So, how long is this video?
Arguments abound for shorter length videos versus longer length videos when it comes to audience retention. Most of these deliberations involve discussing the average attention span of viewers. However, your first concern should be capturing the interest of your audience. Attention spans are irrelevant if the audience is not interested in your content. Instead of one long video, why not have several shorter videos?
While some long videos are able to keep viewers interested enough to watch to the very end, video content marketing is usually most effective when videos are kept shorter than two minutes. Short videos enable viewers to not only find but also directly go to the content that interests them the most. This increases the likelihood that viewers will stick with a clip until the end.
The process of cutting a video shorter also requires taking a closer look at the content of each clip:
- Does your video cover more than one topic in detail?
- Does your video present information more than once in the same way?
- Do your introductions, titles, descriptions and keywords give an accurate representation of the subject of your video?
Asking yourself the above questions should help you decide if your video needs to be cut shorter. If you decide to go with a longer cut, make sure to include new details and in-depth information to keep your audience interested.
So, how long are your online videos typically? How long do you usually spend watching an online video? What are some reasons that you stop watching a clip before the end?