Why You Need Short And Long Term KPIs For Video Marketing
When launching a video marketing campaign, it’s easy to focus solely on the long-term results – increased brand awareness, customer loyalty, and improved sales performance.
But while those are vital outcomes, establishing short-term success metrics is equally important to ensure you’re on track to hit those long-term goals.
Likewise, whilst long-term targets are the objective, having a number of short term targets to hit will keep motivation running high amongst your business and team.
For CMOs and marketing managers balancing immediate indicators of success with the longer-term vision is essential.
Let’s break down why short-term metrics should not be overlooked.
The Importance of Long-Term Focus
Any effective video marketing strategy should centre on long-term results.
Video content is a powerful tool for building brand equity over time, creating deeper connections with your audience, and driving sustained engagement.
A well-crafted series of brand films or product demonstrations, for example, can leave a lasting impact and forge an emotional bond that influences purchasing decisions months, even years, after initial exposure.
However, achieving these long-term outcomes depends on consistent tracking of progress. This is where short-term metrics come into play.
These key performance indicators (KPIs) provide insight into whether your video marketing campaigns are resonating with the audience and hitting immediate benchmarks that indicate future success.
Why Short-Term KPIs Matter
Short-term metrics are a vital part of any video marketing campaign because they offer a way to monitor performance in real time.
These metrics act as diagnostic tools, revealing early signs of success or warning flags that adjustments need to be made.
By understanding what works (or doesn’t) on a short-term scale, CMOs and marketing teams can pivot their strategies, recalibrate efforts, and ensure that campaigns are moving in the right direction for sustained growth.
The key advantage here is agility. When you track short-term success, you can swiftly course-correct before a misstep compounds into a larger issue that affects your long-term goals.
This ability to be nimble is particularly valuable when testing new video formats, platforms, or messages.
However, keep in mind, when we refer to the short term, we’re not speaking about days or weeks. More so 1-3 months. Whilst the long term could 12+ months.
Essential Short-Term KPIs for Video Marketing
View Count
This is the simplest, most immediate indicator of a video’s reach. High view counts, especially early on, signal that your content is being noticed. However, it’s important not to rely solely on views, as this metric doesn’t account for engagement or viewer behaviour.
Engagement Rate
Engagement measures how actively viewers interact with your video, such as likes, shares, comments, and click-throughs.
High engagement indicates that the content is resonating with the audience, encouraging them to take action and participate in discussions.
Engagement is a more telling metric than views alone, as it reflects audience interest and attention.
Average Watch Time
This metric shows how long viewers are watching your video before clicking away.
A high average watch time suggests that your content is holding the audience’s attention, which is critical for nurturing interest in your brand.
Conversely, a low watch time may indicate that the video is too long, not engaging enough, or doesn’t get to the point quickly enough.
Click Through Rate (CTR)
If your video includes a call to action (CTA), such as a link to a product page or an invitation to subscribe to a newsletter, the CTR tells you how effective that CTA is.
A high CTR means your video content is successfully motivating viewers to take the next step.
Conversion Rate
The ultimate short-term metric for any marketing video is its conversion rate.
This measures how many viewers took the desired action, whether it’s making a purchase, filling out a contact form, or signing up for a demo.
If conversions are low, it might be a sign to tweak either the video content or the CTA.
Long Term KPIs: The Bigger Picture
While tracking short-term metrics helps you stay on course, the long-term goals are what ultimately define the success of your video marketing strategy. Here are a few long-term metrics to keep in mind:
Brand Awareness
Over time, successful video marketing campaigns should lead to increased brand recognition. This can be measured through surveys, social listening, and increases in branded search traffic.
Customer Loyalty
A strong video strategy will nurture relationships with customers, making them more likely to return to your brand in the future. Loyalty metrics, such as repeat purchases and customer lifetime value (CLV), give a clear indication of how well your video content is contributing to long-term business success.
Market Penetration
One of the long-term outcomes of a well-executed video campaign is reaching new audiences. Tracking the growth of your customer base over time provides insight into the expanding reach of your video marketing efforts.
Sales Growth
Ultimately, a strong video marketing strategy should lead to a measurable increase in sales over time. While short-term sales spikes are important, consistent growth in revenue is the most valuable metric of all.
Staying on Track: The Balance Between Short and Long Term
Short-term metrics aren’t just about quick wins – they serve as signposts, ensuring your video marketing campaigns are aligned with long-term goals.
By paying close attention to short-term indicators like engagement rates and conversion rates, you’ll be able to adjust and optimise your strategy as you go, maximising both the immediate and enduring impact of your content.
By focusing on short-term KPIs without losing sight of long-term goals, your marketing team will be equipped to deliver both tactical and strategic results that drive lasting value for your brand.
Looking to create a video marketing strategy that drives immediate results and long-term success?
Contact our Melbourne based video production company to explore how we can help you create video content that resonates with your audience and delivers value over time.