How long should a corporate video be?
You may be looking to engage a video production company to create
a corporate video for your business and wondering what length it should be.
below are some of the main considerations.
People are watching shorter content than ever before.
Today we are consuming quicker and from more platforms than ever before. Along with this our collective human attention spans have shortened to record levels! A recent study by Microsoft found that when viewing content, the average human attention span has dropped by 25% over the last decade. We want to be able to watch, be engaged and create things faster than ever before. Whether it be watching a how-to video or researching an idea – It is now harder than ever to capture and retain your attention if you can’t offer content that engages fast! People simply don’t have the time to digest that doesn’t hook them from the start!
So, with this in mind, how long should your corporate video run for?
Today, 60 – 120 seconds is considered a good for a corporate or promotional . This duration is enough for a viewer to digest crucial information without investing too much of their time and attention.
There are however a few factors to consider when deciding on a for your that may mean a shorter or longer duration is more appropriate. These variables are often intertwined.
- Who is the ?
- What is the platform? (Online/Television/Trade Show etc.)
- What is the aim of the
Let's explore these in more depth:
The Target Audience:
Who are you making the for? Is it for your customers, stakeholders or the wider public? Is it designed to appeal to of a specific age bracket, gender, profession or those with a certain interest? This is one of the first questions you need to ask yourself when deciding to commission a and one that should partially dictate the . Ideal durations will vary depending on how and why your audience are watching your .
The Platform:
Where and how is your going to be played? Will it be embedded on your company website, published on your channels or viewed by stakeholders in a presentation? If you intend on publishing your clip as a , you might want to keep it short and sweet. There is a reason the 15 second format exists. A is -saturated by nature, so you are already competing with countless other for your viewer’s attention. On the other hand, if your final piece is to be presented in a face-to-face presentation, you already have a captive audience who likely have a good reason for watching. In situations like this you might want to consider a .
The Aim:
What is the designed to achieve? Are you looking to garner donations, increase product sales or raise awareness of a cause or social issue? Perhaps your is a recruitment aimed at attracting a certain talent pool to your startup. These intended outcomes often require varying lengths of screen time. If you truly need more time to get your message across, make the longer. Always avoid trying to cram too much information into a . You risk overwhelming your .
By carefully considering these main 3 variables and how they apply to your project, you can get an idea of the ideal for your next corporate or promotional . While there is no one size fits all duration, is generally recommended for corporate projects. For other videos such as and explainers, you may need a completely different run time. If you display your videos on a platform such as YouTube, it might be a good idea to look at the page to see how your videos are performing. This data will show you the average time people are watching your , and where any drop offs in are.
If you are in the process of looking at different Video Production Companies for your projecte would be happy to discuss your and needs. We offer an end-to-end production service that is cost-effective and streamlined.
Ideal Video Durations by Type:
Here is a rough comparison of ideal durations for marketing videos:
- Social Media Video (Instagram/Facebook): 15-30 seconds (Keep it short on social media – these platforms are saturated with content by nature so you are always competing with other posts)
- Corporate Video: 2-3 minutes
- General Promotional Video: 2-3 minutes
- Fundraising Video: 2-6 minutes (If you are presenting to a captive audience, you can try a longer duration!)
- Case Study Video: 3-5 minutes (as this is a niche format, your audience is targeted and likely has a reason/interest to watch something longer)
- Event Highlight Video: 1-2 minutes