So you’ve been hard at work, creating amazing content that you’re proud of and put a lot of time into. But you’re not seeing the numbers you want when you check your analytics. Low engagement, short watch times, and minimal interaction can be tough when you know your video is great. So what’s going wrong?
The reality is, creating great videos is just one part of the larger picture when it comes to seeing success. Engagement involves a lot of other elements, from how often you post to what platforms you’re uploading to. If you’re not happy with how your videos are performing, here are three likely reasons why your video engagement is low–and what you can do to fix it.
The top three reasons for low video engagement
1. You’re not posting often enough
I know, I know. This is basically rule number one when it comes to creating video, but it’s worth repeating again. Consistency is key with video. The reason it’s so important is because if you only post sporadically, your audience, and more importantly, the algorithm won’t know what to expect.
As Jade Beason, Creator and Marketing Consultant, explains, “Platforms reward consistency because recent engagement affects how the algorithm pushes your content. If you’ve been consistent, the platform sees that past engagement and uses it to push your next post higher.”
But posting consistently doesn’t have to mean you need to burn yourself out trying to post five times a week. “It’s about creating a posting schedule you can realistically stick to,” Jade emphasizes. “If that’s one video a week, great. Build a rhythm that fits your life, avoid burnout, and adjust when you need to.”
The other benefit to posting more often? You learn what works. “The truth is, consistency helps because it makes you better at creating content. Each time you post, you learn and improve, and eventually, that growth leads to better-performing content,” says Jade.
If trying to make every video perfect is what’s holding you back from posting more regularly, you need to let go of that outdated video myth. Rachel Kisela, a social media video editor who’s worked for tons of creators and brands, has seen this first hand. “Perfection is what holds so many creators back. The truth is, it’s much better to be consistent and learn as you go. Some of my best performing content wasn’t perfect, but it was real.”
How to fix it:
- Set a realistic and sustainable posting schedule that you can stick with long-term.
- Prioritize consistency over perfection – perfect videos are a myth.
- Stay the course and be patient (even though it’s hard) – success doesn’t happen overnight.
2. You’re not testing to see what works
Much like posting consistently will help you learn what performs well, actively testing out new concepts, changes, and other elements of your videos will speed up that process. Don’t ever assume you know exactly what your audiences want–you’d be surprised that even small changes can make a huge difference.
Kyle Miller, Video Production Manager at Storyblocks, uses this strategy with our own videos. “[Our team’s] strategy is to start small–testing concepts with still images or text-based videos–and scale what works. It’s low cost, low risk, and gives us the data to invest where it matters.”
We cover all the different elements of a video that you can test in our free A/B testing for video marketing guide, but the most important thing is to just start somewhere. Even if it’s something as simple as making your video a little longer than usual.
As Carl Mueller, Senior Vice President and Executive Producer at Dynamo, puts it, “You have to be moldable. You have to post, try new things, see what the audience likes, and then adjust like that moving forward. And that takes time. But it should be built into any strategy.” But don’t overdo it and test too much at once, since then you won’t be able to tell exactly how each test impacted performance.
How to fix it:
- Start experimenting! Try changing up something from your usual videos to see how it impacts engagement.
- Analytics are your best friend. When you test new things, compare metrics like retention, engagement, and shares to your previous videos.
- Stay adaptable and make changes based on performance and feedback.
3. You’re not distributing your videos through the right channels
Not every video is right for every channel. While you should ultimately be choosing the platforms and channels you post your videos to based on where your audience is, it also depends on what you’re posting. As Darren Suffolk, Creative Director of Video Services at Superside, puts it, “A good strategy maximizes reach by choosing the right platform combination–not by posting everywhere for the sake of it.”
And if you’re posting the same exact content to every platform, you’re doing your videos a disservice. “Treat each platform as its own and understand how it works. You shouldn’t just create content for YouTube, then cut it up and put it on other platforms hoping for success,” Carl Mueller explains. “You need to focus on the platform that you’re working on, but you can still use the same content if you put the effort into making it catered to each one.”
So if you’re posting 10-minute vlogs to YouTube and then uploading the same videos to TikTok or Reels without seeing engagement, you need to start re-thinking what you’re uploading. Even cutting out a small 1-2 minute section of your vlogs to post instead could be the difference between your video flopping or taking off.
On top of that, posting different content can help you build community and gain a larger following across channels. “It’s really helpful to post different content on different platforms, so people feel like they see a new side of you and they get to know you a little better by following you on different platforms,” Rachel points out.
While yes, it can take more time to post different content, it’s worth the effort for the results. As Kyle Miller puts it, “Every social platform that you’re on is like a party, and you need to come into that party dressed a certain way and with the right behavior.” So make sure that what you’re posting on each platform is taking that into account, and you’ll see the difference in engagement right away.
How to fix it:
- Understand how each platform works, what audiences are looking for on each one, and optimize your videos accordingly.
- Don’t cross-post the same exact content everywhere. Tailor videos for each channel.
- Experiment with what you post and where, then analyze the results.
Get more resources to help with video engagement
Diagnosing exactly why you’re not seeing the video engagement you want is both an art and a science. But if you prioritize posting consistently, testing regularly, and optimizing your videos for every platform, you should see a difference over time.
Learn what works best with video in our latest guide, “The truth behind video marketing: debunking 8 common myths.” We break down what video advice is outdated and what you actually need to be focusing on, with even more expert advice from everyone we’ve quoted in this article. Grab your copy today and start seeing better results from your videos!
