The videos are one of the strongest marketing trends you probably already know. But, that is not everything? What is the ideal length of a video? Discover the best option for Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube and Twitter.
In the past people had difficulty in loading videos, today the increase in the speed of networks allows the user to consume audiovisual content anywhere and at any time.
Thanks to this, they are a great promise of Digital Marketing today.
For you to have an idea, according to the Cisco Visual Networking Index, the videos will correspond to 80% of the traffic of the entire internet in 2020.
If we put it in more concrete numbers, this represents 3 billion minutes of videos per month. Five million years of audiovisual content consumed monthly!
This seems scary, isn’t it? But put your chin in its place, because here we have other valuable data about that content format in business today.
- 18 is the average number of videos published by businesses every month.
- Videos generate 66% more qualified leads per year.
- The videos show a 54% increase in brand awareness.
- 83% of companies claim to have a good ROI with the use of videos.
And some useful numbers with respect to the users:
- 41% of people see one or more videos per day.
- 50% of people search for a video before making a purchase.
- 79% of users prefer to watch a video to read about a product.
- 43% of users want to see more video content in 2018.
Having all that information in mind, it would be surprising if you still deny that trend.
Faced with so much hype, other issues come to mind. For example: what is the ideal length of time for the videos?
About that we will deal with in this post.
Next, learn about what is the best extension of videos on different platforms and love your audience through this resource. Check it!
Why is it important to keep the duration of the videos in mind?
But first, we will talk a little about the reasons that lead us to have such a deep concern about the duration of the videos.
It may seem obvious, but many people do not know how much this element matters to the audience.
The first point is the retention rate.
Basically, it represents how many people look at the content until it ends. If you intend to pass a message to users, then it is an important metric to follow.
In addition, there are two factors.
The attraction is another indicator that reveals the importance of the duration of the videos.
Many times, according to the subject and with the public, it is necessary to invest in shorter or more extensive videos.
In the same way is the convenience of the user.
To give you an idea of the strength of mobility, more than half of videos on YouTube are viewed through mobile devices.
And as you know, mobile internet is a valuable resource. In this way, the extension of the videos must adapt to the reality of their audience.
But how to find out about all this?
Obviously through the data collected! The analysis of metrics will tell you what is the best duration of your videos.
However, remember: these factors are flexible and will vary according to each business.
What is the ideal length of videos for each platform?
Now, I propose an exercise.
Put yourself in the user’s place and ask yourself the following question: “Finally, how long do you want your videos to last?”.
Complicated answer, do you think? In the end, everything will depend on the degree of interest, moment, device, need and there goes.
Thus, there are many elements that influence the decision of consumption.
Therefore, it is important to be clear that there is no tax rule on the size of videos on the Internet.
In addition, it is also necessary to adapt to the objectives and business strategy.
According to HubSpot, videos with less than 90 seconds of duration have a retention rate of 57%, while those with more than 30 minutes, only 10%.
But, on the other hand, it may be more interesting for the business to retain only a small fee, as long as it is qualified.
A video class that explains how your product works may bring fewer visualizations, but it will generate more sales, for example.
The format is also important.
Explanatory, testimonial, demonstrative, fun. There are several options available. You can check some of them in this content.
In addition, we must be clear about the subject, which also influences the user’s time of permanence.
However, there are several researches that make the work of entrepreneurs easier, stipulating an average duration that brings the best results for each of the main tools available on the web.
Are we going to know these numbers?
- Possible duration: up to 1 minute
- Ideal duration: 30 seconds
- Curiosity: Instagram videos achieve twice as much commitment as photos in any other social media
One of the most loved applications, Instagram presents high commitment rates.
The great difference of the application is that, unlike other media, the focus is on the visual. Thanks to that, the displacement is faster than in any other social network.
In other words, content consumption on Instagram is fast. That means that your videos should be short, with 30 seconds on average.
Here, it is worth betting on interactions, that is, fun, eye-catching videos that attract the user of one.
