How Long Should My Marketing Video Be?
We’ve discussed video marketing on YouTube recently, talking about tags and SEO practices. However, there are more options than just YouTube for marketing videos. In fact, videos (across almost all platforms) outperform text posts of the same content. When starting to make these videos, a few questions arise. The first, and maybe most important is the question of length. To plan, write, and record a video you need to know how long to make it. According to Vidyard, 73% of business videos are two minutes or shorter. This means that the average length for a business/marketing video is very short. However, depending on the platform and the place in the marketing funnel, the ideal video length varies greatly. Read on to answer the common question: “How long should my marketing video be?”
How Long Should My Marketing Video Be?
Platform
Social media is often the place where a potential customer stumbles across your content. Related accounts, likes, and follows can lead a potential customer to your page. On the other hand, social media is also a platform where a committed customer follows along to keep up with your company. It’s important to cater to both of these potential situations when considering what content to post and, specifically, how long to make your videos. The committed customer might be interested in a longer video, while the passer-by might respond better to a short clip. To cater to both of these, create videos with the main content and key points in the first 15-30 seconds and then elaborate or add on for committed followers. Marketers have found a few suggestions for each social media platform’s ideal video length:
Instagram videos should be around 30 seconds long. With the IGTV feature, Instagram videos have the capability to be up to 10 minutes long. If you’re making an IGTV video, use this time to dive deep into a topic and share expertise or company culture.
If you choose to post videos on Twitter (or use Twitter video ads), keep the videos short. Twitter is a space for short, punchy content.
If you’re making a video directly on LinkedIn, the platform specifies a minimum length of three seconds and a maximum length of 10 minutes. As with all marketing videos, convey the most important information first. According to research published by Hootsuite, viewers start loosing interest around 10 seconds into a video, so the first 10 seconds really matter.
Facebook videos should be short as well. Around two minutes or under is the rule of thumb for videos that people will watch on Facebook. As viewers are scrolling down their feeds, they generally don’t want to linger on a video for much longer than one to three minutes, so in the middle of that is your marketing sweet spot.
Marketing funnel
Rule of thumb for video length is: the earlier in the marketing funnel, the shorter the video should be. This makes sense as invested viewers who are seriously making a decision will pay attention for longer. Videos at the beginning of the marketing funnel should be snappier, well-branded, and quick. These are the types of videos found on most social media platforms or in video advertisements. However, for videos on your company’s LinkedIn/YouTube page, hosted on your website, or included in emails to current contacts, longer videos are appropriate. This is because the attention span of a potential customer who is close to making a decision is much longer than a casual scroller.
For example, for general LinkedIn videos, the video length should be under 30 seconds. However, long videos are more relatable and convincing for customers further along the buying process, so making in-depth videos for them is helpful. These videos could last up to a few minutes, or even longer if your content is complex or highly detailed.
Similarly, if your potential customers or your committed contacts end up on your YouTube page, they are a likely more invested than someone who stumbles across your content on social media. For YouTube, one to three minutes is a safe bet for general videos. For a product launch or an in-depth video, longer than three minutes works well. If your content is engaging throughout, committed viewers will keep watching.
As always, for more insight and information, reach out to us at RedMoxy Communications. We’d love to talk with you about your company and our services, which including branding, website development, and marketing with a focus on industrial-sector companies.