A Post Can Win on Engagement. Did It Win on Watch Time?

Before I pull the numbers, I ask what we wanted someone to do after seeing the post. Laugh and send it to a friend? Remember an event was coming up? Open a stream and stay to watch? Each answer gives me a different way to judge the creative.

Say a funny clip gets shared widely and the comments are full of people quoting it. That tells me something about how well the clip traveled. If the campaign was meant to drive viewing, I’d also want to know whether people followed the link, started watching, and stuck around, wherever those signals are available.

Sometimes all I can see is what happened on the social post. In that case, I’ll say the clip was widely shared and use the comments to help explain why. I’ll save the question of whether it drove viewing for a test where we can measure more of the path.

That distinction changes what I recommend. If we’re trying to reach new people, I might keep the format that got passed around. If we’re trying to get people to tune in, I might test a version that makes the reason to watch and where to find it clearer. Both decisions can come out of the same report.