Content
- What is VTR?
- Goals of Using VTR
- How to Calculate VTR
- How to Evaluate the VTR Indicator
- How to Improve VTR
What is VTR?
The VTR (View Through Rate) indicator is a key element in the field of video advertising, allowing the assessment of content's appeal to viewers. This indicator is calculated as the percentage ratio of full views to the total number of impressions of the advertisement. The higher the VTR, the more interesting your creative content is to the target audience.
VTR is closely related to user engagement: a high level of this indicator indicates that users are actively interacting with your video content. For marketers and advertisers, it is important to monitor this indicator, as it can be easily found in advertising statistics. In "Yandex.Direct," this parameter is denoted as "Views," and in Google Ads, it is referred to as the view rate.
Goals of Using VTR
The VTR indicator is useful in the following situations:
- Assessing the attractiveness of the advertising video to the target audience. By analyzing the VTR, you can understand whether a creative adjustment is needed to increase its effectiveness. A low VTR may indicate that the first few seconds of the video do not capture viewers' attention.
- Evaluating the effectiveness of the advertising medium. A high VTR may not always guarantee conversions, which may be related to both the quality of the creative and the absence of the target audience on the platform.
How to Calculate VTR
Calculating VTR is quite simple, especially if the advertisement is launched through well-known advertising platforms that automatically compute this indicator. The main parameters considered in the calculation include:
- The number of ad impressions — how many times the video was presented to the user;
- The number of views — how many times the video was watched to the end.
The standard formula for calculating VTR is as follows:
VTR = (Number of Views / Number of Impressions) * 100%
For example, if your video was shown 1000 times on YouTube and 200 users watched it to the end, the VTR would be 20%:
200 / 1000 * 100% = 20%
How to Evaluate the VTR Indicator
A VTR of 100% means that every impression of the advertisement was watched to the end, which is practically impossible to achieve. Depending on the topic, length of the video, and target audience, the average VTR ranges from 15-30%. For advertising videos on YouTube, this figure is about 31.9%.
Here is how the average VTR looks by age groups:
- 18–24 years: 31.5%
- 25–34 years: 29.6%
- 35–44 years: 31.4%
- 45–54 years: 32.3%
- 55–64 years: 34.7%
- 65+: 31.3%
- Age not specified: 37.4%
It is also important to consider the breakdown by gender:
- Women: 28.1%
- Men: 34.4%
- Gender not specified: 37.7%
Some advertising formats, such as non-skippable ads on YouTube, can theoretically have a VTR close to 100%. However, it is important to remember that users may stay on the platform even if they are not interested in the advertisement.
How to Improve VTR
To achieve high VTR values, advertisers need to focus on the quality of video content and correctly choose the platform for placement. Here are some tips:
- Video Length: Short videos (up to 15 seconds) are more often watched to the end. Research shows that 6-second ads have high response rates.
- Memorable Message: The main idea should be easily digestible. Using humor and unusual styles can attract viewers' attention.
- Dynamics: Rapid scene changes and engaging elements help retain users' attention.
- Relevance: Keep an eye on trends and create contemporary videos to boost VTR.
- Analysis: If users are closing the video, check at which moment this occurs and make necessary changes to the content.
Improving VTR requires continuous analysis of results and adjustment of strategies according to the preferences of the target audience.