Last updated on June 14th, 2024
If you say the word “YOU” you will get more views on your YouTube videos.
WHY?
Audience retention is one of the most important factors in getting a video to get more referral traffic on YouTube. And recently we told you about words that stop viewers from watching your videos because they make it sound like the video is about to be over. So some of you logically asked which words kept people watching longer and got more views. Thank you to the three commenters (Blogger De Comida, At The Speed Of Life, and Ashutosh Nirmal) who asked this question.
THE FACTS:
- In a TubeBuddy/VidAction.tv study of 30,000 videos, we found that if you say the word “YOU” once in the first 5 seconds of a video, you will get a median of a 66% increase in views.
- If you say “YOU” twice in the first five seconds, you’ll get 97% more views.
- We grouped together variations on the word “YOU” and counted them all as you. These included your, yours, yourself, yourselves, you’re, you’ll, you’d, you’ve, and y’all.
- Example: Here’s how you might say “you” twice in the first five seconds is “Today I’m going to show YOU how to fix YOUR car.” In this case, “you” and “your” both count as YOU.
THE STEPS:
- Speak directly to the camera.
- Speak to the viewer as “you,” as a single individual.
- Now you’ve shown them that they, the viewer, are the most important person in your video, rather than you, the subject.
BONUS TIPS:
- Many of the best YouTubers speak directly at the camera and say “You.”
- While “breaking the fourth wall” is supposedly a no-no in so-called professional video production, many top movies and TV shows use this technique. Some examples include: Hitch, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Easy A, Annie Hall, The Big Lebowski, The Wolf of Wall Street, Alfie, The Bernie Mac Show, Austin Powers, Deadpool, and others.
- Generally, the more you say you, the better your videos will do.