One important step in the decision-making process of producing video is figuring out how long your video should be. To find the right answer, first answer this: how long are the videos you watch?
Did you answer 2 minutes? 1 minute? 30 seconds? If you did, then you probably shouldn’t expect a consumer to spend more time than you would on a video. Simply put, keep it concise.
Video now makes up about 80% of all internet traffic. Producing video is a good investment, but it also means it’s imperative that you capture your audience’s attention within the first few seconds, otherwise they’ll scroll right on by.
Like the beginning of this article says - keep it concise when possible. Put yourself in your consumer’s shoes and try to be mindful of the amount of time they’re willing to spend watching your video. In that short time, do your best to be attention-grabbing, informative, and to the point.
Now, some of you may be thinking “I don’t think my video can be condensed to just 1 or 2 minutes.” And that’s okay. If that is the case, here are 2 tips to make sure your target consumer still watches and retains your message.
READ: How to Make Demo Videos More Digestible
The length of your video is often determined by the type of video you’re producing. If it’s an internal training video for new employees, then the length isn’t necessarily a big obstacle to consider. If it’s a commercial for broadcast, then you have to conform to the 30 or 60-second parameters. Or if it’s a “how-to” video, the length depends on the number of steps and detail required to complete a specific task.
It’s important to think about cost, as well, when producing video. The longer the video, the more expensive it will be. If you’re operating on a tight budget, you’ll need to keep this in mind. You can read more about how much a video costs and the factors that dictate that price tag by clicking here.
When producing video, it’s also important to think about where it will live. Is it going on your website, in an email, or on social media? Thinking about its distribution can help determine the video’s length. When it comes to social media, consider the various platforms.
Regardless of the length, produce video. Four years ago, Facebook CEO & founder Mark Zuckerberg said that 100 million hours of video are watched on the platform per day. And that was four years ago. People will watch. Keep it short when possible. Post it. Then repeat.
Learn more about video by clicking the image below to download the free eBook: The Beginner's Guide to Video Production.