Having insights into your Facebook video views can be very useful for understanding what types of content resonate with your audience. Unfortunately, Facebook does not have a built-in analytics feature to show a complete history of video views over time. However, there are some methods you can use to get an approximation of your Facebook video views history.
Using Facebook Insights
The easiest way to see some historical Facebook video views data is to use Facebook Insights. This tool allows you to view analytics for your Facebook Page, including some high-level video metrics. To access it:
- Go to your Facebook Page
- Click “Insights” in the left menu
- Click “Videos” on the Overview page
This will show you metrics like total 30-day video views, total daily video views, and average percentage of organic reach for videos posted in the last 7 days. You can compare these metrics day-by-day or week-by-week to see trends over time.
While this doesn’t give you a complete views history for each video, it can help you spot overall trends and patterns in your video performance. For example, you may notice that views tend to spike mid-week or that they declined after changing video types. Use these insights to optimize your video strategy.
Exporting Video Data from Facebook
For more comprehensive historical analytics, you can export your Page’s video data from Facebook and manipulate it yourself. To do this:
- Go to your Facebook Page
- Click “Insights” in the left menu
- Click the three dots in the top right corner
- Select “Export Data”
- Choose video as the data type
- Select your date range
- Click “Request Export”
This will email you a link to download your video data when it’s ready, usually within 24-48 hours. The file will contain detailed analytics on each video post, including lifetime views and daily view counts.
You can then manipulate this data in a spreadsheet program to chart out your video views history. This gives you the flexibility to analyze performance by week, month, or any other period that makes sense for your Page.
Using Third-Party Analytics Tools
There are also third-party social media analytics tools that can help compile your Facebook video views history. Options like Iconosquare, Socialbakers, and Quintly allow you to connect your Facebook account and access detailed lifetime analytics on your posts.
Look for a tool that lets you filter specifically for your video content. Then you can export this aggregated data to view performance trends over time. Some key metrics to analyze include:
- Video views
- Engagement rate
- Average % watched
- Average view duration
- Traffic sources
Studying how these metrics change week-to-week or month-to-month allows you to pinpoint what video tactics work best for your audience.
Using Facebook View Counts
For individual videos, the easiest way to gauge performance over time is to periodically record the video’s view count displayed on Facebook.
To find this:
- Go to your video post
- Hover over the video thumbnail
- The view count will display below the video title
Make sure to record the exact view count and date each time. Although not as precise as the methods above, this can give you a general sense of how views accumulate for your top videos.
Conclusion
Tracking your Facebook video performance over time provides crucial insights that can help refine your video strategy. While Facebook does not have a built-in views history feature, you have several options to compile this data:
- Use Facebook Insights for high-level metrics
- Export and manipulate your video data
- Connect third-party analytics tools
- Manually record view counts
Analyze how key metrics like views, engagement rate, completion rate, and traffic sources change week-to-week or month-to-month. Use these learnings to create even more compelling video content tailored for your audience.
| Video Title | Publish Date | Lifetime Views |
|---|---|---|
| How to Use Facebook | 1/1/2023 | 100 |
| Facebook Tips and Tricks | 1/15/2023 | 200 |
| New Facebook Features | 2/1/2023 | 300 |
This sample data table demonstrates how you could track video titles, publish dates, and lifetime views over time to analyze performance trends.
FAQs
Does Facebook have a video views history feature?
No, Facebook does not have a built-in feature to show a complete views history for your videos. You need to compile data from Insights exports, third-party tools, or manual tracking.
What metrics are most important for Facebook video analytics?
Key metrics to analyze over time include views, engagement rate, average % watched, average view duration, and traffic sources. Look at how these change week-to-week or month-to-month.
How far back can I access Facebook Insights data?
The Insights overview page shows some high-level metrics for the past 30 days. You can access more detailed analytics for up to 2 years in the past by exporting your data.
Should I record Facebook video view counts manually?
Manually recording views can be helpful for tracking your top videos. But it won’t give you a complete history across all videos. Use it along with Insights and exports.
Tips for Analyzing Your Facebook Video Views History
Here are some tips to help you make the most of analyzing your video views history on Facebook:
- Chart views over time to visualize performance trends.
- Compare metrics day-of-week to identify posting patterns.
- Look for correlations between views and marketing campaigns.
- Break down top videos by content type and length.
- Calculate engagement rate to weigh views against reach.
- Segment views by traffic source (organic, paid, external).
- Identify your best-performing videos to reproduce that success.
Tools to Help Compile Your Video Views History
Here are some of the top tools you can use to access historical Facebook video analytics:
| Tool | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Iconosquare | – Connect multiple social profiles – Exportable data – Performance tracking over time |
| Quintly | – Facebook profile integration – Customizable reporting – Video analytics |
| Socialbakers | – Facebook and IG analytics – Competitor benchmarking – Video performance insights |
| Facebook Insights | – Native Facebook analytics – Exportable data sets – High-level video metrics |
Each of these tools can help compile Facebook video analytics into trackable reports, allowing you to analyze performance over time.
How to Use Video Views History to Inform Strategy
Once you’ve compiled your Facebook video views history, here are some ways to apply those insights:
- Identify peak posting times based on when views were highest.
- Double down on your best-performing video types and topics.
- Experiment with different video lengths to see what resonates.
- Target days and times when your audience is most engaged.
- Shift budget to amplify videos that overperform organically.
- Test new formats like live video or Stories based on trends.
- Monitor viewer dropoff rates and optimize video content.
Let data drive decisions. If the views history shows certain videos consistently underperform, stop posting those. Or if views rise on certain days, increase the volume those days. Use these insights to craft videos tailored for your audience.
Benefits of Tracking Video Views History
Here are some of the key benefits of tracking your Facebook video views history over time:
- Identify high-performing video types to recreate
- Spot trends and optimize posting times/days
- Correlate videos views with marketing campaigns
- Understand seasonality and viewing patterns
- Pinpoint areas to improve video strategy
- Benchmark videos against each other
- Monitor engagement metrics beyond just views
- Inform budget and resource allocation
Compiling and analyzing your Facebook video views history provides crucial insights that can directly improve performance and impact. Make informed decisions around video creation, posting strategy, promotions, and more.
Downsides of Relying on Video Views Alone
While tracking views history provides useful data, relying solely on views counts has some limitations. Some downsides include:
- Views can be inflated by autoplays or bots
- Misleading metric without considering organic reach
- No insights into meaningful engagement
- Can incentivize clickbait or low-quality content
- Ignores importance of watch time metrics
- Doesn’t factor in paid promotion or views sources
- Not a direct measure of conversions or ROI
Be sure to analyze other metrics beyond views alone, like engagement rate, completion rate, reactions, traffic source, and more. This gives a more holistic picture of video performance and impact.
Optimizing Future Video Content Based on Views History
Here are some ways to use insights from your historical Facebook video views to optimize future video content:
- Identify topics that consistently generate high views
- Analyze when your audience is most receptive and engaged
- Review optimal video lengths and formats
- Improve intros and thumbnails based on dropoff rates
- Boost videos that align to high-interest topics
- Shift budget toward better-performing video types
- Develop content tailored for your best demographic segments
- Experiment with new formats inspired by top videos
Let your audience’s past viewing behavior guide strategic decisions for future videos. Create a virtuous cycle where data informs content, and content improves based on data.