Where can I improve retention-wise on my most recent video in the first 30 seconds to 1 minute?

[static mulch]

I'm looking for feedback on the clickability of my most recent video. Specifically, if you were to come across my video, how likely would you be to click on it based on my title and thumbnail? Where can I improve in terms of visuals and presentation?

Does it come across as tacky or low effort? Where can I improve to make it more eye catching, interesting, or intriguing, etc?

Does my title convey the information in the video well? I need to work on storytelling and editing but that will be a slow grind I think.

Please recommend ways to improve retention in the first minute or so if possible.

Link:

https://youtu.be/psQqBg0JB7U?si=Amf73OO4PrkC7cHC

[static mulch]

I'm very new to this, so some pretty concrete input would be super helpful.

[minor tapir]

Something really important about video making (even after you have a dedicated audience), is being able to "sell" to the viewer that it's worth watching in the first 15 seconds. After a minute into the video, nothing has really been established other than light banter on top of inconsequential gameplay.

A somewhat click-baity way of doing this would be to place a highlight or the most interesting part of the video in the beginning, then cutting away before the climax.

There isn't really any attempt at constructing a narrative for the the video.

Here are some questions I think you should have answered for the viewers by the first minute:

• What is the "Cursed Meadows", and what is being "Exposed"?
• What am I supposed to be entertained by or find interest in?
• What separates this from any other casual co-op playthrough of Valheim?

It's not compulsory for every video to have a voice-over directing the plot/pacing, but without some kind of takeaway or direction it's going to be confusing and not fun to follow.

[static mulch]

That's great advice. I've spent some time trying to piece together how to hook an audience and get them to follow along but it tends to be the hardest part of forming a video.

I debated on doing narration between major points of the video and to provide some type of break in monotony.

I think narration is the way to go, but the challenge is making sure thr co-host is heard as well.

[minor tapir]

Index the video and just use short intermissions

for example

1. Finding a base location
2. Obtaining starting equipment
3. First boss

you can then use a before/after comparison for the highlights of each segment or what your expectations are

[static mulch]

I used objectives in the mini Palworld series on my channel, but my friend said he didn't like it. Do you think it's better to have a graphic for the intermissions or a voiceover for them?

Or both

I do agree having a little cliff hanger and segmenting the videos is a great place to start.

[minor tapir]

That's up to you, I'd keep it simple

brevity is the soul of wit

[static mulch]

I can't argue with that. I think I'll spend some time theory crafting and if you see me in the server let me know if you notice improvement.

[minor tapir]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM4NWKCx5dI

here's a good example from someone who also doesn't have an established audience

even though the video is an hour long and frankly has pretty low production value

it's properly introduced and digestible even for people unexperienced with the game

the presentation and thumbnail is also rather generic but it works - there's setup and payoff

[static mulch]

That's kind of the vision I wanted to create, except with mods and add some chaos and banter. It's a bit to tackle and capture, but I think it's possible to kind of follow that pattern.