YouTube has provided some new info on its Data Stories analytics test, which provides insights into your channel performance in a simple, Stories-like format, and is accessible to some users (at present) via YouTube Studio.

YouTube first previewed its Data Stories element in August, with selected users being shown a prompt to access the option from the main Overview page in the Studio app.

As you can see here, by tapping on the ‘See how YouTube recommends content’ prompt, users are then able to access the Data Stories element, which provides simplified overviews of key channel performance aspects in a swipeable, full-screen display.

YouTube says that Data Stories can currently be displayed for four elements:

• Audience
• Content
• Monetization
• Education about YouTube

The last element relates to the example above, in providing more insight into how YouTube works, for your planning, while the others are more specifically linked to your channel performance, with the system looking to highlight the most critical data points around your channel growth.

As you can see in this sequence, some Data Stories will highlight key areas of potential, and then provide tips on how to improve your channel performance.

Other aspects that can be displayed here are recommendations on how to make better thumbnails, or further notes on how to improve the chances of your content being recommended.

It’s an interesting way to summarize and highlight key data points, which could make it easier for more creators to understand how to grow their YouTube channel, without having to dig into the data themselves. Which can sometimes be overwhelming, or just confusing if you don’t know what you’re looking at. Like, is that a trend in that chart, or something else?

These simplified displays, in a more familiar Stories format, may help more creators to maximize these key elements, and it’ll be interesting to see how YouTube looks to build upon these recommendations over time.

For now, however, Data Stories and only available to selected users on the Studio mobile app.

“We’re still experimenting with these, but over the coming months, some of you may start to see them on the analytics section of the app on the overview page below the charts. We’ll also be working on push notifications to link directly into these stories as soon as they become available.”

It could be a handy consideration, and a valuable complement to your YouTube approach.