If you’re posting videos for your business but have no idea if anyone’s actually watching—or where they’re dropping off—this is for you. Vidyard’s analytics can help, but only if you set things up right and know what to look for. This guide walks you through how to get started, what really matters, and what you can safely ignore.
Why bother with video analytics anyway?
Let’s be honest: uploading a video and hoping for the best is a waste of everyone’s time. If you care about results—leads, sales, or just knowing whether people care about your content—you need data. Vidyard gives you a bunch of numbers, but not all of them are useful. You want to measure engagement: are people watching? For how long? Where do they bail? That’s what actually helps you make better videos.
Step 1: Setting up Vidyard for analytics
First, you need a Vidyard account. (Obvious, but worth saying.) If you’re not already using Vidyard, sign up for the plan that fits your needs. The free version gives you some basic analytics, but if you want deeper insights—like who’s watching and detailed viewing heatmaps—you’ll need a paid plan.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Create and verify your Vidyard account.
- Upload your video. Use the Vidyard dashboard; it’s straightforward. Give your video a clear name so you can find it later.
- Organize your videos. If you have more than one, use folders or groups. This helps keep analytics clean and separates internal content from public stuff.
Pro tip: If you’re embedding videos on your website, make sure you use Vidyard’s embed code. Don’t just upload to YouTube and call it a day—YouTube won’t give you viewer-level analytics.
Step 2: Get your tracking in place
Vidyard’s analytics don’t magically work everywhere. For the most accurate data:
- Use Vidyard’s embed code on your site or landing pages. This connects the player to their analytics engine.
- Enable cookies and tracking. If your site has strict privacy settings, double-check that Vidyard can set cookies. Otherwise, you’ll only get anonymous stats.
- Integrate with your CRM or marketing tools (like HubSpot or Salesforce) if you want to tie video views to real leads. Follow Vidyard’s setup guides—this takes a few minutes but pays off down the road.
- Add calls-to-action (CTAs) in your videos. Vidyard lets you drop forms, buttons, or links directly in the player. This isn’t just for lead gen; it also lets you track who’s engaged enough to interact.
What to ignore: Don’t stress about “social shares” or likes. These are vanity metrics. Focus on actual viewing behavior.
Step 3: Understand Vidyard’s analytics dashboard
Vidyard throws a lot of data at you. Here’s what’s useful and what’s just noise:
The good stuff
- Views: How many times your video was played. Simple, but context matters—10 views from the right people beats 1,000 random clicks.
- Unique viewers: Counts individual people, not just playbacks. More meaningful than total views.
- Attention span / Engagement: This is key. Vidyard shows you a graph of where viewers drop off. If 80% of viewers leave in the first 30 seconds, something’s wrong.
- Heatmaps: For individual viewers (on paid plans), you can see exactly where someone paused, rewatched, or bailed. Great for sales follow-ups.
The noise
- Play rate: Percentage of people who saw the video and clicked play. Useful if you’re tweaking a landing page, but not much else.
- Device/browser info: Neat, but don’t obsess over it unless you’re troubleshooting playback issues.
Pro tip: Set up regular email reports (Vidyard can do this for you) so you’re not living in the dashboard.
Step 4: Measuring and interpreting viewer engagement
Here’s where most people get tripped up. Engagement isn’t just “did they hit play?” It’s about how much of your video they actually watch.
What to look for
- Average engagement: Vidyard shows a percentage—e.g., “viewers watched 65% of this video.” Higher is generally better.
- Drop-off points: Is there a spot where viewers bail en masse? That’s your cue to edit or rethink your content.
- Repeat views: If someone watches the same section multiple times, that part’s working—or maybe it’s confusing.
What to do with the data
- Trim the fat: If engagement tanks after 45 seconds, your intro’s too long or you lost their attention. Cut it down.
- Test different versions: Don’t guess. Swap out thumbnails, CTAs, or even whole sections and see what changes.
- Prioritize follow-ups: For sales or marketing, use heatmaps to focus on leads who actually watched your message—not just those who clicked.
What not to do
- Don’t chase 100% completion. Almost nobody watches a video to the very end, especially if it drags.
- Don’t freak out over one bad video—look for patterns across multiple uploads.
Step 5: Reporting and sharing insights
You’ve got data—now what?
- Export reports: Vidyard lets you download CSVs or PDFs. Share these with your team, but keep it simple. Highlight key stats, not a wall of numbers.
- Integrate with other tools: If you’re using marketing automation or CRM, push Vidyard data there. This connects video engagement with real business outcomes.
- Automate what you can: Set up notifications for high-value viewers or key events (like someone watching all the way through). Don’t try to manually watch every stat.
Pro tip: Don’t waste time making pretty charts if nobody reads them. Focus on actionable insights—“Viewers drop off after 30 seconds. Let’s fix the intro”—not on impressing with data.
What works, what doesn’t, and what to ignore
What works:
- Short, direct videos. People want answers fast.
- Personalization. If you can, use Vidyard’s features to record quick, personal intros. Engagement goes up.
- Tight CTAs. Ask for one thing, not five.
What doesn’t:
- Long-winded intros or rambling explanations.
- Overloading with metrics. Stick to engagement, not every stat under the sun.
- Obsessing over “viral” numbers. You’re not a YouTuber—focus on real leads or customers.
Ignore:
- Vanity metrics like likes, shares, or comments—unless you’re trying to go viral, which is a whole different game.
- Device breakdowns, unless you’re seeing lots of playback issues.
Keep it simple and keep improving
Vidyard’s analytics are powerful, but only if you use them to actually make changes. Don’t overthink it: set up tracking, focus on engagement, and use what you learn to tweak future videos. Start small, iterate, and ignore the noise. The best video strategy isn’t about chasing perfect numbers—it’s about making videos people actually want to watch.