Anyone engaged in film and video production in Singapore grapples with the video length question. And this is not without good reason.

Whenever a video pops up on our screens we often start by checking the length to assess whether it is worth our time. From that point, we decide to click on play or not. However, this does not mean that we’ll watch the entire video. Chances are high that after a few seconds, we shall fast forward the video or move on to other “more pressing matters.”

So how long should a video be?

Ideally, the video should be about 60 seconds or less. If you are into creative video productions remember this, just because you can upload a lengthy video on social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook, doesn’t mean that you have to.

In fact, viewers often respond badly to lengthy videos.

Just know that it does not mean you have to face the troubles of determining the video length all the time. By keeping in mind a few factors, you can easily influence the length of your videos and with these factors, you can your ideal video length.

Target Audience

All your business decisions should always be centred on the customer. Consider who is the target viewer? What is it that they want or need? And which is the best way to convey information to the viewer?

There’s a difference between a middle-aged entrepreneur who has limited time and an employee who has to watch your videos as part of their training and development.

The audience demographics and social status will contribute to determining the video length.

Context

The next aspect to consider is how familiar is your audience with the subject matter of your video?

If you are conveying a complex message to a new audience, you will have to come up with longer videos in order to give room for emphasis, pauses, and breaks. However, if the video is a continuation of a familiar topic, zoom in to the main points and deliver your message as soon as possible.

Whatever the case, avoid repetition as much as you can unless it is necessary for you to emphasize certain points yet again.

Content

Critically look at the content that delivers what the audience needs with precision and began to thin out any content that doesn’t contribute to this end.

Verbosity is a common pitfall for many entrepreneurs, especially when explaining their products or presenting a resume.

Nonetheless, you should avoid it by all means. Instead, keep the audience yearning to know more about your products and presentation.

Channel

How do you intend to distribute your video? Top production houses in Singapore will advise you on the various channels and which types will work best on your specific audiences.

Different social media platforms allow a certain video length. While Facebook allows for a whopping 240 minutes of video time, Twitter only permits short videos that are under two minutes. Though one can obviously upload a length video on Facebook, studies have shown that the ideal length for a business video should not exceed two minutes.

Bottom Line

There is no scientifically determined video length. It all depends on your customer, context, content, and channel. No matter how amazing some creative video productions are, remember, the shorter it is, the better.