Love u Nate, you rock, 16minutes and there..! was the best advice I could retain from that video, people need to get to know you better before they trust you for more time !
Didn't expect such a topic by you Nate, but utterly useful!
You have helpfully articulated many subtle patterns I've noticed as I watch many YT videos. This was really good and made me think.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Yes, I’d like a video on the hero/performer/commentator/teacher concept please
I think video editing tutorials are an exception. If I have a choice between a short video and a long one, I choose the short one every time.
Hey Nate, my channel is a teacher channel. I hit video length in all sections you described. Just wondering what your thoughts are on this... I have a series where I answer specific questions, these videos usually last 5-7 minutes. No fluff, just to the point and all about specific questions. They seem to perform really well and also do well with search and future traffic. For example, I might do a video on Venus Flytrap Care, this video will be longer. Or, I might do a specific questions like, Why are my venus flytraps turning red? People have search intent for that question and are looking to answer that question specifically. None of these videos are going to go viral, but I don't really need them to for them to have a huge positive impact on my overall channel.
Just curious on your thoughts of sprinkling in these videos along with the other types? I feel like even as a teacher, there is room to share videos of all lengths. It just depends on the users search intent.
@CarnivorousPlantsHub, good point about the intent of the search of your potential audience.
From at least how interpreted the video, that sounds fine since the shorter videos have more focused, bite sized vibes. If you had a 5 min video that was the complete guide to Venus fly trap care instead of answering a single question or two about their care, it would probably do poorly. Your short videos might benefit more from being actual Shorts or Capris though.
Great video!
Please do the Hero/Performer/Commentator/Teacher video. I feel like this could really help me as I shift the focus of my channel. I had RUclips coaches tell me to do more reviews and talking head “teaching” videos and commentary. And while I have had some success with those, my heart is to vlog, but I am having trouble shifting to that. How do I and my doggy side-kicks become the hero of my own channel? Gotta figure this out!
Thank you!🙏🏻
Nate, we challenge you to a roast!! We are a late night show with a full studio audience!! Do your thing man! (Don’t worry, we don’t expect you to order McDonald’s again!)
This is great, and I would very much love the video about Creator Positions! I find that so interesting and haven't heard it elsewhere!
Good Video Nate, I am still waiting to see these "longer" shorts hasn't happened for my channel yet. I have a few people I will watch their longer video, but once they hit the 60+ minutes it gets harder, I usually have to split it up and watch in 2+ viewings and by then they they don'y show up on my page and I forget about them. Once I remember it has been a ahwile and I feel bad cause I like watching the people video that I subscribe to all the way through to help them with there stats. Thanks for this Video.
Long videos like 25-30 min works best for me
This was great info! I just do gaming content for now, so I kind of have to live in that 20-60min area. It's almost impossible to accomplish anything worth watching in a gaming video at less than 20. Great to know what zone I fit it!
I can personally confirm that I ALWAYS take the length into account. Either because I don't have time or because I don't want to waste a lot of time on a short topic.
I don't mind if videos are shorter, but if they're too long they're out.
Awesome video Nate thanks! I fall under the Performer and Standard category. Glad to know I'm on the right path. 🙌🏼🌺✨
Now that I'm focusing more on longer content 45mins-2+hours I've noticed that the click through is lower, but the retention is much higher. FAR LESS clickaways.
hopefully we can all become successful youtubers one day ❤🎉
This was awesome, thank you! I’d love to see a whole video discussing the positions more in depth. 😊
HAHA, 4:40 I was *JUST* talking about this with friends, and I even mentioned it in a recent video, I think! So true. I *know* I judge a video partially by its length before clicking on it - if it's a 5-minute review... it won't be in-depth. If it's a 20-minute vlog... it better have a dang-good topic, or one I expect in-depth explanations on. Nate nails another one!
Great video and information Nate. I'm one of them small channels with mixed views on videos. Although I've told my channel audience that they can expect different types of videos. What I find interesting is just about every videos gets 90% of views in the first 24 hrs and then just die.
I'm only 5 minutes in and already hearing some uncomfortable truths. I still don't have a position on my channel. I bounce around between all four and its utter chaos!! A separate video on positions would be most welcome Sir..
This is good to know, eh? Noted!