50% more people will complete a 1 minute video compared to a 2 minute video.
That’s the findings from the Wistia 2K12 report. When creating an explainer video, longer is rarely better. This is especially true when the content included is unnecessary or repetitive. Find out more about the benefits of creating a shorter explainer video.
Missing The call To Action
One of the key reasons why watch time is so critical, is because if people drop before the end they will miss some of the most important content – namely the “Call to Action” and/or your pitch. These are invariably added to the end of the video. According to the Wistia study more than 30% of people won’t complete a 1 – 2 minute video. That means that roughly a third of your potential viewers may never see your call to action or hear your pitch.
Why Shortening The Video Can Improve It’s Quality
Making a video shorter can force you to think harder about the choices you make about what to include. Without a clear time constraint it can be tempting to include “Everything and anything” that you can think of about your product or service. By eliminating the “fluff” you usually end up with a video which is tighter, more compelling and will have a greater impact.
How Long Should Your Script Be?
If you are writing your own script you may be wondering how long it should be? This will depend in part on the pacing of the video and the speed of the spoken delivery. But, in general a person can read about 150 words clearly per minute. Even if you are looking to convey a lot of information into a relatively short space of time it is best to keep to this word limit.
Length Is Important – But It Isn’t Everything
Length is an important, but not sole, component of whether people will watch a video to the finish. The Wistia study showed that the most significant drop off begins at the start of the video. People decide whether they will stick around and watch the video or not. Once they have decided to watch the video they will often commit to watching it through to the end.
This points to the fact that it is still very important that the content of the video is compelling. But, as noted above having a shorter video can actually force you to create something which is more compelling.
So, What Is The Ideal Length For An Explainer Video?
In general we recommend that for most businesses an explainer video of between 1 and 2 minutes will work best. Selecting the length for your video will always invariably be a trade-off between the content you want to include and keeping it concise and to the point.
A length of between 1 and 2 minutes is usually sufficient in order to convey the key benefits of the product or service, without losing too much of the audience’s attention. Also keep in mind that by producing a high quality explainer video you can retain a greater portion of your audience – even if it is slightly longer.
Need Your Own Explainer Video?
We would love to work with you. Use our contact form or call us on 0203 637 1467 to learn more about our explainer video production services.