View-Through Rate

Video content has clearly taken over the internet and advertising space. But, unlike a still image, a video requires viewers to watch the entire duration of the ad before absorbing the entirety of the brand’s message. So how can you measure a video ad's success and understand how many social media viewers are watching your ad campaign? View-through rate (VTR) is the metric you need to track. In this article, we will outline everything you need to know.

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What is the view-through rate?

The view-through rate measures how many people who watched your video advertising saw the content to the end. Similar to a click-through rate (ctr), this metric tracks audience engagement and can indicate potential when it comes to conversion rates and more. A video ad is considered to have completed views if the user didn’t change pages or close the webpage before the duration of the video was finished. The metric is different from view-through conversion, another online advertising and digital marketing metric that considers video views and display ads.

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How to calculate the view-through rate?

The VTR formula is a ratio of the total number of viewers who completed the video, to the total number of ad impressions—or the total number of times the video appeared on a user’s webpage.

View-through rate formula

View-through rate = (Total completed views / Total measured impressions) * 100

What is a good view-through rate?

Although this metric can vary depending on the ad server, ad length, and other qualities like audience demographics and the viewability of the video itself, generally, 15% is a solid vtr. This means that a handful of viewers are consuming your digital advertising in its entirety.

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What is a bad view-through rate?

Anything lower than the above-mentioned 15% may be considered a low VTR and could imply that your video is seen as a skippable ad, or needs enhanced functionality in order to perform well with viewers.

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View-through rate best practices

If you are seeing a low video completion rate, consider employing some of the following tips to enhance your video metrics.

Strike a balance with skippable ads

Allowing ads to be skippable may result in fewer view completions, however, it will annoy customers and viewers less and perhaps entice viewers who are genuinely interested in your product or service. Plus, it typically represents a better return on investment to go with the skippable option when it comes to display advertising.

Clean up the visuals

Make sure your thumbnails and clickable items are sleek, organized, and not too visually overwhelming. Pure design can help increase the odds that customers will click on your call to action or engage further with your ad and lead to a sale.

Tell a strong story with the video

Keep your audience engaged with your ad through well constructive ad narratives and visual storytelling that increase the likelihood that viewers will watch all the way through to the end. Think of it as a short movie, no one will sit and consistently follow through to the end if the content is weak, overly salesy, and not engaging.

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