How Long Should a Case Study Video Be for Success?

Case study videos are more convincing than many other forms of marketing content, particularly with B2B marketing but also when they’re used in conjunction with customer testimonials for B2C brands, too. In fact, case study videos are becoming more commonplace in marketing across all verticals, largely because they have the power to provide first hand accounts of customer satisfaction with a brand while sharing the stories behind the satisfied customer experiences that each brand has the capacity to build. As with any video, figuring out how long to make the content is important to keeping the consumer engaged, building interest, and generating the appropriate outcome from the marketing content. So, exactly how long should a case study video be in order for it to be a success?

At Beverly Boy Productions, we specialize in the production of business marketing videos and case studies for a variety of purposes. One of the most common questions our clients ask is, “How long should a case study video be?” Clients want to know because they want to be sure they can deliver the pertinent information about their study to their audience in the pre-defined amount of time, and they’re also interested in figuring out how long their video should be so that they can appropriately factor in the cost-estimate of producing the video.

How Long Should a Case Study Video Be?

Specific video lengths vary based on the type of video, who they consumer audience is that will watch the video, where the video will be distributed, and various other factors. Typically, business marketing videos are between 30 seconds and 2 minutes long, but there are times when longer form video content can work for the brand, too!

Finding the optimal case study video length is really a matter of considering:

• Your audience and how long they will watch. The average consumer attention span is under 8 seconds, so you don’t have long to hook them!
• Where you’ll share the video. Social media platforms typically aim for videos to be under 1 minute in most cases with the exception of Linkedin where videos can be a bit longer.
• How long the video must be in order to directly convey the topic. The average written case study is between 2 and 5 pages, so a good estimate for a video would be between about 3-10 minutes.

Estimating an answer to your question, “how long should a case study video be” is really a matter of determining how your audience is going to react to the content. Some audiences are likely to stick around significantly longer than others. For example, videos on YouTube do well at 10+ minutes but on Facebook, videos perform better in the 2 to 5 minute range and on Linkedin videos can be up to 10 minutes, but longer videos generally have a lower engagement rate overall compared to shorter videos.

How Long Should a Case Study Video Be for Conversions?

Determining video length is also about the stage in which your video is in your marketing funnel. If your case study video is primarily focused on building awareness of your business or brand among a larger audience, you will generally go for a shorter video. However, if you’re producing a case study video that is conversion focused and to be used further down your funnel where the audience is aware of your business and on the verge of conversion, you can generally make the content a bit longer because you’ve got an audience that’s more likely to stick around.

Case study videos that you create for your existing customers, for instance to build repeat purchases or to provide customers with insight into how they can further get the most out of the products or services they’ve already purchased, can be even longer. You’ve already built a following, earned the customer’s trust and interest, and can provide a significantly longer case study video for this audience because you already know how to keep them engaged and you have a stronger likelihood that they will stick around longer.

What Is the “Sweet Spot” For Case Study Videos?

So, how long should a case study video be if you want to keep your audience’s interest for the longest possible amount of time, generate conversions, and guarantee success with your content? You’re going to have to find the sweet spot for your case study videos and that likely means digging further into your own audience, your past video engagement, and the actions you expect your audience to take after they watch your case study video. 

Typically, the sweet spot for most case study videos is going to be somewhere between about 3 and 6 minutes. Long enough to boost the overall interest of your audience and short enough not to take up too much of their time. But again, a lot of this depends on where you intend to share the case study, and who you will share it with.

Working with a professional that understands video case studies and the impact they can have on your marketing is essential. At Beverly Boy Productions, we’ll help you figure out how long a case study video should be for your business and we’ll actively work with you to produce a powerful study that your audience will love. Just give us a call!