One of the most common questions we get asked is: ‘how long should my marketing videos be’? The real answer is: ‘it depends.” But instead at leaving it at that we’ll go a little further and give you a few benchmarks to use in your video content planning. Getting a message across in as few words as possible is an art. It’s hard. Knowing video length before production can assist in by refining scripts, estimations of shooting schedules, or booking the appropriate amount of time for on-air talent.
Often video length falls into the following timed segments:
- Under 30 seconds
- 30-90 seconds
- 90 seconds to 3 minutes
- 5 minutes or more
Our data shows that a majority of C-level executives prefer 3-5 minute videos. The average online video length is calculated at 4.4 minutes, but a 4-minute long product demo is just too long, so cut that in half and you have your ideal video length at around 2.2 minutes. With that said, you ultimately want to make sure the length serves the purpose and adjust as you need more content within a single video. Video length with also have different levels of tolerance. How-To content for example can be a bit longer if its an educational bit or tutorial as the viewer most likely has bought into your brand and is anticipating ‘meat’ to the content.
Here are some suggested lengths based on the type of video content:
- Customer Testimonial: 15 seconds
- Product Demo: 90-120 seconds
- Case Studies: 2-5 minutes
- Thought Leadership Presentation: 10-12 minutes
In conclusion, when developing video content for your marketing strategy first consider your audience and their tolerance for video length before writing scripts and starting production. For more strategy advice visit our Video Strategy Center.
