How Long Should My YouTube Video Be?

This is a question we hear a lot as we talk with clients, and with good reason.  Including video within your content on your blog or your website can help you show up higher in the search engine results, and helps keep your visitors engaged on your website for longer periods of time.  We are the TV generation, and your visitors expect video now when searching online.

“Social video is one of the most effective ways advertisers can reach their consumers on social networks,” said Mitchell Reichgut, founder and CEO of Jun Group. “It’s an exciting new medium that brings guaranteed engagement and tremendous amounts of sharing.”

In a recent study, the Jun Group discovered:

• :15 second social video ads are shared 37% more often than :30 second or one minute ads

• :15 second ads are shared 18% more than ads over one minute in length

• CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) brands are driving nearly 20% of social video views

• Content creators need to engage Facebookers

It’s common practice to keep web videos under three minutes in length. The reason is that many people are browsing and won’t watch anything longer than the three-minute time frame.  The length of your web video is also dictated by time limits imposed on each video sharing site.  YouTube limits uploads to 10 minutes each.

If you have content that takes more than three minutes to explain, try making several short videos. At the end of each video let the audience know where they can find more information around the topic, by pointing them to other videos, your website or blog.  Creating social videos that are designed for sharing, in conjunction with your social media strategy, will help ensure you get the most benefit possible from your video efforts online.

Published on: June 10, 2011