When planning a video, it helps to think about length before you start recording. Not because every video needs to fit a certain number of seconds, but because the place where the video will be used and the information you’re covering should affect how you prepare.
A 30-second commercial has a firm limit. A customer testimonial doesn’t. A Reel should usually cover one clear subject, while an educational video may need several minutes to properly explain something.
Here are a few things to consider when planning your business video length.
Start With the Purpose of the Video
Before deciding on a length, write down what the video needs to accomplish.
For example, if you’re recording a video about a new service, decide what the viewer actually needs to know. You might want to cover:
- What the service is
- Who it’s for
- What problem it solves
- How someone gets started
Once you know what needs to be covered, it’s easier to determine whether you have a 45-second video or a three-minute video.
This also keeps you from adding information that belongs somewhere else.
Short Videos Work Better With One Subject
Short-form videos are easier to plan when you give each video one job. Let’s say you own a home inspection company.
Instead of recording one Reel called “Everything You Need to Know About Home Inspections,” you could record separate videos about how long an inspection takes, whether the buyer should attend, what inspectors look for, and what happens after the inspection.
Each question becomes its own video.
This gives you enough time to explain the answer without trying to squeeze several subjects into a minute.
It’s also a simple way to create more content from the knowledge you already have.
Website Videos Have More Flexibility
Website visitors behave differently from someone scrolling through social media. If a person is on your Services page, they’ve already shown some interest in what you offer. A video there can take a little more time to explain how the service works.
The same applies to an About page. You may want enough time to introduce the company, talk about what you do, and explain who you work with.
That doesn’t mean a website video should automatically be five minutes long.
If you can explain something clearly in 90 seconds, there’s no reason to stretch it to three minutes.
Commercials Need to Be Planned to the Second
A commercial is one situation where the length needs to be established before recording… but if you’re producing a 30-second commercial, the script has to fit comfortably within those 30 seconds.
A good way to check this is to read the script aloud at the same pace you expect to use on camera. Time yourself.
If you’re consistently reaching 35 or 40 seconds, don’t plan on simply speaking faster during the recording. Go back to the script and decide what can be removed.
This usually produces a better commercial than trying to squeeze too many words into the available time.
Testimonials Need a Different Approach
Customer testimonials don’t necessarily need to be recorded at the same length as the finished video. Suppose you want a one-minute testimonial for your website.
You don’t have to ask the customer to give you a perfect one-minute answer.
Record a longer conversation instead. Ask about why they contacted the company, what their experience was like, and what stood out to them.
During editing, the strongest parts of those answers can be brought together into a shorter finished video.
This usually gives you more to work with and allows the customer to speak normally.
Educational Videos May Need More Time
If you’re teaching something, give yourself enough time to teach it properly.
A CPA explaining one tax question may need two minutes. A REALTOR® explaining the steps between an accepted offer and closing may need five.
The question to ask isn’t, “How do I make this shorter?” Ask whether every part of the explanation belongs in the same video.
If the subject naturally has four separate parts, consider making four videos. If everything needs to be understood together, keep it together.
Podcasts and Interviews Aren’t Short-Form Videos
A podcast or interview is usually built around conversation, so it doesn’t need to follow the same rules as a Reel or commercial.
A 30-minute interview can later provide several much shorter videos.
For example, one answer might become a 40-second Reel. Another section could become a two-minute clip for LinkedIn or YouTube. The entire conversation can still be published as the full episode.
This is worth thinking about before recording because it may change the questions you prepare and the subjects you want to cover.
Plan the Content Before the Clock
There isn’t one correct business video length… but instead, match the length to what you’re creating.
Keep short videos focused. Give educational subjects enough time to be useful. Plan commercials around their required running time. Let interviews develop naturally and use editing to create shorter pieces afterward.
At OASIS Studios in Orlando, this is something we can help you work through before recording. If you know what you want the viewer to learn, understand, or do after watching, you’re already in a much better position to decide how long the video needs to be.
