Viewing video on the web and on mobile devices has become a game changer for marketers. On one hand, it’s provided an unprecedented number of opportunities for targeted messaging. On the other hand, there is so much information being presented on a daily basis that average consumers are being overwhelmed. Research studies strongly indicate that this increased amount of information is connected to people’s rapidly decreasing attention span – their ability to focus on a specific task without becoming distracted. So what is that perfect length for your video?
Source: Visible Measures
This doesn’t mean that long-form video isn’t effective. Long-form video can be incredibly effective when you are speaking to your current customer base. People that already have a relationship with a brand will be more willing to watch longer since they have already made a commitment to the brand. If you are trying to communicate to a new audience or promote a new product, duration is going to be a crucial factor in your video’s effectiveness.
A good rule of thumb is to keep your video under 60 seconds.
This is why organizing the message is so important. Whether you are creating a pre-roll video ad for YouTube, a customer success story or a detailed product presentation, the structuring of the video is going to have the greatest impact on your video length. Structuring the message to make the most of this limited time can be quite a challenge to marketers not familiar with writing for video. The majority of video newbies try to pack so much in that the message is lost in a rapid-fire stream of info. If at all possible, the most important information should be presented up front. This will provide a hook that will entice your audience to commit to watching the rest of your video. At the very least, you need to mention your brand/product/company name within the first 15 seconds. In this way, even if the viewer doesn’t watch the video in its entirety at least the viewer has heard your name. Just hearing a name might be enough for a consumer to make contact.