The YouTube P-Score — Is it the End of Real Viral Videos?
I’m going to date myself for a second here, but how many of you remember using sites like eBaum’s World to find interesting videos to watch online? If you’re over 30, I’m guessing more than a few of you.
For those unaware, eBaum’s World was a video platform that was very popular before YouTube showed up online. Some of the most popular user-created videos of all time I watched there first. A few of those classic video gems are Star Wars Kid, Nyan Cat, and Numa Numa.
I bring up this platform and these videos not for a trip down memory lane, but instead to talk about the YouTube P-Score and what it could mean for real viral videos created by users.
What is the P-Score?
YouTube defines the P-Score or Preference Score as “a more advanced proprietary algorithm designed to deliver robust channel-selection improvements via an array” of “five sophisticated signals.”
- Popularity — The average amount of time viewers watch a given video.
- Passion — The amount of engagement that a video receives on YouTube.
- Protection — The safety rating given to videos. Businesses use this rating to determine where to place their advertisements on the video-sharing site.
- Platform — The devices and screen size that viewers use to watch an online video.
- Production — The production value of a YouTube video. This signal includes video quality, camera angles, and “cinematic techniques.”
A video’s popularity use to drive views, think up votes and down votes, but now it’s based on this proprietary and relatively unknown algorithm. Instead of focusing on user-generated content, or the “You” in YouTube, it’s aimed at providing “safe” content for advertisers.
How do you raise your P-Score?
Included within a report released on October 30, 2019, there is a list of YouTube channels with the highest P-Scores. Only one channel out of the top ten is user created. Most of the channels are television shows and networks, such as Jimmy Kimmel and Fox News.
Now I admit, all of these channels do upload very produced videos that are popular and viewed on many devices. However, are you starting to see the problem that the P-Score presents for real viral content? If I’m a creator who makes stop motion films, it’s not very likely that my videos will rise to the top of a recommendation list against those top ten channels.
The stop motion creator may only have one camera. They may not have a team to help with high-quality editing. This type of video probably meets the protection signal but versus a TV show, not the other four. This creator could buy the best gear and try for a bigger P-Score, but they would need to know what their score is first.
YouTube does not make the P-Score public for channels and videos. Until the end of October 2019, there was little known information about it. I’m sure that YouTube doesn’t want those with bad intentions gaming the system, which totally makes sense to me. However, is there a way to help small creators and people that make abstract videos?
What about advertisers?
As one of the owners of a marketing agency (Fable Heart Media), I recognize the need for ads. I do. However, I don’t believe in an incentive to stifle creativity.
Real viral videos are a thing of beauty. These videos and the people that create them go against the grain. Often we don’t know why we like them, Nyan Cat is literally a cat inside a pastry flying across the sky with a rainbow trail, but that doesn’t mean we should push them to the bottom of a recommendations list.
Speaking of the pastry cat video, did you know that it was used in a television commercial and even in video games? If Nyan Cat and it’s YouTube channel were deemed unsuitable and given a lower P-Score, we might have never seen it.
Advertisers, I know that you want to protect your brand and place it in front of your target audience, but paying YouTube for what could be considered censorship is not the way. So what can advertisers do? There are a few things, but I’ll limit my response to my favorite idea.
Power to the video creators!
Instead of paying for a background video that plays during the skip ad countdown, sponsor a creator directly. When a video includes your ad within it, there is no button to skip, and the audience is more engaged.
Most mid to large size creators have a loyal group of followers. If the creator supports a product and promotes it, their viewers will trust it. I know this type of advertising works because it worked on me.
Recently, I bought a VPN service that one of my favorite YouTube stars pushed. Did it work the first time I saw one of his videos? No. Nonetheless, as the number of times I viewed the promo added up, the VPN company got me to buy.
“In 2019, roughly 25.8 percent of internet users were blocking advertising on their connected devices.” — https://www.statista.com/statistics/804008/ad-blocking-reach-usage-us/
As the number of ad block users increases, this type of promotion will become more valuable. So, if there is a famous influencer in your industry, go ahead and reach out. They might already use your product or service and would love to promote your business.
Is this the end of real viral videos on YouTube?
So, is the P-Score the end of real viral videos? Right now, I would hesitantly say no, but only because videos can go viral on other social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I’m optimistic and hopeful that the P-Score won’t mean the end of great viral content on YouTube. However, with recent news related to censorship floating around, I’m a little worried.
If you’re a creator that uploads videos to YouTube with hopes of going viral one day, here is my humble advice. Read the P-Score research that has recently surfaced. Share your content outside of the platform as much as you can, but don’t overwhelm your fans. Avoid using certain types of language, including anything political.
I know the odds seem stacked against real creators, but please keep pushing the envelope and bringing your dreams to life.
The world needs your art.
