On YouTube, one of the biggest retention drops usually happens right after the first segment ends. But it’s not just then. It’s every time a segment ends. This drop is so common that it received its own name. So let’s talk about segmentation loss. Segmentation loss is the natural loss of interest after a segment ends. It can happen because people didn’t enjoy the last part. It can happen because we fail to excite them for the next segment. But segmentation loss is more complicated than that. We often think that when we lose people early, this is a bad thing. Sometimes it can be a good thing. Let me explain. Not all videos are meant to make viewers watch until the end. The obvious ones would be educational content where people just need enough information to move onwards. This is called: early satisfaction. But even in the higher-production entertainment pieces, we don’t always crave to watch an entire video. One, two segments and we could be satisfied. So while segmentation loss is a natural loss of interest; that loss could come from many things: early satisfaction, lengthy transitions, failure to re-hook, and so much more. The hardest part? Figuring out which of these it actually is. So what’s the lesson here? Well, the next time you notice segmentation loss, don’t think it’s always because something bad is happening. Sometimes your earlier segments were satisfying enough for the viewer. Think holistically and consider every possibility for why the viewer might have left your video. Bonus tip: the viewer could also lose interest because they don’t think you’re able to deliver enough extra value. They may feel like the entire video doesn’t have much more to offer. That’s where teasers, in-video chaptering, and so on play a significant role.