Whether you’re creating short-form videos like those featured on TikTok or Stories or live broadcasts on Facebook, videos are the future of Social Media Content. Right now more than 80% of online traffic is video content.
Crazy, right?
We’ve created thousands of videos on various platforms, and we’ve discovered through trial and error what works and what doesn’t. So let’s help you optimize the “timing” of your videos!
How Long Should Your Videos Be?
Choosing Your Video Length
The truth is, before you start figuring out the best length for your videos, you need to take several factors into account.
Factor #1: Platform
There are so many Social Media platforms out there and each one has its own dos and don'ts. What they all have in common, however, is that they all want to keep their users watching for as long as possible.
Video Length Guide:
- Facebook - max video length for pre-recorded videos: 240 min; Live videos - as long as you make them; average length: 3.48 minutes
- Instagram (Reels) - max video length: 90 seconds; average length: 15 – 60 seconds
- YouTube - max video length: 12 hours; average length: 11.7 minutes
- TikTok - max video length: 3 min; average length: 7 – 15 seconds
Factor #2: Target Audience
Who are you making your video for? Are they watching on a desktop or mobile? Can they turn the sound on? All of these things can influence your engagement.
So think about your followers and test things out.
Factor #3: Type of Content
What type of content are you presenting? Are you showing up to share a couple of tips or are you doing a step-by-step tutorial?
Don't overstretch your content to make your videos longer but also don't cut out important parts to make it shorter because you think it might perform better. Your videos need to be as short as possible but as long as needed.
Best Practices to Shoot Effective Videos
If you’re posting a static, pre-recorded video, it should be one to three minutes long. The videos that perform the best usually fall into the category of one of the Big 3 Es:
Entertain — Educate — Empower.
Another amazing idea is to use captions* on all of your videos! People love that! We use a service called Rev.com, which provides captions for just $1.50/min.
- 85% of videos are watched without sound.
And of course, the best thing you can do with Facebook right now is to go LIVE!
LIVE broadcasts can be longer!
Catch this - if people are watching LIVE, they're watching 3x longer than watching a pre-recorded video. Also, live videos then do better than uploaded ones because they're real and authentic.
The length depends on the goal you have for your video. The best length for a live to optimize your reach? 10 minutes is best. However, if you do a webinar, a presentation or a live Q&A session, you can go longer. This is especially true if the live broadcast is scheduled and promoted ahead of time because people will be expecting it.
But what do you do, if (perish the thought) no one shows up to your live broadcast? Should you wrap it up as fast as possible? No! Crush it regardless. Why? Most of your views will come from the replay anyway.
And if you have nervous jitters before going live, simply practice. Use the “Only Me” privacy setting, and you’ll be your only viewer. So test the waters!
Facebook videos are the best way to get yourself out there and to get people to start falling in love with you. And if people love you, they’re going to want to do business with you.
Be Unapologetically YOU
Your vibe will attract your tribe. But remember: if you’re gonna attract, you’re also gonna repel. You can’t be everyone’s cup of tea. And that’s OK!
Additional Resources to Help You Master the Art of Content Creation:
- How to Easily Create and Edit Videos Using Your Phone
- Top 3 Tools to Stream and Go LIVE on Social Media + Tutorials
- How to Create Epic Social Media Content that Engages Your Audience
- 5 Surprising Ways to Improve Your Content
- Facebook Page VS. Facebook Profile - Which is Better for Audience Reach?
- LIKE Our Page to Plug into our LIVE Trainings Here
Want to Know What Tools we Use to Build Our Business and Our Brand?
- Resources - we often get asked what tools we use and recommend, so we put together one page with all our favorite resources. Enjoy!
Feel free to share this with anyone who might enjoy it and also comment below on your favorite tip or your biggest takeaway. We can't wait to see your comments!
Email: support@mylifestyleacademy.com
We are home business and lifestyle experts, personal branding and online marketing strategists. We pride ourselves on helping thousands of entrepreneurs and network marketers all over the world build their home business empire leveraging Social Media.
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