These eight editing tips are an easy way to increase your watch time on YouTube (especially when you’re just starting out)

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If you’re starting a new YouTube Channel in 2025, one of the most important metrics to focus on is watch time. The longer people watch your videos, the more the YouTube algorithm will favor your content and the faster your channel can grow. 

So, how can you get people to keep watching your videos? 

In this post, I’m sharing my top YouTube editing tips to increase watch time so you can keep viewers engaged and start building a channel that gets noticed.

As always, if you’d like to watch instead of read, click the video below. 

Increase Your Watch Time on YouTube with 8 Easy Editing Tricks

1. Discover Your Unique Editing Style

When you’re just starting out on YouTube, it’s normal not to know what your editing style is yet. Why? Because you haven’t tried enough styles to understand what fits you. 

Think of YouTube editing as a buffet; you won’t know what you love until you try everything. So, give yourself the freedom to experiment. Test different cuts, effects, pacing, and on-screen text until you find your unique style.

When I first got serious about YouTube, I was really inspired by Emma Chamberlain‘s editing style. I loved her voice changes, quirky style, and super zooms. I didn’t copy her exactly, but I found ways to pull inspiration from her vibe and make it my own. 

Your style will evolve, but the sooner you start exploring, the faster you’ll figure out what works for you. 

Homework: Watch a variety of YouTube creators, especially ones outside your niche. Pay attention to what keeps you engaged. Do they use quick cuts? Pop-up text? Background music? Take notes on what you like and what you don’t.

2. Consider Your Audience’s Preferences

Your unique editing style shouldn’t just reflect your personality; it should also reflect the preferences of your audience. A typical rule of thumb is that the younger your audience, the more fast-paced your editing should be. Think of fast cuts, sound effects, pop-up text, and creative transitions. 

However, if your audience skews older, they may prefer a calmer pace with minimal editing and clean visuals.

That said, it’s not about following hard rules; it’s about knowing who you’re creating for.

But what if you don’t have an audience yet? That’s also fine. Focus on developing your editing style first, and then pay close attention to the feedback you get as you grow.

For instance, I used to always include background music in my videos. However, once my audience started commenting that the music was distracting, I took that feedback seriously and simplified my edits. This small change made a significant difference in how people experienced my content, and it’s made my videos more effective.

At the end of the day, if you want to increase your watch time on YouTube, you’ll need to stay flexible. If your audience is saying, “The music doesn’t work,” but you continue to use it, chances are you’ll lose viewers.

Your editing style will evolve as you learn more about what your audience enjoys, which will help increase your overall watch time.

3. Front-Load Your Edits to Hook Viewers Early

Now, let’s get into some actual editing tips that will help you increase your watch time on YouTube, starting with one of the most important: front-loading your video.

Front-loading refers to devoting most of your editing effort to the first 30 seconds of your video. This opening moment (also known as your hook) is make or break. If viewers aren’t hooked right away, they’re going to click off.

When I’m creating a hook, I usually do one of three things:

• Get straight to the point of the video
• Set an expectation of what’s coming
• Give a sneak peek of the climax or most exciting moment

Since I make educational videos, I typically start by telling the viewer exactly what they’ll learn and then quickly list the points we’ll be covering. No fluff, no long intros. I try to provide a ton of value in the first 30 seconds. 

But if you’re a vlogger? Lead with the drama! Show a quick clip of something exciting, emotional, or unexpected, like spilling your coffee or getting a surprise message. Think of the first 30 seconds like a movie trailer for the rest of your vlog. Don’t worry; you won’t spoil the whole story. Just tease the best part to get people curious.

Here’s your Front-Loading Checklist:

✔️ Put most of your editing effort into the first 30 seconds

✔️ Use pop-up text, cuts, or zooms to keep attention high

✔️ Skip long intros, start the video right away

✔️ Make your hook feel like a sneak peek or a promise

That first 30 seconds is where viewers decide if they’ll stay or leave, so make it count!

Ready to Grow on YouTube This Year?

If you’re a new YouTuber who is trying to grow your channel this year, or you’ve decided this is finally the year you become a full-time creator, then keep reading. This post (and the video that goes with it) is a sneak peek inside my signature course bundle, The BSP Model. 

If you didn’t already know, while I’m on maternity leave, I’ve been sharing behind-the-scenes videos on YouTube to give you a better look at what each of my courses includes. These blog posts are built from the most helpful parts of those videos to help you figure out which course is right for where you’re at on your journey.

What Is The BSP Model?

The BSP Model is my premium course bundle designed to take you from Point A to Point Z with no fluff and no filler. 

Just step-by-step lessons that teach you how to grow as a content creator on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Whether your goal is to grow your audience, land brand deals, or build a business as a creator, BSP was designed with your journey in mind.

So, what makes BSP different?

When I first started my business, I invested in so many separate courses:

• One to grow on Instagram
• Another to land brand deals
• One for YouTube
• And another for monetization

Every time I hit a new milestone, I’d have to search for the next course to help me figure out the next step. 

