What are YouTube outlier videos?
October 16, 2024
In the vast ocean of YouTube content, where more than 3.3 million videos are uploaded every day, some videos shine far brighter than others. These are outlier videos—content that performs exceptionally well compared to a channel’s usual metrics. But what exactly makes a video an outlier, and why should YouTubers pay attention to them? In this article, we’ll dive into the world of outlier videos, why they matter, and how you can identify them to help grow your channel.
What is an outlier video?
An outlier video is a piece of content that far exceeds a channel's average performance in terms of views, engagement, and overall impact. For instance, imagine a channel that typically pulls in 100,000 views per video. If they suddenly post a video that garners 1 million views, that video is an outlier—a 10x multiplier compared to the channel’s normal viewership.
Outlier videos are indicators of high demand, engaging storytelling, eye-catching thumbnails, or compelling titles. In short, they show what really resonates with the audience, and for YouTubers looking to grow their channel, identifying these outliers can be a goldmine of insights.
Why do outlier videos matter?
Outlier videos act as a beacon for understanding what kind of content your audience craves. Whether it’s the topic, format, or even the thumbnail design, something in that video sparked an unusually high level of interest. This makes outlier videos a proof of demand, highlighting trends or niches that are worth exploring further.
Take a cue from some of the biggest YouTubers, like Mr. Beast, who is known for identifying and replicating outlier content. For instance, Mr. Beast famously recreated a viral video concept from the “BeamNG Nation” channel, which had gained over 150 million views long before he tried it. His version went viral too, because the demand had already been proven. Others followed suit and also pulled in thousands of views.
How to identify outlier videos
Historically, spotting outlier videos has been a labor-intensive process. You’d have to scroll through countless videos, manually checking the views-to-subscriber ratios to find which videos really overperformed. But now, tools like glowAI can do the heavy lifting for you.
With glowAI's outlier score, every YouTube video is assigned a rating from 0 to 100 based on how much it outperforms the channel’s average. A score above 50 suggests the video is an outlier, and the higher the score, the more extreme the success. This score doesn’t just look at raw view counts—it also factors in time-adjusted averages and the absolute number of views a video received to measure its true performance. For example, a video that has 1 million views and is a 10x outlier will score much higher than one with just 1,000 views, even if both are technically outliers.
This score provides an easy, data-driven way to uncover hidden gems that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Why you should focus on outlier videos
By understanding which videos are outliers, you can gain insight into the types of content that perform best not only on your channel but also within your niche. This can help you make smarter content decisions and increase the chances of your next video being a hit. Here are a few ways outlier videos can help you improve your content strategy:
- Discover the best thumbnails and titles: Outlier videos often stand out because they feature attention-grabbing thumbnails and compelling titles. These elements are crucial in enticing viewers to click on your video. By analyzing outlier videos in your niche, you can find inspiration to optimize your own thumbnails and titles. A strong thumbnail and a compelling title can significantly boost your video's click-through rate, making them essential tools for improving performance.
- Find viral video ideas: To increase your chances of going viral, it's essential to identify video topics that are already in high demand. Outlier videos give you clear examples of content that has resonated with large audiences. By studying these successful videos, you can better understand the topics, formats, and angles that are likely to attract attention, helping you create content with greater potential for virality.
- Revive underperforming videos: Not every video gets the results you want right away, but that doesn’t mean it can’t succeed with a little tweaking. If you have a video that didn’t perform as well as expected, it might be due to a less-effective thumbnail or title. By examining outlier videos with similar content, you can find proven approaches to titles and thumbnails that have already attracted viewers, giving you the chance to refresh your underperforming videos and improve their reach.
- Stay ahead of trends: Outlier videos offer real-time insight into what is trending. By analyzing these videos, you can see exactly what types of content are gaining traction and adapt your strategy accordingly. This proactive approach allows you to create content that fits into emerging trends, improving the chances of your next video being a hit.
How glowAI can help you find outlier videos
Manually finding outlier videos can be time-consuming, but that’s where glowAI comes in. Our free outlier database simplifies the process by providing a searchable platform where you can instantly find videos with high outlier scores within any niche. Just type in your desired video topic, and glowAI will show you the top-performing videos based on their outlier scores.
This gives you a huge advantage in finding high-demand topics with low competition, giving your videos a better chance to stand out from the crowd. Instead of relying on guesswork, glowAI lets you make data-driven decisions that maximize your chances of success on YouTube.
Conclusion
In the competitive world of YouTube, it’s crucial to find ways to stay ahead. Outlier videos offer valuable insights into what content works and what doesn’t. By identifying outliers, you can focus your time and energy on creating content that is more likely to go viral, attract attention, and grow your channel.
With glowAI’s free outlier database, you can easily discover these standout videos and use their success as a blueprint for your own. Start finding your next big hit today, and give your channel the boost it deserves!
