How long should your video be? It’s one of the most common questions we hear from clients, and unfortunately, there’s no magic number.
The right video length depends on what you’re trying to accomplish, who you’re trying to reach, where the video will be watched, and—most importantly—how long it takes to tell the story well. A 30-second video can be too long if it doesn’t hold your attention. A five-minute video can feel short if the story keeps you engaged.
Start With Your Audience and Purpose
Before deciding how long a video should be, think about who you’re trying to reach and what you want them to do. Someone watching a quick video on social media is in a different mindset than someone watching a customer story, training video, or documentary-style piece.
The goal isn’t to hit a specific runtime. It’s to give your audience enough time to understand the story or message without asking for more of their attention than you need.
Don’t Make a Video Longer Than It Needs to Be
There’s no prize for making a video longer. Every interview clip, shot, graphic, or piece of information should earn its place. If removing something makes the video tighter without hurting the story, it probably doesn’t need to be there. When I worked in television, we called it “killing your darlings.” Something might be meaningful to you without being meaningful to your audience.
At the same time, don’t cut a good story short just to hit an arbitrary runtime. If the content is interesting and relevant to your target audience, give it the time it needs.
Consider Where the Video Will Be Watched
Where your audience will see the video matters. A short social media video, homepage video, customer testimonial, event recap, or longer story may all call for different approaches to length.
That’s also why one shoot can sometimes produce multiple versions of the same story. A longer video can live on your website or YouTube while shorter edits give you content for social media and other platforms.
If you’re not sure how long your next video should be, contact us and we’ll help you find the right approach for your story and audience.
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