This data was sourced from YouTube Analytics in CSV format, cleaned in Excel, visualized in Tableau and animated with Adobe CC.

Seven Years of YouTube Analytics

In 2011, inspired by Khan Academy, I set out to create an educational YouTube channel.

What Are Learners Searching For?

Creating content in response to search terms proved to be a reliable starting point. If you type “drum lessons” into the YouTube search bar the dropdown menu will display a list of popular search terms. “Beginners” is the most popular keyword in combination with “drum lessons.”

Breaking the Language Barrier

Providing open, free, globally inclusive education helped gain visibility I could leverage to reach my target audience. This is geographic data for the top ranking video. There are no words in this video. The viewer is intended to listen and repeat. Teaching by rote breaks the language barrier to reach an international audience. Where teaching by rote is unrealistic, YouTube has an advanced closed caption generator.

Leveraging Exposure

This is geographic data for the second most viewed video. This video is directed at my target audience: adult, English speaking jazz drummers in the United States. This is my area of expertise, native language and business location. This video would never have been discovered if the top ranking video didn’t exist to boost overall channel visibility.

Creating a Logical Series

This is the lead conversion process in action. Ratings increased as I narrowed in on my target audience. Creating videos in a series provides guidance with a clear, methodical progression. It gives subscribers a reason to subscribe and establishes the channel as an in-depth resource.

More Data Visualization Samples

I created these charts for the NYU Stern Data Visualization Certificate program. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to see the .CSV datasets or .TWBX Tableau workbooks.

You can find more animated data visualizations here.