I'm a documentary guy, first and foremost. I love a good 60 to 90 minute in-depth doc. Look at the work I've done on my YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@EricTemple) or Vimeo page (https://vimeo.com/showcase/4090710) and you'll see. However, I've been making video for a long time and it's obvious that people's attention spans have been getting shorter and shorter thanks to social media. My experience at Highway 89 Media and my previous positions tells me that 3-7 minutes is the sweet spot to tell a good story. So how long should your video be? Ask yourself who your audience is and what do you want them to know? Pare it down to a single, easy message.
In recent years, social media platforms have become powerful marketing tools for businesses
to promote their products or services. However, different social media platforms have different requirements and expectations when it comes to video content. In some ways it's still the Wild West out there, but there are some assumptions we can make about social media.
Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, and it offers a great opportunity for businesses to reach an audience of consumers through video content. According to Facebook, the ideal length of a video should be between 15-60 seconds. However, videos up to 3 minutes can also perform well on the platform.
Instagram is a photo and video sharing appo owned by Facebook that has become very popular among young generations. The ideal length of video content on Instagram is 30 seconds or less. However, Instagram allows videos up to 60 seconds long, and IGTV (Instagram’s long-form video platform) allows videos up to 10 minutes.
Twitter is a platform that is well-known for its short-form content, and the ideal length of a video on Twitter is 45 seconds or less. However, videos up to 2 minutes and 20 seconds are allowed on the platform.
YouTube is a video sharing platform that allows users to upload long-form content. The ideal length of video content on YouTube is between 3-10 minutes. However, it’s important to note that longer videos can perform well on the platform, as long as they are engaging and keep the viewer’s attention.
LinkedIn is a professional networking platform that is ideal for B2B marketing. It's where you go to reach the decision-makers. The ideal length of a video on LinkedIn is between 30 seconds to 5 minutes, however the platform allows videos up to 10 minutes.
TikTok is a relatively new social media platform that has become extremely popular among younger generations. The ideal length of video content on TikTok is between 15-60 seconds, however, the platform allows videos up to 3 minutes.
In conclusion, the ideal length of video content on social media platforms varies widely. It’s important for businesses to understand the requirements and expectations of each platform in order to create engaging and effective video content. By creating videos that are the right length for each platform, businesses can increase their reach and engagement with their target audience. I'll talk more about this in a future post, or you can call me to talk about your video needs.
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