When it comes to creating a video on YouTube, considering how long it should be is one of the first questions you may ask yourself. YouTube allows users to upload videos which are 128gb in file size or 12 hours in length, whichever is less, so therefore there is not much of a limit when it comes to video length. It is important to note though that unverified users are capped at 15 minutes. Although there is no clear answer, depending on the type of video you want to make can heavily influence how long your video will end up being. However, there are clear elements of a video that need to be catered to regardless of the length of the content. This will be covered in the following sections.
In the first 15 seconds you really want to hook the audience and deliver what they are expecting from the content. This is your best opportunity to wow the audience with something that they will want to keep watching so engaging viewers at this point is imperative. Especially if you are running an advert, if it is skippable then you really want to hook the viewer before they skip. Conversely, it is important to deliver your content in a way that presents your brand or product in the best possible light so potential customers are interested but those not interested will click away. This is highly important as YouTube will not charge you for viewers who skip before the end of the advert or 29 seconds if you are using a longer video.
Moving onto the first 30 seconds to a minute, this is when you should be further educating your audience about what makes you stand out from the crowd. Again, this is another opportunity to further hone down your audience and get those who are not quality leads to click off and keep those who are quality leads engaged. This is helpful as you don’t want your budget taken up by viewers who realistically are never going to convert as leads and add value to your business. Although the cost for these ‘wasted’ views will only be pennies rather than other platforms where you could be paying a massive amount of money on viewers who will never engage with your brand.
The final step is keeping your audience engaged and getting them either to take action or lead them through the video with engaging content. This massively helps qualify leads for remarketing lists as you can understand what your viewer makeup is and where they are clicking off. Obviously it is ideal to make them take action so it is important to have something to build up to in your video. It is important to note whether they watch 2 minutes or 2 hours further of your ad, it will cost the same so there is no reason to cut your content short. However, it is important to give something the viewer wants or needs so this is the best time to deliver or breadcrumb this so that they further engage with your brand by visiting your site or checking out more of your content.
What lengths of creatives will you be testing on YouTube and what is your killer hook to keep the audience engaged?