How Much Does View Count Matter on YouTube?

Views, subscribers, likes- there are a lot of different vanity metrics on YouTube that people put a lot of energy into caring about. But do these vanity metrics matter? Yes, they do, but not as much as people think. Views, in particular, matter the most. But how much does view count matter on YouTube?

View count in itself is something many YouTube creators get concerned with. If their video doesn't get a lot of views, they feel discouraged. Should this be the reality? Is view count worth getting upset over? View count does matter, but the count itself isn't what is important- the metrics gained from getting views are what is important.

Something that leads to failure over and over in the pursuit of vanity metrics- views in particular. Learning the true value (or lack thereof) of view count can help you temper your expectations and recognize what you should care about when trying to achieve success on YouTube.

Importance of Views on YouTube

The true importance of views on YouTube is something that doesn't get discussed a lot. Many people like to simplify things, so they don't dive deep and discuss what matters when it comes to growing a YouTube channel. As I said above, the view count isn't important, but views themselves are.

If you've done any research into how achieving success on YouTube works, chances are you've heard about watch time. Along with this, you might have heard about average view duration or audience retention. These are just a few of the metrics which exist that help YouTube with determining whether or not your videos are worthy of being shared with viewers.

You see, YouTube wants to keep people on their website for as long as possible. The best way to do this is to show people good videos. But what makes a good YouTube video- how can YouTube tell? YouTube can tell by taking a look at the metrics of a video- watch time minutes, average view duration, and more.

Here's the thing: You cannot gain any watch time minutes (or anything else) if you do not get any views. This is the real reason why views are important. View count doesn't matter, but getting views does, as getting views will allow you to begin gaining signals which can tell YouTube that your videos are worth sharing with potential viewers.

Do Views Matter on YouTube

I always struggle to talk about the more complicated aspects of YouTube with people because, well, they're complicated. Not many people understand what you mean when you talk about metrics, average view duration, etc. However, to answer the question: "Do views matter on YouTube?" these topics need to be discussed.

As I mentioned above, the view count number that is displayed on the screen doesn't matter. What matters is what the views themselves can provide you with, being signals to tell YouTube that your videos are good and worth sharing with people. Something that will probably benefit you is shifting your mindset to adapt this truth.

Over the years, I've talked with a lot of people who started and quickly quit YouTube. Often, when I ask them why they quit, they express concern over vanity metrics. More specifically, they weren't getting as many views as they thought they should, and they became less motivated to create videos.

If you do not create videos, you will not grow. So, positioning yourself to not let vanity metrics (view count in this case) affect you is important. Whenever you are concerned about your view counts, ask yourself: Why? Remember the real reason why views matter and remember that the view numbers which are on your screen technically don't matter.

Can You Hide View Count on YouTube

Since too many content creators care about their view count, wouldn't it be beneficial if they could hide their view count? In theory, yes, this would be the case. But this leads us to the question- can you hide view count on YouTube? Does the option exist for content creators? Or, is there no option to do so?

Unfortunately, you cannot hide the view counts of videos on YouTube. The number of views a video receives must always be displayed publicly, as YouTube doesn't give content creators the option to hide it. Maybe in the future, this option will arrive, but for the time being, this option does not exist.

So, what does this mean for the content creators that value the view counts of their videos too much? Well, this means that they must train themselves to think differently. No longer can they care so much about the number of views their videos receive- they must look at things differently.

Something that can help with this task is recognizing why views are important. As I stated above, you can only gain watch time minutes, etc. if you get views on your videos. This is the real reason why views are important. Remembering this fact can help content creators shift their attention from their view counts to the metrics gained by getting views.

Conclusion

A big part of achieving success on YouTube is having the right mindset. Now that you know the answer to the question: "How much does view count matter on YouTube?" you should have a healthier mindset. With your healthier mindset, you should be in a better position to achieve success.

Whenever you feel less motivated to create videos, reminding yourself why you started creating videos in the first place can be beneficial. Whether you're looking to get your art seen by more people, or you're trying to generate leads for your business, reminding yourself of this purpose can help you push through the low-points.

Also, if you recognize that view count in itself doesn't matter but you're still struggling to get views, take the steps needed to change this reality. Try promoting your videos on Reddit or a similar website, and focus on creating better content. Don't quit, and you will achieve some form of success. Quitting, however, will give you the opposite result.