The Ideal Length Of Video For Different Social Media Platforms

Whether it’s a 15-second TikTok or a 10-minute IGTV, consumers are making time to connect with video content. However, with so many formats, channels and platforms available, it can be tricky to understand the best video length for social media. We’ve put together some learnings and considerations based on our experience of the ideal video length for social media, for you to take forward when creating your content.

VIDEO OBJECTIVE

A good place to start is understanding what you are trying to accomplish with your video content. Is it’s main aim to drive sales? Or, is the objective to tell a brand story? Maybe it’s to engage with your following with an explainer. Different objectives require different approaches, and therefore different video lengths. For example, if you're looking to raise awareness or introduce an issue, you may consider a storytelling approach which engages audiences through a long-form narrative. On the other hand, if you're looking to drive a direct action (e.g. donation) off the back of your film, you may consider a short-form piece of video content with a direct call to action. Our film for The Disasters and Emergency Committee ‘There’s One Thing We Can All Understand’ is a great example of a short-form piece of content that drove action. The 60” film, which was live on both social channels and DRTV, drove a significant number of donations to its ongoing Coronavirus Appeal, proving that short-form content is no less impactful than longer-form storytelling.

OWNED VS PAID

Whether your film sits on owned channels only, or is promoted with a media budget, will also have an impact on the social media video length. Owned video content is likely to have a more captive audience as your viewers are likely to have an existing interest in the topic; they already follow you or have arrived on your page. With this in mind you have the space to create longer-form content which dives deeper into the brand. On the other hand, paid content is likely to be targeting cold audiences, so it's not just the length of the video that you need to think about, but also how quickly you are getting your message across. It’s therefore important to consider how you catch their eye in the initial few seconds and keep them engaged the whole way through.

PLATFORM

One film has the potential to be shared or promoted across multiple channels and platforms. However, it’s best to consider platform-specific briefs so you can take advantage of each platform’s unique opportunities. Social media video length limitswill also have an impact on the length of content you can create.

TIKTOK

TikTok is characterised by trend culture and quick, punchy videos run by dances, editing effects and social challenges. So, if you’re thinking about creating a video for TikTok, make sure you’re creating something bespoke to the platform rather than simply repurposing content you’ve used elsewhere. Also, just because there’s a maximum second length doesn’t mean you have to create a video of this length; for example, TikTok is limited to 60” videos, but the most popular length is between 9-15”. Nespresso recently took to TikTok to launch their latest ‘Nespresso Talents’ challenge. The coffee brand asked TikTok's community to get creative on the theme “Doing is everything” and showcase actions having a positive impact. The 26” launch video was trending on TikTok for over a week and the hashtag has had over 1.6 billion views and trail of response videos.

INSTAGRAM

On Instagram, a curated following means it’s likely you’ll have an audience willing to spend more time with your content. There’s a 60” limit on in-feed video, but, if you’ve managed to engage your audience in the first 15 seconds, they may be willing to continue to watch on IGTV where you have a limit of 10 minutes. Instagram's latest format addition is Reels which, much like TikTok, is short-form 15” entertainment bursts, demanding a less polished form of content from that on your feed.Instagram Stories differ from both in-feed and Reels as it allows users to create a feed of sequential video or static content that disappears within 24 hours of being posted. Stories are a maximum of 15” but can be stitched together to create a longer story. Stories are more communicative and informal than in-feed content and can be used in various ways, for example, to ask your audience a question through the poll feature or taking your audience behind the scenes with off-the-cuff content.

YOUTUBE

YouTube is a long-form video platform which accommodates more comprehensive video content with a whopping maximum length of 12 hours! Because YouTube is less restrictive, you have more freedom with the content you can create, which means it’s more important to consider the objective of your video so your message resonates. The average video length on YouTube is 11 minutes which suggests people are generally more willing to stay for longer. With this in mind, you have more time to capture the audience than on TikTok or Instagram.

TWITTER

Twitter is characterised by short digestible bites of information and offers a video limit of 2 minutes 20”. Accessed by many as a news platform, this means a lot of the video consists of user generated content. As a conversational platform, video content isn’t as core to Twitter as other platforms like Instagram or Facebook, but it is still valuable as it is likely to be discovered by colder audiences. With this in mind, making the content short, authentic, and engaging is key.

FACEBOOK

Video is key to Facebook, with the platform ever-evolving to offer users greater opportunities to discover, share and interact with new content. For example, Facebook Watch offers original shows and popular videos from creators, with the option to upload videos of up to 240 minutes. Facebook’s user behaviour studies have found that users find videos a lot more interesting than other kinds of posts, and 45% of viewers who watch the first 3” of a video go on to watch 30”. With this in mind, Facebook is a valuable home for your video content. However, much like other platforms, considerations need to be taken into account regarding the objective of your video content, whether it’s supported by paid media, and who you are looking to engage. Facebook feed is a great way to engage cold audiences, but in this instance shorter second lengths are recommended to communicate quickly and effectively.

Our Expertise in Viral Videos on Social Media

We started out as content creators, making no-budget videos that went viral. With years of experience working with non-profits and purpose-driven brands, we’ve become adept at creating engaging content that cuts through the noise. We can help you to reach new audiences through social media content, providing powerful data and actionable insights. By optimising engagement metrics to ensure we don’t simply talk at people, but interact with them directly, we get people on social media to sit up and take notice.

Speak To a Social Media Video Specialist

If you’re looking to speak to one of our social media video specialists, send us an email at newbusiness@dontpaniclondon.com