Why Are My YouTube Views Dropping?

Find out why are your YouTube views dropping and what you can do to boost these YouTube views so that you enjoy maximum benefits from your channel.

1. You Changed Your Video Content

Yes, this can affect your views big times. 

Altering your content strategy can affect your viewership in a drastic way.

While you can use analytics to help you figure out what’s the reason behind the drop in your views, we also advise that you look back on the type of videos you have been producing and if you have made any changes.

Also, look out for the comment section too! 

Viewers often give their candid opinion and let you know what they think of your change in the content type.

Once you’ll notice what change in your video content is responsible for a drop in your video views, you’ll know what to do about it.

2. You Changed Your Upload Schedule

Also, if you notice a decline in your views for your YouTube videos, you might be experiencing that because of a change in your upload schedule.

Sometimes, deciding to change your upload schedule can rock the boat a bit.

You can reference the viewership report and click on “Compare metric” and then “Videos published” to see how frequently you’ve been uploading. 

Sometimes, a decline in your viewership can be a result of a reduction in the frequency of uploads.

If this happens to be the reason, you can settle for something your viewers can vibe to better. 

When you do so, you will regain your views and even increase them in no time. 

It’s all about finding out quickly what factor is sponsoring the decline in views for your videos.

3. It’s A Response To What’s Happening Globally

If you’re reading this, you’re probably aware of the global lockdown that got us all indoors. 

Many of us had to keep ourselves occupied, so yes, plenty of Netflix, Hulu, iPlayer, and YouTube because there was nothing else to do.

Many YouTubers experienced a significant increase in retention and their views during this time, which is great news. 

Now, the part that isn’t so great is that well, the world is open for movement now and we’re back outdoors.

What this means is less time spent in front of our screens. 

And yes, we can’t watch YouTube all the time, so there’s also the place of viewer fatigue as a factor responsible for your decreased views.

So, as a creator on YouTube, you can worry less if this is the reason for your decreased views. 

In this case, it’s not your fault. 

You just have to wait to see how things turn out.

4. There Are Changes In YouTube Algorithm

Another reason you could be losing views is because of the Algorithm guy. 

You see, the YouTube algorithm is constantly learning how best to deliver your videos to different audiences.

It’s constantly analyzing the click-through rate and traffic on your videos and is learning which audiences respond best to impressions and which stay longer on your videos.

Now that’s exciting, but it isn’t a smooth process of learning and it might take a while. 

Often, YouTube will test your video on a new audience and it doesn’t get the positive signals it needs to keep delivering it, either because the audience doesn’t click through or they quickly click back out. 

When this happens, the algorithm usually takes a break from testing the video on new groups.

Now, you cannot control this, you just have to get used to the waves in video views. 

You cannot control the YouTube algorithm or the way it tests your videos with audiences.

You can however help the algorithm to find the right audiences for your videos.

How? Simple: 

• Videos With Description Paragraphs:

Always upload your videos with a few paragraphs of description at least. 

This description should include your main keywords as well as related phrases. 

Do well to describe your content as much as possible, this helps YouTube understand exactly what your video is about and who will benefit from watching it.

• Caption For Each Video:

Provide a caption for each of your videos. 

Yes, YouTube does this, but it isn’t perfect, so providing your own captions will do much better and help your video get found faster in Google Search as well.

• Accurate Titles And Thumbnails:

Stick to titles and thumbnails that are accurate to your video theme. 

If you promise one thing in your title and thumbnail and deliver another thing in your content, you will automatically lower your view duration and fall out of the algorithm.

5. There Are YouTube Policy Changes

This is another factor that can have a huge impact on your channel.

Most recent on this list were the FTC and COPPA ruling. 

YouTube was fined hundreds of millions of dollars and had to sort it out and in extension, this caused a lot of unexpected changes for YouTube creators.

For instance, under the new YouTube rules, if you make a video that is for a target audience of under age 13, you have to declare it. 

When you do that, people cannot comment on the video, notifications don’t go out to your subscribers for those videos, and you earn a lot less revenue because you cannot use targeted Ads on those videos.

What does this mean for you as a YouTuber? 

It means that you could have been making content that was really popular with an audience, but due to the changes in the YouTube landscape, the exact same content might not be shared as much as it used to be on the platform.

Here’s something you should note: as a YouTuber, you must keep up to date about YouTube policies and guidelines. 

This will help you understand where the situation on your channel is your fault and when it’s YouTube’s.

6. Your Content Does Not Align With YouTube Goals

This is true. 

You see, about 2 billion people watch YouTube every month. 

This means YouTube is still trying to get the other 6 billion people onto their platform.

These guys are not stopping and they’re going to continually evolve their platform to get what they want. 

This means testing different things, tweaking their algorithms every single day, and no, you can’t help this.

This would also mean that if your content is not helping YouTube hit those goals, then fewer views for you.

Let’s face reality here, YouTube is like a big thing and every creator is just a little part of the big thing, so every change that YouTube makes will cause a ripple effect that will affect every YouTuber and it’s up to you as a creator on the platform to make the most of the change.

7. YouTube View Quality Audit

If your videos are experiencing a decrease in views, it could probably be from YouTube audits.

What does this mean? 

YouTube View Quality Audits is when YouTube determines if your views are legitimate. 

Views that are from a user just refreshing a browser over and over again or views that are purchased from third parties do not count and get removed.

Usually, when an audit happens, there is either a huge drop in your view numbers or if the drop is just about what you are getting in a day, you might just see 0 views in a day and then your views start to rise again when your legitimate views have caught up to your view counts. 

