Your latest video hit 50,000 views. Feels like a win, right? Until you check the numbers and realize there are zero sales and no new leads. 

Views might boost your ego, but they don’t pay the bills.

You need to figure out who’s watching your content and whether they’re spending money. These insights will help you separate viral flukes from revenue-driven success. 

The right video marketing analytics will help you figure out what’s working and create content that boosts your profits. Let’s break it down. 

6 Tracking Engagement Metrics

Someone watching the first three seconds before scrolling? Not something to be happy about. Someone watching till the end, dropping a comment, and clicking your link? Now we’re talking!

Engagement metrics tell you whether your video is holding attention or just existing on the internet. 

Indeed highlights that this “helps with developing target audience profiles, which can guide the creation of future video content and increase the success of it.”

Here are some key metrics to track. 

Watch Time & Retention Rate

Watch time is the total amount of time viewers spend watching your video. Retention rate, on the other hand, is the percentage of your video people watch before bailing. 

Both tell you if your content is engaging enough or if your audience is peacing out before they even get to the good part.

How to calculate retention rate:

Take the average watch time, divide it by the total video length, and multiply by 100. So, if people watch an average of 45 seconds on a 90-second video:

(45 ÷ 90) × 100 = 50% retention rate.

Likes, Shares, and Comments

Likes, shares, and comments tell you who’s vibing with your content and who couldn’t care less.

• Likes show approval. It’s the easiest way for viewers to say, “Cool, I dig this.”
• Shares? That’s next-level. If someone sends your video to their friends, it means you’ve made something worth spreading.
• Comments. If people take the time to type something (anything), you’ve triggered a reaction, and that’s powerful.

Want more of these? Trigger curiosity. Ask questions. Stir emotions. People engage with content that makes them feel something. And the more engagement your video gets, the more platforms push it to new eyes.

Click-Through Rate

Click-Through Rate (CTR) is the percentage of people who click on your video after seeing the thumbnail or link. 

How to calculate it:

Take the number of clicks, divide by impressions (how many people saw the video), and then multiply by 100.

(Clicks ÷ Impressions) × 100 = CTR

A low CTR means your thumbnail or title isn’t doing its job, while a high CTR implies you’ve nailed the curiosity factor. 

Churn Rate 

The churn rate tells you how many people walked away either by unsubscribing or by discontinuing watching your video. 

Take the number of people who left during a specific period and divide it by the total number of viewers/subscribers at the start. Then, multiply it by 100.

(Lost Viewers ÷ Starting Viewers) × 100 = Churn Rate

A rising churn rate means your content isn’t keeping people engaged. Maybe your videos lost their spark, or perhaps you're just not giving people a reason to stay. 

Net Promoter Score

Net Promoter Score (NPS) tells you how many people love your brand enough to recommend it versus how many wouldn’t bother mentioning you anywhere.

You ask customers one simple question: “On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend us?” Then, you categorize them:

• Promoters (9-10): Your superfans. They rave about you. They bring in new customers. They’re basically free marketing.
• Passives (7-8): They’re cool with you but not obsessed. They won’t bad-mouth you, but they won’t go out of their way to hype you up, either.
• Detractors (0-6): These people are unimpressed, and they could damage your reputation with bad reviews.

Subtract the % of detractors from the % of promoters.

NPS = (% Promoters - % Detractors)

Audience Demographics and Behavior

Knowing who’s watching your videos is just as important as knowing what they’re watching. Audience demographics and behavior tell you who your viewers are, where they’re from, how they watch, and what keeps them engaged (or makes them bounce).

• Demographics: Track age, gender, and location. If you’re targeting millennials but attracting retirees, something’s off.
• Watch behavior: Are people finishing your videos or dipping after 10 seconds?
• Devices used: Mobile, desktop, or smart TV? Your editing style should match where people watch.
• Traffic sources: Are they finding you through search, social media, or algorithm magic?

Measuring & Improving Conversions

A conversion happens when a viewer takes the action you want, whether that’s buying a product or subscribing to a service.

However, not all conversions are created equal. If tons of people click but no one buys, you’ve got a traffic jam with no destination.

Here are some key conversion metrics. 

Lead Generation and Sign-Ups

Lead generation is a key conversion metric because it measures how well your content convinces people to take the next step. Here’s what you can track. 

• Lead quality & source. Not all leads are equal. Track where they’re coming from (YouTube, Instagram, embedded videos) and whether they eventually convert into paying customers.
• Landing page conversion rate: Track how many people sign up after clicking. If the drop-off is high, your landing page might be the problem. Slow load times or unclear messaging could be turning people away.

Here are a few steps you can take to generate leads effectively.

• Offer real value: People won’t hand over their info unless they get something in return (think exclusive content or a discount).
• Make CTAs impossible to ignore: Your call to action should be direct and easy to act on. “Get your free guide now” works better than “Check out our website.”
• Remove friction: Use in-video links, pinned comments, or YouTube cards so viewers can sign up with a single tap.

