How Long Should a Marketing Video Be?
The ideal length for various types of videos such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other forms of marketing videos is certainly difficult to keep track of. There are so many options and styles of video content that are being used on a regularly basis in marketing campaigns it’s hard to keep up. If you’re a business owner that’s wondering, “How long should a marketing video be?” You’re not alone!
Determining the Best Length for Marketing Videos
Deciding on the most suitable length for your marketing videos is largely about placement and type of video. Videos that are to be shared on YouTube can generally be longer than those created for the typical social media post. Of course, when it comes to determining how long a marketing video should be, it’s also important to think about the attention span of your audience. Few audiences are going to watch more than 2 minutes of strictly marketing related content.
If you’re trying to reach an audience on Twitter, you can bet that you’ll need to create shorter marketing videos than what you would expect for YouTube or Facebook. According to a recent VidYard study, 56% of all videos published within the last year were 2 minutes or less in total length.
How Long Should a Marketing Video Be for Instagram?
If you’re posting to the ‘Gram, you’re going to probably focus on producing marketing videos that are 30 seconds or less. Recent studies performed by Hubspot found that the majority of comments on videos that are posted to Instagram come in around the 26 second point. Thus, videos that are shared here should be kept under 30 seconds for best results.
How Long Should a Marketing Video Be for Facebook?
Users on Facebook are generally from a slightly older generation than those on Instagram and they’re more willing to take a bit of their time out to watch a video. In fact, you can expect to get up to 1 minute of focused attention from an audience on Facebook videos. However, keep in mind that Facebook will increase the organic reach of videos that are more than 3 minutes so you might consider a balance between short and to the point, and something a bit longer to increase reach. Don’t shoot a 3 minute video that’s boring, though! Unless you’re capable of producing binge-worthy marketing videos, it’s best to keep it short – Facebook even recommends small businesses to shoot for 15 seconds of video on average.
How Long Should a Marketing Video Be for YouTube?
Visitors to YouTube are willing to spend more time on video, especially if it’s engaging. The average length of marketing videos on YouTube that perform the best is 2 minutes but longer, more in-depth video content is also quite valuable for this platform. YouTube rewards videos that have more viewable time, so many brands find that uploading longer videos on YouTube increases their reach. The average length of a popular YouTube video is 6 to 8 minutes. Anything longer should be segmented into multiple video parts for a better user experience.
How Long Should Marketing Video for Twitter Be?
While Twitter does allow the addition of videos that are as long as 2 minutes and 20 seconds, just like they allow 220 characters in a tweet, the average Twitter user is looking for something a bit shorter in most cases. In fact, Twitter recommends that you keep your video uploads short, limiting them to 30-seconds or less. Some say 45 seconds is acceptable for Twitter, but really most teaser videos and snippets can come in a few seconds shorter and will perform just as well if not better.
Factors Influencing the Length of Marketing Videos
Several factors influence the length of marketing video content. For instance, understanding your audience and what they expect is key. Some audiences are naturally more willing to engage in a longer video than others. Some just have longer attention spans.
Likewise, many audiences will devote more time to certain topics and less time to others. For example, an audience doesn’t always have the mental capacity to take on an incredibly complex topic over the period of just 25-30 seconds, so a longer video might be might be in order. Likewise, an audience may not stick around for 2 minutes to listen to a customer testimonial that could have just as easily been delivered in under 30 seconds.
It’s important for business owners to consider their audiences closely before sharing videos, this way they can think about the most appropriate length of the videos to be sure they’re hitting the right targets in regards to timing and other tactics.
While longer form video does have a place in the marketing world, we live in a very fast-paced world where consumers are most accustomed to consistent, frequently delivered, and powerfully informative short videos that engage and entertain on the fly.