It is a proven fact that we are losing our attention span, and our intensive use of the Internet is partly to blame. Therefore, if you want to share content, you have to be clear about the duration of videos on social networks ideal for them to be seen in full by your audience.
If a video is very long, you risk that most of your followers will not finish watching it, so you would be working in vain. To enhance dissemination, take note of the maximum time that your videos should have so as not to “bore” your audience.
Social networks have reduced our attention span
There is a wide debate about how social networks are influencing people's attention span. This happens for several reasons:
Digital multitasking
When we are connected we are not focused on a single thing. We check our social networks, but at the same time we answer WhatsApp messages, We edit a photo, watch a video on YouTube, etc.
There are studies that show that this multitasking reduces our ability to maintain attention on something specific. Therefore, when the time comes to watch a video quietly, we notice that it is difficult for us to concentrate only on it. Consequently, If we consider it to be long, we end up ignoring it.
Notifications and distractions
Social networks are designed to attract and retain our attention and, to do so, they use different stimuli such as constant notifications of comments, updates and “likes”. This continuous interruption makes it very difficult for us to focus our attention for more than a few seconds.
Superficial reading
The consumption of information on social networks is rapid and superficial, because we do not pay real attention to it. What we do is keep the headlines and some fragments of content. Something that, in the long run, reduces our ability to read and analyze texts in depth.
Why should the duration of videos on social networks be short?
There are several reasons that explain why we should make videos short:
Limited attention span
As we just saw, Users' online attention span is increasingly limited. Therefore, short videos are more effective in capturing and maintaining attention.
We are more likely to see a short video in full than a long video, although the latter is more interesting.
Fast content consumption
Social networks are designed for rapid content consumption, and videos are no exception to this dynamic. The shorter they are, the more videos can be viewed in a single session, which directly benefits Social Media, which They take advantage to collect data on their users' preferences.
Ease of sharing
A short video is easier to share and, therefore, there is a greater chance that it will end up going viral.
Algorithm optimization
The person responsible for the fact that most of the videos shown to us are short is the social media algorithm. You know that this type of content generates high interaction rates and, therefore, gives it preference over other content or longer videos.
Adaptation to user tastes
The behavior of social media users demonstrates a clear preference towards short content. That's why, the videos have been getting shorter and shorter, to adapt to what the public demands.
In fact, even platforms that previously did not use video so much are now promoting this content. This is the case of LinkedIn, which already allows publishing short videos in the feed.
Duration of videos on social networks: which is the most appropriate?
Next, we are going to see what is the ideal duration of videos on each social network if you want to attract a larger audience and ensure that your content is viewed in its entirety.
Duration of videos on Instagram
- Feeds. Videos in the feed should not exceed one minute in length. If they are longer, the user has to click on “see more” to continue viewing, and they usually do not do so.
- Stories. The maximum duration that Instagram allows us is 15 seconds.
- Reals. They are between 15 and 60 seconds, but the most important are the first five seconds, which are essential to retain attention.
Duration of videos on Tik tok
This is a social network based on short videos, and The most viral are those that last between 7 and 15 seconds. That is, you must be able to create quality content in a very compressed version of time.
Duration of videos in X
On X (formerly Twitter) the ideal length for videos is 44 seconds. Remember that on this platform brevity and conciseness in messages have always prevailed.
Duration of videos on YouTube
On this video platform we can find very extensive content, but The best thing if you are looking for viralization is that the video does not exceed two minutes.
Length of videos on LinkedIn
These videos are more professionally oriented, but since you don't want to bore your audience with your stuff, try to keep the duration no more than 30 seconds.
The good thing if brief twice good
This old saying It has a lot of application when it comes to video content for social networks.s. Users look for quality, but also brevity. They don't have time to spend minute after minute on a video.
Therefore, if you want to increase interaction and gain diffusion, it is better that you opt for short videos. These tips can help you:
- Shocking start. Make sure the first few seconds immediately grab attention.
- Titles and thumbnails. Use titles and thumbnails that encourage people to click to watch the video.
- Concise and direct content. Get “to the point” from the beginning of the video. Communicate clearly and directly, without detours.
- Quality. Just because a video is short does not mean that you should not pay attention to basic elements for its quality such as lighting and sound. You can also add visual and sound effects.
- Includes CTA. Add a call to action at the end of the video to get more interaction from the audience.
The length of videos on social networks has varied over time, but now you know that brevity is one of the keys to success.