How Long Should Your Corporate Video Be in 2021-2022

When it comes to building a visual identity for your brand, corporate videos are a must! They help others outside the company (investors, prospective employees, customers, or clients) understand the corporate culture, values, and mission of your organization. And one of the most frequently asked questions our clients come up with in the first place is “how long should my company video be?” Well, that’s a good one. In fact, the answer depends on where you’re going to host your video. There’s a great number of various social media platforms allowing you to promote your business through video marketing, and I’m going to cover the most popular ones to give you an idea of your corporate video length.

What Is the Ideal Length of a Corporate Video?

When you’re casually scrolling your social media newsfeed and see a video that interests you, you usually check to see how long it is before you watch it in full.

If it’s just 3-5 minutes - sure, you’ll watch.

But if a video is 15 minutes or longer? You’re probably going to keep scrolling.

Why?

People have short attention spans. And, we’re busy!

On the other hand, if you’re particularly interested in the topic at hand, you might pour yourself a cup of coffee and settle in to watch the video in its entirety.

According to research, the average video watcher prefers shorter videos; and only 50% of watchers watch longer videos. This has to do with the human attention span. Psychologists say that the average human’s sustained attention span tends to be around 20 minutes.

In this post, I’m sharing not just how long videos can be, but how long they should be.

Social Media Video Lengths

Depending on where your corporate video will be hosted, the ideal length of your video will vary.

Below, I’ll cover some of the most popular platforms for videos. Mind that business video length requirements can be updated from time to time across various platforms, so all the information I present in this blog is relevant as of December 2020.

#1 Instagram Video Length

Instagram is a highly visual platform that’s great for businesses.

There are three opportunities for videos on Instagram: Reels, IGTV, and Instagram Stories.

Instagram Stories

Talking about Instagram story video length, I should point that it’s, in fact, pretty short. You’ve got only 15 seconds to present your business to potential customers. That’s the limit that applies to individual stories on Instagram. But on the bright side, if your video exceeds 15 seconds, Instagram will slice it up into 15-second segments for your convenience. Stories are live for 24 hours and great for showing behind-the-scenes of your brand. They expire after a day but are rewatchable if you save them as “highlights” on your profile.

IGTV

You can also consider using Instagram TV (IGTV) for delivering evergreen content.

IGTV videos can be up to an hour in length when uploaded from your computer and up to 15 minutes when uploaded from a mobile device. IGTV videos are great places to upload “podcast-style” or Ted-talk style chats, online classes, and how-to tutorials.

In a way, it’s the “YouTube” of Instagram. It’s also a great place to upload any content that was originally live, for your audience to re-watch.

A few examples of how some entrepreneurs have been using IGTV in 2020:

• Fitness instructors leading live, interactive workouts.
• Musicians performing a live show, while taking audience requests.
• Writers’ groups hosting “Write Together Online” live workshops.

Reels

The difference between Reels and IGTV videos is length and purpose. Reels, unlike IGTV, are strictly 15-30 seconds long. Reels are intended to deliver short, viral-worthy content that’s informative, inspiring, or entertaining in a bite-sized way. For instance, therapists are beginning to use Instagram Reels to provide quick psychoeducation, and real estate agents and interior designers are using it to show virtual house tours.

#2 Twitter Video Length

Twitter is a social media platform where companies deliver updates, news, and announcements. Its trending topics and hashtags feature make finding certain posts or profiles easier. People go on Twitter to receive information efficiently and easily. As such, 45 seconds is the prime video time to attach to a tweet to reinforce a point of view, a promotion, or an announcement - although, you can upload a video that’s up to two minutes and 20 seconds in length.

#3 LinkedIn Video Length

The longest time for a native LinkedIn video can be 10 minutes.

However, we recommend 3-5 minutes for any informative-type videos - bearing in mind that the people on LinkedIn are busy professionals, and they like to consume their content quickly.

#4 YouTube and Facebook Video Length

Depending on the type of content, the ideal watch time for videos by consumers on Facebook and YouTube ranges from 3-5 minutes. Of course, people watch videos longer than that; however, the most consumed videos are the ones that are short, sweet, and to the point.

To garner the most views, you should aim for 3-5 minutes for YouTube and Facebook video length. However, Facebook supports up to four hours in a single video, and YouTube videos on verified channels can be up to 12 hours in length!

Takeaways

• For advertisements or promotional content, 15-60 second videos are best.
• For informative or inspiring content, 30 seconds to 5 minutes is best.

You’ll want your content to be easy to consume, engaging, and well-edited so that people will walk away from watching your video with a good impression and new information.

Ready to Amplify Your Video Marketing?

Here at Gillespie Productions, we believe it’s not enough to either have a flashy video or one that has a verbatim corporate message. The audience needs to want to watch - and take action.

Get in touch today, to bring your vision to life!

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