Facebook only counts a view as 'qualified' (i.e. it can earn) when two things are true: the reel is at least 10 seconds long, AND the viewer watches at least 5 seconds. Miss either and that view pays you zero.
In practice a big chunk of views — often close to half — never clear that 5-second bar, because people scroll away in the first moment. Those views are real reach, but they earn nothing.
What to do about it
- Lead with the payoff. Show the result or the interesting thing in the first frame — don't 'warm up' to it.
- Cut the intro. No logos, no 'hey guys', no slow build. The clock starts the instant they land.
- Make second 5 worth reaching. Put a reason to keep watching right where the gate is.
Note · This is the single highest-leverage fix in the whole game: shrinking the share of views that quit before 5 seconds grows your payout without posting a single extra video. Your dashboard tracks it as 'the leak'.