In the last decade, the popularity of the video format has increased exponentially. The video content is quick, informative, engaging, and visually appealing. Since people prefer watching videos to consume information. Advertisers, YouTubers, and creators all focus on creating valuable content that reaches their audience.
YouTube is the global giant when it comes to watching video content. YouTube is a significant platform for everyone, from small-scale businesses to billion-dollar companies. It seems obvious, given its 2.6 billion recurring users.
But how do you determine a YouTube channel’s worth? YouTube has a vast pool of content, and how do people discover that their content is making an impact? Is it their subscriber count or the number of views? Let’s cut to the chase; the answer is the creator’s YouTube engagement rate.
Why YouTube engagement rate? Why not any other factor or metric? I can give you a yes or no answer, but that will be the surface-level knowledge. Let’s dive deep into the content and truly understand how these metrics actually help creators and businesses.
What is YouTube Engagement Rate?
The YouTube engagement rate indicates how your audience interacts with your content. The metric identifies the key elements from the video. Let’s consider how long viewers watch your content (watch time) and whether the content is engaging enough for people to like or comment. Are people sharing your content, or are they subscribing to your channel to become a loyal audience base?
A high YouTube engagement rate indicates that people are genuinely interested in and engaging with your content. The high rate will lead to quicker success on YouTube. Additionally, it will also place you in front of advertisers and bands as a reliable creator. Apart from ad monetization, you will be getting brand deals and sponsorships. You can be part of YouTube BrandConnect to connect with brands more easily.
Why does YouTube engagement rate matter?
Let’s discuss some of the benefits of YouTube engagement rate.
- The metric gives you a clear picture of where you stand in your journey
- A good engagement rate gets your video recommended to the relevant YouTube audience
- Strong engagement gives a solid presence on YouTube as well as other social platforms
- You will gain a competitive edge even if you have an average YouTube engagement rate(Brand deal preference, CTRs, etc.)
- A high YouTube engagement rate means you will be the first to get recommended to a new audience
The engagement rate is a reflection of your channel’s growth, and it also serves as a credible indicator when approaching brands for sponsorships or predicting monetization opportunities. Whether you can really rely on YouTube money and make it a full-time career.
How Can You Get a Good YouTube Engagement Rate
Sorry to disappoint you, but there is no direct and one-line answer to this question. You need to try different content strategies, understand the algorithm, analyze your YouTube analytics, and stay aware of the latest updates.
One thing I am certain of is that YouTube is not going anywhere, nor is its audience. So, the audience is there, and you’re producing content. We just have to bridge the path between content and the target audience. Let’s examine seven strategies to achieve a high or even average YouTube engagement rate.
6 Tips To Get a High YouTube Engagement Rate
Increasing the YouTube engagement rate benchmark will require focusing on different metrics, such as the like-to-view ratio and video watch time. Let’s start with our first tip:
1) Collaboration with the relevant channel
Try to collaborate with YouTube Influencers within your niche and industry. Consider collaborating based on the strength of your channel. People will engage with your content more if they see you with established YouTubers. You don’t have to approach Mr. Beast directly (if you can, great for you). For example, if you have 20K subscribers, then aim to partner with 50K channels. By doing so, you can offer something of value to your collaborator.
2) Be consistent in your YouTube journey
You don’t have to produce a Marvel movie. Just upload content at regular intervals. The video should be valuable and informative. Something that serves the viewer’s valuable time. Whether you upload three times a week, weekly, or monthly. Be consistent with your schedule.
You can examine your audience and try to determine a suitable frequency. You can try scheduling the post. Giving enough time to reflect on published content as well as producing new content with working strategies.
3) Leverage trendy content
One of the result-driven methods is to make content on trend. Making a video on trendy content will give you a quick boost in front of your audience. The new relevant audience will see and interact with your content. However, don’t just rely on trends. Produce your natural content and add a bit of trendy content, not the other way around.
4) Use YouTube Features (Shorts)
It’s no wonder that vertical short-form content is a new trend. People are consuming more and more one-minute content. The feature doesn’t seem to go away in the near decade. You can attract millions of users with the Shorts features. Try analyzing the YouTube shorts engagement rate. Use that metric to inform and refine your content strategy. Compared to longer formats, Shorts are quick to reach a broader audience.
You can also rely on other features, such as live streams, Super Chats, and community posts in Shorts, among others. Every feature is there to enhance the user’s experience. Make sure to use them.
5) Overall Optimization of the channel
People do check out your channel. Therefore, ensure that you optimize it properly. Start by using a theme. Apply that theme to banners, profile images, thumbnails, playlists, and other social platforms.
This will not directly impact your YouTube engagement rate, but by doing so, you are creating an opportunity to retain new viewers. Ensure all your videos are following an Intent, from thumbnails to video metadata. Make sure everything is optimized.
6) Try hosting a giveaway contest
Host a YouTube giveaway contest to reward your loyal audience and attract new ones. One clever way is to set a prize that is relevant to your audience. You can also achieve a specific goal by doing a giveaway. For example, you want to increase the number of comments on your videos. You can plan a giveaway in a way that encourages the audience to engage with the content through comments.
Conclusion
In the world of YouTube content creation, the YouTube engagement rate is an accurate indicator of a channel’s success. The rate tells us what we need to do more of and what the channel’s strength is in front of brands, sponsors, and the audience. You can hit the YouTube average engagement rate first to stand out from the crowd and then compete with top players. We have given you the formula for the YouTube engagement rate, which offers a general idea of what you need to focus on. Nevertheless, you can increase the opportunity by putting in genuine content. Try using the strategies provided in the blog and be consistent with them. We discussed that there is no sure-shot way to increase engagement, but as you drive your channel to success, you will figure it out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is a good engagement rate for YouTube?
A YouTube engagement rate of 3% to 5% is considered good; anything over 10% is exceptional.
Q2. What is the engagement rate YouTube formula for per video?
YouTube engagement metrics are calculated using the formula
(Likes + comments + Shares) / views X 100. The formula used to check YouTube engagement rate by many established channels.
Q3. What is YouTube engagement?
The engagement rate refers to how viewers interact with your content, as measured by likes, comments, watch time, subscriptions, and shares.
Q4. What is the normal engagement rate?
A normal or average engagement rate is around 2%; however, it varies depending on niche and channel size.
Q5. What is the highest engagement score?
Over 10% is considered exceptional, but no channel can be sure of its highest engagement score.