“How long should my social videos be?” From all the presentations I’ve given and all the prospective and actual clients I’ve talked to, it’s the number one question I get asked.
The answer is it depends. It depends on who you are, what you’re doing, the nature of your business, and, most importantly, whom you want to reach – your target audience and where they are within their buyer’s journey. That’s why before telling you how long your social videos should be, I need to explain what you need to know first.
Where should I post my video?
Post your videos where your audiences are hanging out.
If your audiences are under the age of 30, TikTok would be a great place to start posting video content.
For B2B businesses and those working with corporations, LinkedIn is the place to go.
If your business is about entrepreneurship and you want to reach regular people thinking of setting up their businesses, Facebook and Instagram are good places to post videos.
If you want to talk to seasoned fellow entrepreneurs, LinkedIn might be a better channel for you.
Relating video length to the funnel
Now back to the question about the length of your videos.
Every platform has a recommended video length. If you’re on TikTok, you can’t create videos longer than a minute, for example.
But let’s go beyond that. Before creating your videos, figure out what portion of your target audience you are trying to reach and where they are in your funnel. Their place in your funnel will determine the length of the videos you create for them.
Top of the funnel – shorter videos
Those at the top of the funnel are people who’ve never heard of you, your brand or your offer.
For such people, who don’t know you but want to learn more about you, 1-2 minute videos work well. They would be willing to invest only a couple of minutes in your content to see what you’re about.
Middle of the funnel – 5-10-minute videos
People in the middle of the funnel are those who know a little bit about you and your offer, seen some of your content or watched some of your videos.
These people are most likely engaging with, commenting on, and watching your videos. They may be willing to watch more of your content and of longer duration.
I do 10-minute Facebook Live videos for my business to target people in the middle of my funnel. These audiences already know who I am and then see the specific content I create for them.
Bottom of the funnel – longer videos
And, of course, the bottom of the funnel is where conversions happen.
You are safe to create longer videos for this portion of your target audience. These can be your courses, training, and webinars. Design those videos to prompt your viewers to take a specific action – whether it’s filling out a lead, getting on a call, or subscribing to a newsletter.
Conclusion
The length of your social videos should match (1) the requirements of the channel you are posting on and (2) where your target audience is within your funnel. Create 1-2 minutes videos for people at the top of the funnel. Create 5-10 minutes for people in the middle of the funnel. And create longer videos for people at the bottom of the funnel to increase conversions.
If you’re not sure if you and your brand – whether it’s your personal or company brand – are getting enough exposure through video content check out THIS blog on the Best Tips on How to Get Past Your Shyness with Video
