If you’re sending cold videos to prospects and wondering if anyone’s actually watching, you’re in the right place. This guide is for salespeople, SDRs, and anyone trying to use video for outbound without wasting time on “engagement” stats that don’t mean much in real life.
Here’s how to track and actually interpret viewer data using Vidyard—without getting lost in vanity metrics or analysis paralysis.
Step 1: Set Up Vidyard to Track the Right Stuff
Before you can interpret anything, you have to track the right data. Vidyard will happily show you a bunch of numbers, but not all of them are worth your time.
What you need to do:
- Use unique videos or links. If you send the same video to everyone, you’ll never know who watched what. Personalized videos or unique tracking links per prospect are key.
- Enable notifications. Set up email or desktop alerts for video views, but don’t let them turn into noise.
- Connect your CRM (if possible). This helps you tie views back to actual contacts, not just anonymous “someone in New York.”
Pro tip:
Don’t get fancy with UTM parameters unless you have a big list and a process for tracking them. For most outbound, Vidyard’s built-in tracking (by email address or link) is enough.
Step 2: Understand What Vidyard Actually Tracks
Vidyard gives you more data than you probably need. Here’s what matters for outbound prospecting—and what you can safely ignore.
Key metrics to pay attention to:
- Who watched your video: The email address or name tied to the view. This is the gold.
- How much of the video they watched: Did they bail after 10 seconds or watch the whole thing?
- Number of views: Did they watch it more than once?
- View location (sometimes): Helpful if you’re targeting a specific region, but don’t obsess over it.
What to ignore:
- “Engagement score”: This is a black-box metric and means little for cold outreach.
- Device/browser info: Fun trivia, but not actionable.
- Heatmaps for short videos: If your video is under 90 seconds, heatmaps don’t tell you much.
Honest take:
Don’t chase perfection here. You’re looking for clear signs of interest, not forensic evidence.
Step 3: Interpret Viewer Data Without Overthinking
Here’s where most people get tripped up. You see a bunch of numbers and think you need a data scientist to tell you what it means. You don’t.
How to read the signs:
- Full watch (80%+): They’re at least curious. Worth a follow-up.
- Multiple views: They might have shared it with someone else, or they watched twice to catch your name. This is a good sign.
- Drop-off after intro: Your opener didn’t hook them. Change it next time.
- No view: They didn’t click. Don’t take it personally—try a different subject line or channel.
Patterns to look for:
- Are certain intros getting more views?
- Is there a drop-off in the same spot every time?
- Does anyone ever watch past the first 30 seconds?
If you’re seeing the same pattern across several prospects, the issue is probably with your video—either the message, the thumbnail, or just bad timing.
What not to do:
Don’t send a “Hey, I saw you watched my video!” email. It’s creepy. Instead, use the knowledge to inform your next step (see below).
Step 4: Take Action Based on What You Learn
Data’s only useful if it changes what you do next. Here’s how to act on what you’re seeing.
If they watched the whole video:
- Follow up while you’re still top of mind. Reference the topic of the video—don’t mention their viewing stats.
- If they watched more than once, this is a warm lead. Consider a call or a highly personalized email.
If they watched part of it:
- Shorten your next video. Try a new hook. Assume you lost them early.
- Follow up with something even more relevant, but don’t reference their partial view.
If they didn’t watch:
- Change your subject line or thumbnail. Maybe try sending at a different time.
- Experiment with a LinkedIn message or call instead.
If you see a pattern in drop-offs:
- Edit your video message. Cut the fluff. Get to the point faster.
- Test different video lengths. For cold outreach, 45–60 seconds is usually the sweet spot.
Pro tip:
Batch your analysis. Don’t obsess over each view in real time. Set aside time once or twice a week to look for patterns and adjust your approach.
Step 5: Avoid Common Traps
Vidyard (and video in general) is easy to overthink. Here’s what not to worry about:
- Obsession with open rates: If you’re focused on who opened your email but not who watched your video, you’re missing the point.
- Vanity metrics: Just because someone watched doesn’t mean they’re ready to buy. Use this as a signal, not a guarantee.
- Over-automation: If you automate everything, your videos will feel generic—and your data will get muddy fast.
- “Engagement” dashboards: Don’t let dashboards distract you from actually talking to prospects.
Honest take:
Viewer data is one input—not the answer to all your prospecting woes. Use it to get smarter, not busier.
Step 6: Keep It Simple—Iterate as You Go
You don’t need a PhD in analytics to use Vidyard effectively for outbound. Here’s a simple framework:
- Send personalized videos (with tracked links) to real people.
- Check who watched and how much.
- Adjust your videos based on what gets watched.
- Follow up like a human, not a robot.
If you’re not getting results, change one thing at a time—shorten your videos, tweak your intros, try a new subject line. Learn from what you see, but don’t let the data paralyze you.
Summary: Focus on Signals, Not Noise
Tracking and interpreting viewer data with Vidyard isn’t about chasing endless metrics—it’s about spotting simple, real signals from real people. Don’t get hung up on dashboards or try to reverse-engineer every second of watch time. Look for what’s working, ignore what isn’t, and keep your process as simple as possible. The best prospectors are the ones who act, iterate, and don’t overthink it.
Go send some videos. Watch what happens. Adjust. That’s it.