Website Traffic and Clicks

If you’re using video to drive website traffic, you need to track how many viewers actually make the jump from watching to clicking. Otherwise, you’re just guessing whether your content is working.

Key Metrics to Track:

• Referral traffic from video: Use UTM parameters or Google Analytics to see how many visitors come from YouTube, Instagram, or embedded videos. If your traffic is low, your CTA might not be clear or compelling enough.
• On-Site behavior: Once they land on your site, what do they do? Do they bounce immediately, or do they explore and convert?

Sales

Views are nice. Engagement is great. But sales? Even better. At the end of the day, that’s what determines your success.

• Conversion rate: How many viewers become customers? If your traffic is high but conversions are low, your offer may not be good enough.
• Revenue per view: Divide total sales by total views to see if your content is profitable. A low number indicates that your audience might not be ready to buy, or perhaps your CTA needs work.

Linking Video Performance to Revenue

You can have a viral video with millions of views, but if it’s not translating into dollars, what’s the point? Tracking video performance requires understanding how your content impacts the bottom line.

Attribution Models

So, your video got views. Great. But which video actually led to the sale? That’s where attribution models come in. They help you track which marketing efforts (including videos) influenced a purchase. 

1. First-Touch Attribution

A potential customer watches your educational YouTube video and clicks a link to your site, but doesn’t buy (yet). Weeks later, they return through a Google ad and make a purchase.

First-touch attribution tells you that the video was the first point of contact, meaning it played an important role in customer acquisition.

2. Last-Touch Attribution

A customer sees multiple videos over time but only purchases after clicking a product demo video.

This shows that the last video they interacted with before converting was the most impactful.

       3. Multi-Touch Attribution

A customer watches a brand awareness video, followed by a product tutorial, and a testimonial video before finally buying.

This attribution model shows that each video played a role in moving them through the sales funnel. So, credit is shared across multiple touchpoints.

Why Attribution Matters

Without a clear attribution model, you might invest all your budget into one type of video (say, product demos) while completely overlooking the educational or testimonial content that warmed up your audience in the first place.

A solid attribution strategy helps you understand which videos drive revenue. This way, you can double down on what works and stop wasting time on what doesn’t.

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) from Video Viewers

According to Wharton Online, Customer Lifetime Value shows “how much a customer is expected to spend with a company from their first to last purchase.” 

If your videos solve real problems and keep your audience informed, they’re less likely to switch to a competitor. 

Track these metrics to figure out CLV. 

• Repeat purchases. Use analytics to see if video viewers buy more over time compared to non-viewers.
• Measure engagement beyond the first sale. Are they watching more of your content? Engaging with new product releases?
• Compare customer value. Do customers who watch videos spend more, stay longer, or refer others?

ROI Calculation for Video Campaigns

Creating videos isn’t cheap. Between production costs, ad spend, and distribution, you need to know if your videos are making money. If your videos aren’t generating more revenue than they cost, you’re essentially burning cash.

Here’s a basic formula to calculate ROI.

ROI = (Revenue Generated from Video – Video Cost) ÷ Video Cost × 100

For example:

• You spend $5,000 on a video campaign (production, ads, etc.).
• That campaign brings in $20,000 in sales.
• Your ROI = ((20,000 - 5,000) ÷ 5,000) × 100 = 300%

That means for every dollar spent, you made $3 back. That’s a solid return!

Remember, not every video drives instant sales, but that doesn’t mean it’s a flop. Consider these factors: 

• Brand Awareness. Is your audience growing? Are people searching for your brand more?
• Customer Retention. Are existing customers engaging, leading to more repeat sales?

Best Tools to Track Video Analytics

Video analytics give you real insights into who’s watching, how they’re engaging, and whether your video is making you money. 

Below, we break down the best tools for tracking video success because in marketing, guessing is expensive.

• Sprout Social. Sprout Social Premium analytics tools allow you to track engagement trends, audience behavior, and video performance across multiple platforms. This helps you pinpoint which content drives conversions, so you know where to invest your efforts.
• YouTube and Google Analytics. YouTube’s built-in analytics tell you watch time, retention, and click-through rates. Pair it with Google Analytics, and you’ll be able to track what viewers do after they watch. Are they visiting your website? Signing up for a demo? Making a purchase? This combo connects video performance to actual revenue, which is the whole point, right?

Next-Level Video Production for Brands That Refuse to Blend In

Most brands treat video as a creative experiment instead of a business asset. And that’s exactly why several video campaigns fail to deliver real ROI.

It’s easy to obsess over likes, but unless those metrics translate into revenue, they’re digital vanity. The real winners in video marketing track everything. They know which second of the video loses viewers, which thumbnail gets more clicks, and which content sells.

So, the question isn’t, “Should I track my video performance?” It’s, “How much money am I leaving on the table by not tracking it?” Once you answer that, you’ll never look at video marketing the same way again.

At INDIRAP, a video marketing agency in Chicago, we create video assets that drive measurable results. Whether you need high-converting brand videos or a complete video marketing strategy, we’ve got you covered. Book a free, no obligation Discovery Call today to learn how to leverage video marketing analytics for your company's benefit.