A Quarterly Graphic Design & Printing Newsletter SUMMER 2017
HOW LONG SHOULD YOUR MARKETING VIDEO BE? By Tingalls Graphic Design
Business owners throughout Wisconsin are loving online marketing videos. They are easy to create, generate big responses, and let marketers put their messaging in a whole new dimension. However, there is a question clients who are just getting started with the videos on YouTube, Facebook, or their own websites often tend to ask: how long should my video be? While there aren’t any definite rules, here are a few guidelines that should help you find the answer you’re looking for… FOLLOW THE GOLDEN RULE When producing any kind of content – whether it’s a novel or a quick instructional video clip – the rule of thumb is to make things as long as they need to be in order to say what you have to say, and not a word, second, or inch longer. In other words, think about which points are appropriate to the topic and then use the resulting outline as a guide. If you can express your main points in a minute or two, shoot for that. If you need half an hour, but your video is stocked with great content, leave it at a longer length. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE Of course, producing great video clips isn’t just about what you have to say – there is also the issue of what the viewer will stay tuned in for. Attention spans vary by audience (generally speaking, older people and academic types will concentrate longer than kids and gamers, for example). But this is an area where topics matter a lot, too. You could probably generate hours of video talking about the intricate features of a complex industrial machine. A product review for a kitchen gadget, on the other hand, probably needs to be wrapped up in under three minutes. (continued on inside)
ONLINE VIDEO IS GIVING BUSINESS OWNERS AND MARKETERS NEW OPPORTUNITIES THAT SIMPLY DIDN’T EXIST JUST A FEW YEARS AGO.