Also, a third way could be if you are losing fewer views than you get in a day.

An audit is usually triggered when a video reaches 301. 

So you may notice that your views freeze at this number, this is because YouTube is doing an audit and any views that don’t count as true, are removed or dropped.

When this happens, you may have to wait for some days to have your views start counting up again.

Another way you could be losing views is if you delete a video or change the settings to private. 

This automatically removes all the views the video had accumulated. 

Deleting a video does this permanently, but if you change the settings back to the Public, the views should return.

8. YouTube Penalty

Another reason your views might be dropping is when you’re experiencing a YouTube penalty.

This is when the algorithm punishes your video or your channel for something, or when the meat details change on your video or videos.

Sometimes, your video or channel views drop to almost zero immediately, or it takes a gradual decline. 

Either way, when your channel is facing an algorithm change, you’ll know it.

This type of video view dropping is rare but they still happen.

Most of the time, it’s an algorithm change that is affecting not just you, but an entire niche of creators on YouTube.

If you check and can’t find any information from creator groups, you might want to contact YouTube Support about the algorithm changes.

Often, these types of sudden drop in views usually reset within a couple of days. 

Understand that the YouTube algorithm is constantly changing and updates can come with unintended consequences for creators.

A great way to avoid losing views on your YouTube channel is to constantly produce new, high-quality videos. 

This will help you find solid ground so that no single video is responsible for an overwhelming portion of views and our channel does not get affected if things fall out of favor for you.

9. Seasonal Changes

Sometimes, a drop in your views is not because of something you’re doing wrong. 

Sometimes, it’s just a result of seasonal changes. 

There are seasons for some kind of content on YouTube and the way this works, not all channels can be popular at the same time. 

So in this case, you need to be patient.

For instance, food channels really get more views during festive seasons like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and the holidays. 

Outside of these seasons, their views may experience a drop.

The same thing applies to tech channels. 

These guys can rake in tons of views from the run-up to Christmas, but as soon as the New Year arrives, their views are likely to drop because everyone has spent their money and they don’t want to buy gadgets at the time.

Funny enough, this time may work well for the education and fitness channels because many people make New Year resolutions and these channels take advantage of the rise in interest of people in their health and fitness. 

This definitely increases their views during this season.

So you see, the drop in views on your videos could be a seasonal thing after all. 

What you simply do as a creator is think smart and prepare for when the seasons turn in your favor.

10 Tips to Increase Your YouTube Views: How to Reverse a Viewership Drop

Tip #1: Try a new direction with your content strategy

One way to increase your YouTube views is by taking a new direction with your content strategy.

This could involve changing up the topics you cover, experimenting with different video formats, or even just switching up your editing style. If you feel like your current content isn’t resonating with viewers, it might be time to mix things up!

Tip #2: Optimize your titles & descriptions

Another way to increase your YouTube views is by optimizing your titles and descriptions. This means using keywords that potential viewers are searching for, as well as making sure your videos are accurately categorized. If your videos are difficult to find, viewers won’t be able to watch them- no matter how great the content is!

Tip #3: Collaborate with other YouTubers

Collaborating with other YouTubers is a great way to increase your views. Not only will you be able to tap into their audience, but you’ll also be able to form a partnership with someone who shares your goals and values. This can help you create long-term success on YouTube!

Tip #4: Promote your videos on social media

If you want to increase your YouTube views, you need to promote your videos on social media. This will help you reach a wider audience and get more people interested in your content. Make sure to post links to your videos on all of your social media accounts, and encourage viewers to share them with their friends!

Read more about the top 13 sites to promote your videos

Tip #5: Create engaging thumbnails

Your thumbnail is the first thing potential viewers will see when they come across your video, so it’s important to make sure it’s engaging! Use bright colors and interesting fonts to grab attention, and include a relevant image that accurately represents the video. If your thumbnail is eye-catching, viewers will be more likely to click on your video and watch it!

Tip #6: Make sure your videos are high quality

If your videos are low quality, viewers won’t want to watch them. Invest in a good camera and make sure the audio is clear. If your videos are high quality, viewers will be more likely to watch them all the way through and even share them with their friends!

Tip #7: Increase your video length

One way to increase your YouTube views is by increasing the length of your videos. This will give viewers more time to watch your content and get invested in what you’re saying. If you can keep viewers engaged for longer, they’ll be more likely to watch your videos again in the future!

Tip #8: Plan and film engaging videos

If you want to increase your YouTube views, you need to plan and film engaging videos. This means thinking about what topics will be interesting to your audience, as well as filming in an engaging and visually stimulating way. If your videos are boring, viewers won’t want to watch them!

Tip #9: Use annotations and cards

Annotations and cards are a great way to keep viewers engaged with your content. You can use them to provide links to additional information, as well as promote other videos or channels. If used correctly, annotations and cards can help increase your YouTube views! Read more here about how to add annotations, links, and cards to your videos.

Tip #10: Use the right keywords

If you want to increase your YouTube views, you need to use keywords. This means including relevant keywords in your titles and descriptions, as well as using them throughout your video. By using keywords, you’ll make it easier for potential viewers to find your content and watch it!

Check our guide that explains how to find the best keywords for your videos

Conclusion

Now you know what could be responsible for a drop in your views on YouTube, get back to work on the areas that you can tweak, and position yourself better for the areas that are out of your control.

We hope you found this article helpful for your channel. 

Let us know in the comments!

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