The 3 Types of Data That Help You Make Better Videos

Improving your video performance isn’t just about creativity or instinct—data plays a huge role. But not all data works the same way. Some metrics show you what happened, others reveal how your audience behaved, and some explain why they responded the way they did.

The real power comes from combining all three.

Here are the three types of data every marketer should use to optimize their videos.

1. Quantitative Data (The Numbers)

Quantitative data is the statistical, measurable information we typically think of when analyzing digital performance. For websites, this might include traffic, bounce rate, and conversions. For video, the specifics depend on your hosting platform.

YouTube provides a wealth of numerical insights, including:

• Views

• Average view duration

• Watch time

• Audience retention

• Demographics

• Traffic sources

• Device breakdown

You can even integrate YouTube data with Google Analytics for deeper cross-platform insights.

This type of data helps you spot trends and measure outcomes. For example, running an A/B test on two landing pages—one with a video and one without—lets you quantify whether video is improving conversions.

The catch? You need enough data to draw statistically meaningful conclusions, which can take time—especially for smaller audiences.

2. Observational Data (The Behaviour)

Quantitative data tells you what viewers did. Observational data shows you how they did it.

Platforms like Wistia offer visual engagement tools—such as heatmaps—that show exactly where viewers:

• Rewind

• Rewatch

• Skip

• Drop off

These engagement patterns can reveal a lot:

• A consistent drop-off point may indicate your video is too long or loses relevance.

• Repeated rewatching of a specific part may suggest confusion—or importance.

• High early abandonment might mean your hook needs improvement.

Observational data also includes real-world, in-person testing. Watching how users react to your video—whether they lean in, tune out, or ask questions—gives you context behind their behaviour.

Pair this with marketing automation (HubSpot, Marketo) or email platforms (Mailchimp, Campaign Monitor) and you can see viewer-level insights, not just aggregates.

3. Qualitative Data (The Why)

Quantitative and observational data explain actions and patterns. Qualitative data explains motivation.

To gather it, you have to talk to your audience directly—through surveys, interviews, conversations, or user testing.

Qualitative data helps answer:

• Why did a viewer click one thumbnail over another?

• Why did they stop watching halfway?

• What did they understand clearly?

• What confused or frustrated them?

• What message stuck with them?

Qualitative input is especially valuable early on, when you don’t yet have much quantitative data, or when your audience is niche.

Data-Informed vs. Data-Driven

Measurement isn’t the end goal—improvement is.

It’s tempting to make every decision based on numbers, but video is still a creative medium. Data should inform decisions, not dictate them.

You get the clearest picture by combining:

• Quantitative (what happened)

• Observational (how it happened)

• Qualitative (why it happened)

Together, they guide smarter creative choices, stronger storytelling, and better results.

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