When producing videos – be it for advertising, as an explanation, or an image film – the major rule is: videos up to 2 minutes receive the most interaction from the audience. The attention span decreases with every second. According to a study by Microsoft Corporation, our attention span has even shortened from 12 to 8 seconds since the beginning of the 21st century.
Below I have summarised the ideal length of the different video genres:
Advertising video
In advertising, up to 30 seconds is usually enough to attract potential new customers. Depending on which media channel you want to use and who your target group is, there are also very individual guidelines here.
Explainer video
Two minutes are usually enough to explain the facts in a short and understandable way. This means: choosing only relevant information and being aware of what you want to achieve with the video.
Image video
An image film is usually accompanied by more detailed storytelling, so 2-5 minutes are usually suitable for this type of video. This genre is mainly about emotions, which should convince your viewers of your company.
In the following I have summarised the optional video length for the currently popular platforms:
| 7 s | short clip as repeat display |
| 24 – 90 s | short advertisement/information |
| 20 s | short advertisement/information (Facebook stories) |
| 10 min – 4 h | Viewer interaction & integrated advertising |
Youtube
| 5 s | necessary part of the ad before it can be clicked away |
| 15 s – 2 min | Standard display |
| 2 min – 1 h | Learning videos with embedded display |
| 15 s | short advertisement / information |
| 30 s | somewhat longer advertising / information |
| 1 h | Viewer interaction with integrated advertising |
| 2 min 20 s | Miscellaneous video |
| 20 – 45 s | Promotional video |
| 15 – 30 s | Erklärvideo / Werbevideo |
| 30 s – 30 min | lehrreiches oder beschreibendes Video |
LinkedIn suggests uploading videos of 30 s – 5 min.
Snapchat
Video clips on this platform are only supposed to be up to 10 seconds.
Finally, it should be noted that your viewers are not influenced by the actual time, but by the perceived length, whether they stay until the end. Therefore, it is important to make the video content as engaging and exciting as possible.