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How Long Should My Next Video Be?

The length of videos has been and always will be a hot topic. We tend to have shorter attention spans in recent times due to technology and resourcing being at our fingertips and this directly affects how your video will perform. The problem is that there is no definite answer but instead some questions you should ask yourself when commissioning or creating your next video...

Video length does play a factor but it all depends on the quality of the content. Think about when you watch an hour long TV programme you are engaged the whole way through. This is because they have created an interesting narrative and it is visually creative.

The key things to focus on is not necessarily the length of the video but making the content interesting, creative and informative enough to keep viewers engaged throughout.

It is like reading an article, if you aren't constantly engaged with information, creativity or strong imagery then you don’t finish reading the article. On average people only read 20% of a written article which is quite concerning but also suggests that video is the best way to keep people engaged.

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What To Consider From The Data We Have Looked At:

Videos up to 2 minutes can retain viewers consistently from 30 second videos right through to 2 minutes. If your company is new to video this is a great place to start by creating a series of shorter videos.

Videos 2 - 6 minutes in length - you may see lots of viewers drop off every minute until 6 minutes. But interestingly from 6 minutes onwards to 12 minutes hardly anyone falls off. People have already decided they like your content and you are left with only the engaged audience.

Beyond 12 minutes you need to proceed with real caution, videos that are successful beyond this usually have a strong theme and feature a variety of subjects and opinions.

If you are starting out with video then you should start with making some 30-90 second videos. Your video should be the length you need to get your story across effectively. There will always be some viewers who resonate with what you are talking about or showcasing and some that don’t and our advice would be to make sure your video is the right length for what you have to showcase.

Analytics

It is important to analyse your video performance through video analytics. Engagement graphs are a great way to see where your audiences are most engaged and where they drop off. This is where you can try out different lengths, endings and messaging and tweak your content accordingly. If you see most of your audience isn't making it to then end then ask yourself is your video too long or not engaging enough?

With a balanced approach to creating engaging video content and analysis you should soon find a style and approach that works.  

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