If a picture paints a thousand words, how much more would a video be able to tell? In today’s latest methods to get the word out about your business, products or services, video marketing has a personal appeal that is irresistible. The unprecedented growth of video marketing has led many a business owner to ask, “how long should a marketing video be” to keep the audience’s attention?
The ability to track analytics about viewership of videos can offer some guidance. Yet it is best to be cautious of statistics that are tracked based solely on popular channels for the most appealing videos. These are not controlled studies that compare the duration of successful videos to those that failed. Most of the tips quoted regarding the ideal length of video come from observational data that carry a bias based on viral popularity. When it comes to the ideal duration of a marketing video, the average of 60 seconds can be misleading as trending videos actually have widely varying lengths. So what is a business owner to do with video marketing? It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.
# 1: Always aim to be relevant! Tate Design was studying the trend of video marketing for several years and advising clients how to build their marketing strategies to include videos. It is important to create videos that bring potential customers closer to your brand. When you create a video that allows the viewer to experience how the brand fits into their lives, daily activities, big decisions, fun times or family decisions, then they are open to buy it.
# 2: Solve a problem! If your company thinks about marketing as a way to solve a customer’s problem, then the videos it creates to transmit that message do not have to be abbreviated to 60 seconds or less. An example would be how IKEA is able to market its brand, teach viewers about space and even make a socially meaningful appeal to use space more efficiently. While their products make the most of every space, translating all those messages via video actually takes three times longer than the average 1-minute video. Yet when the concepts solve our problems, we don’t mind sticking around to see how the story ends. See for yourself: https://youtu.be/BQjBrt9LriY
# 3: Make an emotional connection. Your company video can be less than a minute when the branding message elicits a powerful emotion, such as love. When McDonalds purchased a 30-second spot during the 2015 Super Bowl, the company used the power of emotions as a reward to obtaining a meal. With the message that sharing fast food doesn’t have to be a mindless transaction, this short video shows how sharing a meal can also send a message of love. Reflect on your business strategy and your brand. Think of ways that what you offer can appeal emotionally to your customers and create videos that demonstrate that feeling.
Time is life’s true luxury. When you ask a potential customer to spend their valuable time to watch a video of your company’s products, remember that whether it’s a 10-second appeal or a 3-minute tutorial, it should bring value to the viewer. When you decide to make a mad dash to video marketing, remember that your marketing message won’t be gone in 60 seconds if you improve the life of your viewer.
