The Reason Your Video Essays lose viewers (and how to fix it).
If you make video essays, you might notice that there’s a significant dip in retention around the middle of your video. I’ve certainly noticed it as a viewer and writer of this type of content.
Video essays generally have lower retention rates because they tend to go over 20 minutes. That’s mostly because of those pesky short attention spans we’re all dealing with today, but let’s look at the numbers.
A 5-10 minute video has around 30% retention beyond the hook. While a 20+ minute one only has 19.7%
How to Write a YouTube Script That Sounds Like You
A lot of people struggle to write scripts, period. But it’s even harder to write a script that sounds like you, because there’s an abyss between presenting information and connecting with your audience while being true to yourself.
How to Write a YouTube Hook That Actually Retains Viewers
About 72% of viewers click off YouTube videos within two seconds. This is a problem that even top performing YouTube channels have to deal with, especially as attention spans get shorter and shorter (those pesky phones!).
There are so many reasons why viewers could click off so your hook has to make a great case to convince them to stay.
That’s because the main body of your script could have tremendous value, but if that isn’t presented in a way that hooks them from the start (we’ll get into what that means for different niches in a bit), then they might click off before they get to that high-value part they would have loved.
How to Write a YouTube Video Essay (Step-by-Step Guide)
Video essays are a research-heavy, long-form medium where the quality of the final video is largely determined at the script stage. Unlike other YouTube formats, production cannot save a weak argument or unclear structure.
This is why video essays require a different writing approach. Think of a video essay script as the blueprint that your house is built on. If the blueprint is off, then the house will collapse.