Over the past four years, we’ve seen the rise of retention editing. Guys like MrBeast have popularized this overly edited content style, mainly because they wanted more views, but ultimately they’ve made millions of dollars by doing so. The science behind it is not that complicated. If you’ve been on YouTube for a while, you know that the higher the retention rate of a video, the more chances it has of getting pushed out further, ultimately getting more views, more subscribers, and growing your channel. That’s why you’ve been seeing these crazy edits, animations, and overlays on videos with super fast cuts. It’s because these guys are trying to keep you on the video for as long as possible.
The Attention Recession
Now, because of this, everyone who hopped on that trend of having these crazy edits is blending in with the crowd and entering what I like to call the attention recession. They’re spending all this money, effort, and time creating these videos but ultimately getting no new attention. And that’s a serious problem, right? Who wants to spend all this money on these edits, spend all this time going back and forth with revisions, and actually record the videos themselves for your videos to not get any more views than they did before?
What’s the Problem with Retention Editing?
In today’s article, we’re going to go over three things. I’m going to keep it super simple for you guys.
- Why this overly edited, supposedly engaging style of content is no longer getting the results it used to.
- What style is actually getting results right now with proof of other YouTubers using that style.
- How you can use that style in your own videos to see explosive growth.
Desensitization to Over-Editing
First of all, what’s the problem with this retention style editing and why is it not working? Well, it’s simply because people are getting desensitized to these overly edited videos. Not only because this style of editing is easily accessible now, and the market is saturated with editors who can do the same thing, but also because a good edit doesn’t necessarily mean you know what you’re talking about, and people are catching on to this. Your viewers are sick and tired of clicking on these supposedly better-looking videos, expecting better results, and ultimately getting no real value.
Value Over Edits
People are competing for attention right now more than ever, and it’s a race to the bottom. Who can have the crazier overlays or the cooler animations or speed ramps, right? Everybody thinks that’s the way to get more views when all of that is just leading you into a rat race. You’re setting yourself up for failure by competing with other people who are just making videos to make videos. If you focus on giving hardcore value to your viewers, you would see ten times more results, even 100 times more results, because your videos would have a way bigger impact than before, which is crucial when creating videos. If you create videos that take a person from A to B, you will see more results. It’s simple. People will engage with your content more, see more value in you, and view you as more of an authority because you actually help them. Instead of saying, “Hey, click my video,” and doing some crazy pose for your thumbnail, focus on giving value, and I guarantee you’re going to see way more results.
Case Studies
Now that you understand the problem with retention editing style, you see why it might not be the best option for you. I’m going to show you guys hardcore proof of this new style that other YouTubers are using right now to get explosive growth.
Case Study 1: Charlie Morgan
Charlie Morgan posted a video four weeks ago that got 187,000 views. The video has absolutely no edits. It’s just him talking about multiple systems on how to become a millionaire when you’re broke. The video had no thumbnail and no edits. Previously, his videos with high-quality edits and thumbnails were averaging anywhere from 5 to 20K views. This raw video got 187,000 views. He then posted another completely raw video which got 24K views, followed by another with 26K views, and yet another with 40K views. His videos continue to perform well with this unedited style.
Case Study 2: Sanders Stage
Sanders Stage posted a video 11 days ago that got 328,000 views with no edits and a completely raw thumbnail. Recently, his highly edited videos didn’t perform as well. His raw videos, one of him laughing on the couch about making 46K in a day, and another discussing the reality of making 500K a month, have seen explosive growth compared to his edited content.
Case Study 3: William Brown
William Brown posts raw, organic videos from his high-rise apartment in Dubai. His raw videos have outperformed his edited ones significantly. For example, a raw video he posted three months ago got 60K views. He continued with this style, and a month ago, a raw video got 371,000 views. Subsequent raw videos have consistently performed better than his edited ones.
Applying the Raw Style to Your Own Videos
So, you understand why the retention style of editing is not performing as well as it used to and what style is performing well right now. How do you apply this to your own videos? It boils down to whether you can have a genuine conversation with your viewers and if that conversation is worth their time. Building a YouTube channel with subscribers and views is great, but having people resonate with you and understand you on a personal level will take you to the next level.
Be Genuine and Provide Value
When building an online presence, embrace your uniqueness. Don’t put on an act. If you’re genuine, you’ll attract genuine people who are interested and invested in you. They want to hear what you have to say, which will give you a greater return on your investment for the time and effort you spend creating content.