Otherwise, you will continue your journey without paying much attention to your post.
Instagram Stories
- Possible duration: up to 15 seconds
- Ideal duration: 15 seconds
- Curiosity: 35% of Instagram users see and create videos in the Stories
One of the resources implemented after the acquisition of Instagram by Facebook is the Stories, a replica of the format that was very famous in the Snapchat.
In this model, the maximum and ideal size are the same. By themselves, they are short and generate a good compromise on the part of the user.
Here the videos are more informal, they usually show people behind a business. Do not be afraid to show your face to your followers!
Youtube
- Maximum duration: up to 12 hours
- Ideal duration: 2 minutes
- Curiosity: more than 1 million hours are seen in videos on YouTube every day
Although the default duration of a video on YouTube is 15 minutes, you can increase that limit by checking your account.
With that, the maximum duration becomes 12 hours.
To explain the ideal duration on YouTube, let’s think about the great advantage of the social network: personalization.
The user is free to browse their preferred content at all times. That is, it is he who has the address.
This is even more important in YouTube, a platform in which the user is surrounded by other video content options.
For this reason, instead of just creating a long video with various explanations, try to concentrate on playlists and split it into smaller contents.
In this way, the user has the possibility to choose to see them in the sequence and at the desired time.
Another good tip that can come in handy is to add subtitles to your YouTube video. Thus you can help your audience understand your content better; if some of your audience are non-native speakers.
- Maximum duration: up to 4 hours
- Ideal duration: 1 minute
- Curiosity: 85% of Facebook users watch the video without sound
Despite having a considerable maximum duration, videos on Facebook have better commitment rates when they have an average of 1 minute.
The explanation is simple.
When going through your news feed, the user intends to absorb a large amount of information, and not focus on a single content for long hours.
The expression snack is perfect for drawing an analogy with Facebook videos.
Users use social networks during the interval at work, in the queue of the bank or occasionally while chatting with friends.
When browsing the main social network of Mark Zuckerberg, the goal is to taste appetizers.
None of this prevents you from inviting the user to consume a larger content at another time.
One suggestion: the practice is not valid for live videos that, due to their power of commitment and participation, can be longer.
- Maximum duration: up to 10 minutes
- Ideal duration: between 30 seconds and 5 minutes
- Curiosity: on average, employees are 75% more likely to see a video than reading emails, documents or articles on the web
The business-oriented social network has the widest margin of recommended time difference.
This is because both the longer videos and the short ones can be used to enchant followers.
The important thing is to keep in mind that each segment and theme has its own characteristics.
Educational videos can last longer, while quick tips also fit the platform.
Thanks to that variable, it is recommended to keep attentive to the numbers in order to adapt to the audience.
- Maximum duration: up to 2 minutes and 20 seconds
- Ideal duration: 45 seconds
- Curiosity: 93% of videos on Twitter are consumed via mobile devices
Twitter has a character limit. Not for nothing is also called microblog.
This has a reason: it is a social network of fast consumption.
For this reason, videos also tend to have an average duration of 45 seconds.
They are quick updates, which should go directly to the target, exactly like the texts.
Among the main social networks, Twitter is the only one that gives the option of the user opting for the algorithm relevance or chronological order.
Then, when you choose the 2nd format, your content will surely reach them.
So, take this opportunity and keep the line proposed by the platform: be concise when transmitting your message.
- Maximum duration: up to 3 minutes
- Ideal duration: 1 minute and 30 seconds
- Curiosity: 1 billion videos are shared on WhatsApp every day
WhatsApp does not exactly have a maximum time since it is about sending files.
The limit is variable, it will depend on the size of the file, but in general, the longest duration is around 1 minute and 30 seconds.
In this context, it is worth investing in registered transmission lists. The formats and themes may vary according to the needs of the company.
That is it! Now you know about the duration of the ideal videos for each of the main platforms of the web and you are ready to extract the maximum potential of this resource.
If you have any other queries let us know them in the below comment box. We will get back to you as soon as possible to solve all your queries.
