BTL Pt. 2 – Why Use Video? Optimum video length

Behind the Lens

Behind the Lens: Why Use Video?

Part 2: Optimum Video Length

We all have short attention spans. On average only 20% of us read articles. That’s why many organizations use video to deliver their message.

Wistia, video hosting service wanted to know when viewer engagement begins to drop off? They compiled data from over half-million videos with over 1-billion plays. Here’s what they discovered.

Videos up to 2-minutes had the best engagement rate.  After 2-minutes, engagement drops significantly. 

For training, documentaries or narrative-driven stories, 6-12 minutes is the optimum time frame. However, after 12-minutes engagement did continue to drop off.

In a previous edition of Behind the Lens, I introduced 4 video types Explainer, Demonstration, Personalized, and Testimonials. So, what is the optimum length for these? 

Explainer and Demonstration videos are generally 1-2:00 minutes.

Personalized videos and Testimonials should be less than 1-minute.

No matter what type of video, craft each message so the viewer is not only informed and engaged but feels the time they invested watching your message has been beneficial.

In the next Behind the Lens, I’ll share how one my clients use testimonials to promote her business. Until then thank you for watching and have a blessed day.

Reference:

wistia.com/blog/optimal-video-length, Ezra Fishman 564,710 videos, and 1.3 billion plays for this research