It may seem that humans have shorter attention spans than humans. This can be a challenge for brands trying to effectively communicate their message while following video length restrictions. But it’s important to remember that attention spans are not necessarily “shrinking”—it’s simply that content has become boring.
So, how long should an ad be?
Keep reading to learn how you can create scroll-stopping video content that meets length requirements while grabbing your viewer’s attention from the start.
Considering Your Audience
What kind of content do you want to watch? It pays to put yourself in your audience’s shoes.
Creating successful content hinges on understanding your audience, structuring it with a strong hook and digestible sections, and prioritizing quality over length. Good content is valued, no matter how long the video is.
Think about how thousands of people spend hours watching Netflix shows and documentaries each night. Most episodes are at least 45 minutes long, yet viewers stay engaged. Why? Because the content is compelling and tells a story.
Understanding your audience and practicing storytelling techniques make a difference.
Effective Length for a TV Commercial
What do some of the most memorable commercials have in common? They’re usually brief, lasting between 15 and 30 seconds, according to video length best practices.
But of course, there are some exceptions to this.
Most commercials on streaming services follow the 15- to 30-second guideline, but longer ads are possible on certain programs. Just take a look at this five-and-a-half-minute commercial for Chevrolet by the advertising agency Commonwealth/McCann.
Rules can be broken, and Chevy breaks them beautifully.
Types of Marketing Videos & Impact on Length
You’re here to market your brand, and sometimes, that looks like a promotional video or a product demo.
Different marketing videos call for different lengths. If it is too short, your viewer won’t know what you’re talking about. If it is too long, your viewer will scroll to the next video.
Below are just a few examples of marketing videos we shoot regularly at JV Studios.
Testimonials
People love to hear other people talk about their experiences. A great way to showcase your success as a brand is by highlighting positive reviews.
Testimonials can be about a product or service they tried or can even talk about the company as a whole. Depending on the channel, a testimonial video should last no longer than 60 seconds to maximize the impact of the testimony.
Promotional, Culture, and Explainer Videos
Promotional videos should grab the attention of your viewers without overwhelming them. These videos are often short and encourage them to take action on a product or service. You’ll see a lot of these types of videos on social media. A good length for a promo video should be about 1 minute.
Culture videos are meant to show off your company culture. These videos are ideal for attracting new employees and customers and work best when shot by professional videographers. A good culture video highlights what makes you unique. The maximum length for a culture video should be no more than 4 minutes.
Explainer videos, on the other hand, are short and informative videos, typically under a minute long. These videos describe what your company does and how it works. They are an effective way to educate employees about company processes and procedures. The ideal length for an explainer video is between 1 minute to 90 seconds.
Product Demos
About 65% of people are visual learners. Product demo videos are similar to explainer videos, except these videos are usually targeted toward customers. A good product video can range from two minutes to 10 minutes, depending on the product you are demonstrating. Short and informative typically works best.
Interviews and Live Streaming
Most people love to listen to a good conversation. An interview video, which can run from five to 15 minutes, should be casual and conversational to engage viewers’ interest in your brand.
Other video content, such as a webinar or a live stream, can be much longer. Live streaming is important because it helps build connections with a wide audience and allows instant communication in real-time.
Social Media
Finally, the big four.
Your video content will most likely exist on one or more of these social media platforms.
People like to think that Facebook is dying, but this social media mammoth continues to pull 2.11 billion users daily.
There are a few ways to upload and share video content through Facebook. Just like Instagram, Facebook has “stories” that disappear after 24 hours. Even though story clips have a 20-second limit, you can share as many as you want.
Regular Facebook posts allow videos to run no more than four hours.
Instagram (owned by Facebook) is designed for photo and video sharing, and with over 2 billion active users, it’s a great way to get your message in front of the right audience.
While traditional Instagram posts have a one-minute limit, Instagram stories can be as long as you like—so long as each clip is only 15 seconds. Instagram stories will disappear after 24 hours.
IG TV is great for longer-form content, allowing up to one hour.
YouTube
You’ve probably heard someone say, “I don’t watch TV anymore; I just watch YouTube.” That’s because YouTube offers a wide variety of easily accessible content that people want to watch. YouTube is extremely personalized and is full of user-generated video content.
For beginners, YouTube limits videos to 15 seconds. Users must go through a verification process to upload longer video content. Once verified, the video length limit is 12 hours.
TikTok
It’s true that Gen Z dominates TikTok. The platform’s unique algorithm and bite-sized video content are highly engaging, making it an attractive marketing channel for many brands.
A TikTok video can be as short as three seconds or as long as 30 minutes. Most people agree that the sweet spot is between 21 and 34 seconds.
As you can see, choosing the length of a video—let alone the style, creative, and distribution method—has countless factors impacting what will work best. Finding an expert partner who lives and breathes video production and understanding the best way to connect with audiences can make or break the success of an entire marketing campaign.
Start Your Next Video Campaign With JV Studios
We know video, and we know marketing. All we need is you.
At JV Studios, we make sure your business stays ahead of the curve. As a professional video production company and marketing agency, we specialize in creating compelling video content that delivers your message and achieves your goals. Get in touch with us—we can’t wait to discuss your next campaign.
