Video content is the best way to interact with netizens as it has dominated social media platforms. Video marketing is prevalent all over the internet, from YouTube to Instagram. It is the ideal way to attract a tonne of people.

We know that people’s attention span is decreasing day by day, so before making digital marketing content, we should keep this in our mind. The growth of platforms like TikTok and the introduction of features like reels and YouTube Shorts shows a trend for short video content among netizens. Shorter videos tend to attract a larger group of the masses than longer ones. That’s another reason why marketers these days prefer shorter videos over longer ones. 

That’s not surprising—and it’s in keeping with the notion that shorter is better.

The craze for videos in digital marketing has made it important to care about the perfect length of your video. Keep a good video trimmer on hand in case you need to change the length at the last moment. 

There are more reasons you should care about your video length than not about it. Below are some key points to know.

It helps decide your audience

Video length affects the probability of people viewing or passing your video, but deciding the exact length can be tiring and very confusing, but not so if you have a set goal in mind. Be it the length of the video or the necessary effects, it all invariably depends upon the audience and their taste. 

If you are new to online marketing, consider keeping the videos short. Once you have firmly established yourself and have built a good audience, you can gradually prolong the length of your video. 

Shorter videos, around 30 seconds, have a higher probability of people watching them until the end than videos exceeding the 2-minute mark. People, on average, viewed 85% of the entire video when it was under 30 seconds, while those videos that exceeded 2 minutes were watched 50% of the way through. 

Thus, keep your videos shorter if you have specific content to share and don’t want the viewers to miss any part of the video 56% of the marketers prefer keeping the videos shorter. The shorter the video, the easier it is to process the information and the easier it is to please your audience.

Time constraints on various apps 

Another reason why you should work on the video length is that all social media apps come with time constraints for the video duration hence it is the most determining factor. Video length is dependent on the apps, and they vary accordingly. Some apps are made for relatively shorter videos. 

Instagram 

Even within the same app, the length varies from feature to feature. For example, video promotion through Instagram stories will be shorter, around 15-30 seconds, while IGTV can be up to 1 hour long. Longer videos can deter your audience from watching them, so we suggest you not let it exceed more than 2 minutes. That’s the longest you should consider on Instagram. Longer videos can be tedious, especially on apps like Instagram, where people quickly scroll through their feeds. 

Facebook

 On Facebook, relatively longer videos have been seen to work well, especially when you have some complex concepts to break down. For a novice, Facebook has suggested that they keep their videos as short as possible because, as observed, 47% of the value in a video is delivered in the first 3 seconds, so if you are not focused on giving any additional explanation, it’s better to keep it under 15 seconds. 

YouTube 

 On YouTube, the story is entirely different, YouTube has started suggesting longer videos, and as a result, people have gotten used to it. In general, they visit YouTube for relatively longer videos, so consider broadcasting it on YouTube if you have some informational content for your brand or business. 

Since YouTube rewards its viewers with a comparatively longer watch time by featuring them more often in the search results, your videos can grow quickly. If you want a longer watch time and a better percentage for the raw watch figure, then you should promote your video on YouTube. Longer videos depend upon the genre, so choose a relatively suitable genre that can give you at least 7–10 minutes of watch time.

Twitter

You should keep the videos shorter on Twitter as the audience is accustomed to relatively shorter videos. Although Twitter allows videos up to 2 minutes and longer, we suggest avoiding longer videos on Twitter. 

It helps serve the best first 

Serving the best first is rewarding, especially when people are quick to scroll through the screen. People with busy schedules prefer shorter videos or ads to pass the time, so you can use this as an opportunity to feed the most important aspect of your video by keeping the best for first. It can also work for longer videos; they will be willing to watch more once they find your content enticing.

Final words

Apart from the video length, some other measures need to be kept in check. Ensuring these steps can make up for your video length. For example, a better camera angle can make up for the shorter length. A right camera angle allows your audience to get a different perspective on your products, which will attract the attention of many people.

Tonality also matters, as using a consistent tone helps connect with the audience. One thing to keep in mind is that the tone must be professional and formal to capture the attention of a wider audience.