The Ideal Video Length for Each Platform: A Quick Guide

Did you know that almost two-thirds of businesses use video as part of their marketing strategy? 

And rightly so because videos are more engaging and easier to consume than plain text. 

For the best results, it’s important to get video production right. 

And a big part of getting your video creation right is answering the question, “How long should a video be?”

Whether you create short, TikTok-style videos or long webinar videos, there is an audience for both. 

This guide will walk you through all these factors and recommend the optimal video length for each type of video content and distribution platform. 

• Video length: Why it matters
• Ideal video length for social media
• Ideal video length for different types of videos

Why should you be concerned with video length? 

While you can’t completely control all the possible factors, you can optimize the ones you can. 

For example, early-stage prospects (like the ones browsing their social media feeds) are usually just curious and not seriously considering your product. They aren’t open to watching a long video. 

If you provide them with a lengthy video early in the funnel, they’re more likely to get intimidated and leave. The right call at this stage will be to present them with a short clip. 

However, the further prospects go in the funnel; the longer your videos can be. Interested prospects are eager to learn more and engage with extended tutorials or expert-led webinars.  

By considering factors such as the buyers’ journey, you can tweak your video length to engage your audience at the right time with the right message. 

With that in mind, let’s discuss the ideal video lengths for common social media platforms, video types, and use cases. 

Each social media platform has its own unique audience and video specifications that impact how long a video should be. 

Some social media channels also restrict video length, and we have noted those wherever applicable. Here’s a summary:

• TikTok: 10 to 15 seconds
• Pinterest: 15 to 30 seconds
• Twitter: 20 to 45 seconds
• YouTube: 5 to 15 minutes
• Facebook: 30 to 90 seconds
• Instagram: 30 to 45 seconds
• LinkedIn: 30 seconds to 5 minutes

TikTok users gravitate towards bite-sized videos. While your TikTok video’s length can be up to 60 seconds, the optimal duration lies between 10 and 15 seconds. 

However, you can exceed the 60-second cap by uploading the video non-natively. Here’s an example of the right TikTok video length by Duolingo.

Pinterest is popular as a discovery platform and a place where people go for quick answers. 

The recommended length for Pinterest videos is 15 to 30 seconds. Nevertheless, your videos can be a little longer in case of explainers or product demos. The maximum video length allowed is 30 minutes. 

Overall, try to keep your Pinterest videos short and sweet, like how they do it at Inspire Uplift.

Technically, your Twitter videos can be as long as 2 minutes and 20 seconds. But the recommended video length for both video tweets and Twitter video ads is between 20 and 45 seconds. 

Brands like Epik know that the platform is built for brevity, as reflected in their Twitter videos. 

YouTube is best for videos slightly longer than those on other social media platforms. 

You can share tutorials, case studies, interviews, and other video content lasting 5 to 15 minutes. Here’s an excellent example of optimal YouTube video length from Garage Gym Reviews.

Facebook lets you upload videos with up to four hours of runtime. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. 

Less than two minutes is the best goal to aim for, considering Facebook users’ attention spans. Meanwhile, thirty seconds to one minute is the sweet spot for Facebook video ads.

Also, make sure to put forth the most interesting bits in the first 10 seconds, like what Nintendo did in the example below. 

From 5-second stories to one-hour streams, Instagram allows a variety of video lengths. The best Instagram video content is still short, bite-sized clips under one minute.

Even when creating video ads or Instagram Stories, try to capture your core proposition in the first 20 seconds. Look at this video from Harley-Davidson for inspiration. 

LinkedIn users are professionals looking to learn and grow. They are more likely to watch medium-length videos if the content interests them.

As a result, LinkedIn videos can be anywhere between 30 seconds and five minutes. The following video from Boeing is a good example.

There is no one-size-fits-all video length when it comes to different types of videos.

As with social media platforms, it depends on what your prospects expect and the nature of your business. Here’s a summary:

• Ideal company culture video length: 2 to 4 minutes
• Ideal sales video length: 30 to 90 seconds
• Ideal homepage video length: 30 to 60 seconds
• Ideal landing page video length: 30 to 60 seconds
• Ideal explainer video length: 60 to 90 seconds
• Ideal email video length: 30 to 45 seconds
• Ideal testimonial video length: 2 to 4 minutes

A video showcasing your company culture should be two to four minutes long. You can use this video to cover a fun holiday or attract new talent by highlighting key benefits and office perks. For a good example of optimal video length, look no further than HubSpot.

The length of your sales video depends on whether you’re sending it to early-stage or late-stage prospects. 

Sales video for cold prospects should be around 30 seconds, but it can go up to 90 seconds for audiences further in the sales pipeline. You can have it longer if you’re responding to a pressing question or helping them solve a problem.

Here’s an example of optimal sales video length from Aiia Promo Gifts.

Planning to add videos to your website? Like your homepage?

The right length for a homepage video is the same as that of a TV commercial: between 30 and 60 seconds.

Homepage videos aren’t meant to provide complete answers. Instead, they act as a teaser of your offerings, such as the video below by Jackson Galaxy.

A landing page has a single, focused objective: grab attention and drive conversions fast.

As a result, the recommended landing page video length is 60 seconds, but your key message should emerge in the first 30 seconds. For example, watch this video from RetroFoam of Michigan’s landing page.

Explainer videos are supposed to be educational. And since the viewer is interested in learning more about your product, you can quickly go beyond a minute to deliver your answer. 

As always, the most important message should come early, ideally within the first 30 seconds. Headspace has a good example.

Embedding a video in your outreach email and saying “video” in the subject line can lead to better click-through and open rates. 

Also, ensure your email content has an attractive, clickable video thumbnail. The right video length for emails is less than a minute. Monica Vinader does this well. 

Testimonial viewers are usually mid or late-stage audience members willing to consume up to five minutes of video content. However, the sweet spot for video testimonials is around three minutes.

The following example from Rethink Robotics illustrates this well. 

If we were to boil down all the advice about video length to just one point, it would be this:

In summary, make sure to understand their needs and respect their time at each stage of the marketing funnel. 

When in doubt, err on the side of brevity. Try to cover only the most essential information with the shortest possible video. 

Instead of creating a long video, it’s safer to create several bite-sized videos. And you can do that easily with a tool like Piktochart Video. 

You can record and edit short videos and trim or split your long videos into multiple clips. The short video tutorial below shows you how to make your first video clip in Piktochart.

Plus, you can automatically generate subtitles and captions, add intros or outros, or even change aspects like colors and typography to ensure the videos match your brand. Try Piktochart Video for free today.