"How long should our video be?" is one of the most common questions in any video production brief — and one of the easiest to answer badly. The honest answer is: it depends. But there are clear patterns for every type of business video, and understanding them will help you brief better, spend smarter, and get more out of every piece of content you commission.
viewer retention rate is achieved by videos lasting 90 seconds or less — making this the proven optimal range for most business video content.
A homepage video has one job: convert a visitor into an enquiry. You have a few seconds to hook someone who is already interested but not yet committed. Sixty to ninety seconds gives you enough time to establish what you do, why it matters, and what to do next — without testing patience. Beyond two minutes on a homepage, completion rates fall sharply.
The sweet spot for explainer videos is 60–90 seconds. This is long enough to cover a product or service clearly, and short enough to maintain attention. If your content genuinely cannot fit into 90 seconds, consider breaking it into a short teaser and a longer follow-up piece rather than stretching a single video past the point of engagement.
Social media is a scrolling environment. You are competing with an enormous amount of content for a fraction of a second of attention. The first three seconds determine whether someone keeps watching. For most social platforms, 15–60 seconds is optimal — though LinkedIn B2B content can sustain up to 90 seconds if it opens with a strong hook.
For paid video ads — pre-roll, social feed, display — 15 to 30 seconds is the target. Skippable YouTube ads need to deliver the key message within the first five seconds in case the viewer skips. Non-skippable ads are usually capped at 15 seconds by the platform. For social feed ads, 15–20 seconds drives the best completion and conversion rates.
Testimonial and case study videos have more latitude because the viewer is already interested — they are in research mode, evaluating their options. A well-structured case study can sustain up to two or three minutes. But even here, discipline pays off: the tightest, most specific testimonials are almost always the most persuasive.
Training videos follow different rules. Five to ten minutes is common, though breaking long content into shorter chapters improves engagement and completion rates.
Whatever format you are producing, the guiding principle is the same: make the video exactly as long as it needs to be, and not a second longer. The most common mistake in business video production is padding — adding context that doesn't serve the viewer, or saying in two minutes what could be said in forty-five seconds.
If you are unsure how long your video should be, start by writing the script. The right length will usually become clear. Read our guide on how to write a great video script for a step-by-step walkthrough.
of all internet traffic is now video — which means keeping content focused and well-paced matters more than ever to capture and hold attention online.
| Video Type | Recommended Length |
|---|---|
| Homepage / brand video | 60–90 seconds |
| Explainer video | 60–90 seconds |
| Social media content | 15–60 seconds |
| Video advertisement | 15–30 seconds |
| Testimonial / case study | 60 seconds – 3 minutes |
| Training / educational | 3–10 minutes (in chapters) |
Planning a video? Start with our guide on how to write a video brief — including how to specify length — then get in touch to discuss what's achievable within your budget.
It depends on the purpose. Homepage and explainer videos work best at 60–90 seconds. Social media videos perform best at 15–60 seconds. Video ads are typically 15–30 seconds. Case study and testimonial videos can run to 2–3 minutes.
Most explainer videos work best at 60–90 seconds. This is long enough to explain a product or service clearly, and short enough to maintain viewer attention. Research from Wistia shows that videos lasting 90 seconds or less have a 50% viewer retention rate — making this the sweet spot for most business content.
For most social platforms, 15–60 seconds performs best. On LinkedIn, 30–90 seconds works for B2B content. The key is to capture attention within the first 3 seconds regardless of length.
Video ads typically perform best at 15–30 seconds. Skippable pre-roll ads on YouTube need to hook the viewer within the first 5 seconds. For social feed ads, 15–20 seconds is the sweet spot for completion and conversion.
Yes — significantly. Videos that are too long lose viewers before the call to action. According to HubSpot, 95% of consumers say a video should be less than two minutes long. The most important principle is to make your video as short as it needs to be, and no longer.
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