Eventually, I thought: What if I created a program that walked creators through the entire journey, step by step, in the exact order they need it?

That’s how BSP was born:

Build. Scale. Profit.

The three stages every content creator goes through. Inside the BSP Model, I’ve created over 150+ lessons and 35+ hours of training videos, templates, and tools to help you go from beginner to full-time creator.

Is BSP Right for You?

If you’re tired of trying to piece everything together on your own, if you want to stop guessing and start seeing results, The BSP Model is the complete, start-to-finish roadmap you’ve been looking for. I’ve seen firsthand how powerful this bundle can be, and I know it can work for you, too.

4. Cutting the Fluff & Trimming the Fat

One of the most effective YouTube editing tips to increase your watch time? Cut the fluff. Trim the fat.

I see those as two different editing passes. In my editing workflow, the first pass is all about cutting the fluff. This means getting rid of:

• Mess-ups
• “Um’s” and “uh’s”
• Awkward pauses
• Any spot where I stumbled and had to restart a sentence

Once that’s done, the second editing pass is about trimming the fat. This is about refining the content and sharpening the story. For example, I tend to repeat myself (a lot), thinking I’m saying something new. In this phase, I eliminate anything repetitive or detracting from the momentum.

This step alone can seriously improve your watch time. Viewers appreciate a video that respects their time, so if you want people to stick around longer, make sure every second counts.

5. Add Crops, Zooms, and Anything That Exaggerates My Personality

Once you’ve cut the fluff and trimmed the fat, now it’s time for the fun part: keeping your viewers engaged through editing.

Since most of my YouTube videos are educational, they typically feature me sitting in a room, talking directly to the camera. If I didn’t add movement, visual shifts, or minor creative edits, I know I’d lose people fast.

So what do I do? I add energy back into the video through simple, intentional edits like:

• Zooming in when I want to emphasize a key point
• Changing my voice pitch slightly to match the tone or mood of a story
• Switching the color to black and white for dramatic effect or to signal a shift

None of these require fancy effects, but they make a big difference. Even though the camera angle doesn’t change, the video feels like it is constantly moving forward. These small tricks keep the viewer’s brain engaged, and they help your watch time go way up.

6. Adding B-Roll

One of the best ways to keep your audience engaged throughout your video is by adding b-roll footage, especially if your main footage consists of just you sitting and talking to the camera.

You can use stock b-roll or film your own. Some of my favorite places to find quality stock footage are:

• Storyblocks
• Artlist.io
• Envato Elements

Here’s a pro tip: keep your b-roll organized from the start.

I use a Google Drive folder to store everything. If I find a b-roll clip on Storyblocks that I know I’ll want to reuse later, I download it and drop it into my drive. It’s the same thing with my own clips; if I film a shot that would work as a general b-roll, I upload it straight to that folder.

This way, when I’m editing a new video, I don’t waste time digging through footage. I’ve already built a library of visuals that I can pull from with just a few clicks.

Trust me, your future self will thank you for staying organized now.

7. Adding Sound Effects and Music to Your Videos

These YouTube editing tips are listed in the same order that I usually edit my videos, with sound coming after I’ve already completed the bulk of my cuts and visual edits.

Now, here’s where a lot of new creators mess up: they don’t balance their sound properly.

Whether it’s background music or sound effects, the biggest mistake is making it too loud. If your music or sound effects are startling your viewers, they’re going to turn the volume down or, worse, click away.

When you’re editing, look at your audio levels. You can visually see how loud your voice is and compare it to the levels of your sound effects or music. Use that as a guide. Your goal is to make everything feel natural and seamless, not jarring.

And if you’re adding background music? Here’s my golden rule: make it quieter than you think. Seriously. Music that sounds fine on your laptop might feel way too loud when someone is watching on their phone.

Always perform a final check on your phone before exporting your video to ensure the sound is balanced and your voice is clear and audible.

8. Keep Track of Your Videos Timestamps

Once you’ve gone through your main edits—cutting the fluff, trimming the fat, adding B-roll, and layering in your sound—it’s time for your final editing pass. And during this last run-through, I highly recommend keeping track of your timestamps.

What do I mean by that? Simply jot down when each new topic or section starts in your video. That way, when it’s time to upload to YouTube, you can easily add video timestamps to your description.

Not only does this improve the viewer experience (especially for people who want to jump to a specific section), but it also helps your video show up in search results for specific topics or questions you covered.

Plus, let’s be honest: we all love it when creators add timestamps to their videos. It makes watching more convenient, especially for educational or tutorial-style content.

So, do your future self a favor: take two minutes on your final pass to note those timestamps. It’ll make publishing and optimizing your video so much easier.

If you made it this far, thank you! I know these YouTube editing tips will help you increase your watch time and keep viewers engaged from start to finish. Always remember that your editing style will evolve as you grow and as your audience grows. So be patient with yourself and have fun with your edits.

And if you’re serious about growing your YouTube channel in 2025, don’t stop here. Watch this video next — it’s packed with even more strategies to help you grow faster and smarter.

Follow your joy, and I’ll see you in the next one.