What KPIs should I measure for video?
Short Answer:
Measure KPIs tied to your goal, not vanity metrics. Useful ones include watch time and retention (are people watching?), click-through and conversion rate (are they acting?), and — for the business impact — leads, sales, and cost per result. Views alone tell you little; engagement and conversion tell you whether the video is working.
Overview
The right KPIs depend on what the video is for. Awareness content is judged on reach and engagement; conversion content is judged on clicks, leads, and sales. Defining these before production keeps measurement honest.
Detailed Explanation
KPIs worth tracking
Reach/impressions: how many people saw it (awareness goals).
Watch time and retention: how much people actually watched — a strong quality signal.
Engagement: likes, shares, and comments indicating resonance.
Click-through rate: did viewers act on the call to action?
Conversion rate: did they complete the goal (sign-up, enquiry, purchase)?
Leads and sales: the business outcomes that justify the spend.
Cost per result: efficiency of the video and its distribution.
Retention curves are especially revealing: where viewers drop off shows exactly which parts of a video are and are not working, guiding future content.
Example
For a lead-generation video, the meaningful KPIs are click-through rate to the landing page, conversion rate once there, and cost per lead — not the total view count, which can look impressive while generating nothing.