One of the first questions I get from clients regarding Social Media Video Production is, "How long should my video be?" In my opinion, based on recent experience, there is no "golden rule of success" when it comes to video length. Allow me to share two conflicting success stories. Then I’ll give you my Top-5 Considerations for deciding when to Go Long or Keep it Brief.
EXAMPLE-1: KEEP
IT BRIEF
Earlier this month I produced a blooper video for New JerseyDivorce Attorney Edward R. Weinstein.
These bloopers were edited from out-takes of Mr. Weinstein’s most recent
shoot regarding NJ Alimony After Divorce. The length was 1min.10sec.. Check out the bloopers here if you need a good laugh. If you’re getting divorced, it can’t hurt to hire a lawyer
with a good-natured sense of humor to get you through it! In the first 8-hours after posting the
video on a “Test YouTube Channel”, the bloopers received 350 views…very
impressive for a mid-size law firm.
Mr. Weinstein also shared the YouTube link on his personal Facebook page.
The post almost instantly received
78 Likes, and 71 Comments...respectable audience engagement. Actually, the comments are just as
funny as the video itself. A quick
look at the YouTube Analytics revealed that 98% of the viewers watched all the
way to the end…an audience retention home run. The video was short, it was entertaining, and served as
ground-breaking personal branding for my client. Believe me, most family lawyers are not as brave and social
media savvy as Mr. Weinstein.
EXAMPLE-2: GO
LONG AND KEEP IT BRIEF
A few days ago, I edited a 28-minute chess match featuring
World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen. In this video, recorded live at
New York’s Lincoln Center, Magnus wears a
blindfold and takes on three challengers simultaneously while playing against
the clock. “Impossible” you say? Maybe
that’s what enticed 103,000 people to watch the video on Magnus’ Official YouTube Channel. This “never-before-attempted”
chess match helped The Sohn Conference Foundation
raise funds for pediatric cancer research and was produced by Terri Walters of Moonfish Creative. I also wrote and edited a 3-minute promo video, which was
release to online media via a Public Relations Agency. You can watch the short promo on Time Magazine’s web site. The promo’s call-to-action directs the viewers to the full
chess match and The Sohn Conference Foundation’s website. To date, the promo has garnered 72,000 views.
In this example, both the long and short videos did very well. However, the full version of the chess
match outperformed the promo. It’s important to note that Magnus has more than
36,000 YouTube subscribers and 375,000 Facebook followers. After all, he’s been
dubbed “The Mozart of Chess”. It’s
safe to assume that true chess enthusiasts, and Magnus’ loyal fans, wanted to
see the entire match…even though is was nearly 30-minutes long.
SO WHAT GIVES?
Clearly, there are a multitude of variables at play. As I mentioned at the top of this blog,
the “Go Long” and “Keep It Brief” approaches both work well under the right circumstances. Every video, every client, and every target
audience is different. So before
you shoot a single frame of video, take a deep breath and consider the
following guidelines. I’m
confident they will assist you in determining the appropriate length of your video.
GO LONG OR KEEP IT BRIEF: TOP-5 CONSIDERATIONS
1-Are you targeting a niche audience willing to watch a longer video?
2-Are you targeting a general audience that appreciates a time-saving short video?
3-Does the topic of the video require a certain length to explain sufficiently?
4-Should the video be broken up into a series of short videos?
4-Should the video be broken up into a series of short videos?
5-Should you produce a short promo that links to a longer video or detailed blog?
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