A single next-step video is the better destination when the tutorial leaves most viewers with the same unfinished task. A playlist is more useful when finishing the tutorial creates several legitimate paths. The distinction is viewer intent, not how many videos the channel would like to promote.
Say a tutorial shows marketers how to build a weekly YouTube reporting sheet. If the final screen points to “Turn That Report Into Your Next Video Brief,” the promise is clear: the viewer has collected the numbers and can now use them to make a decision. The follow-up should actually demonstrate that decision, not spend five minutes rebuilding the sheet. Otherwise the end-screen click wins a visit that the next video fails to repay.
A broader analytics playlist makes more sense if viewers finishing the tutorial may need different things: diagnosing a weak title and thumbnail, examining a retention drop, or reporting results to a stakeholder. It gives them a menu, but it also asks them to make another choice. A playlist full of loosely related analytics uploads is not a continuation; it is extra navigation.
I would compare end-screen click-through for the two destinations, but not stop there. Check whether viewers stay through the next video’s promised payoff and whether the destination answers the task the tutorial set up. A lower-clicked next step that people actually use may be worth more than a busy playlist entrance.
Which has worked better on your long-form tutorials: one specific continuation or a relevant playlist?