After producing hundreds of explainer videos for SaaS companies, we have heard the question countless times: “How long should our video be?” This seems like an easy question but requires careful consideration. We have developed some useful insights, based on our experience working with tech startups across different industries, to help find that sweet spot in video timing.
The Attention Span Myth
The elephant in the room is the often-cited “8-second attention span.” In our experience, we find that such generalization is not true. Analytics show, time and again, that when content is valuable and pertinent, people will stay engaged for a longer time than expected.
This does not mean that you should now start making 10-minute-long explainer videos for business. The insight is that quality of engagement is more important than arbitrary measures of time. When audiences are searching for a solution for their challenges, they are likely to spend as much time as it takes to comprehend your solution.
The Relationship Between Complexity and Length
From our client work, we observe that there is an inverse relationship between complexity of concepts and lengthiness. Explaining a simple B2C app could easily be managed within 60-90 seconds. Conversely, an enterprise security platform with multiple stakeholders and use cases would often require 2-3 minutes in order to communicate effectively.
For a data analytics platform we worked on, the initial attempt was to fit the explanation into a 60-second time slot. The outcome felt rushed and the prospects were left confused on some important differentiators. When we extended the length to 2:15 and allowed time for visualizing their approach, we suddenly saw a dramatic increase in demo requests. This extra 75 seconds became critical for comprehension.
These aren’t strict rules, but are rather points of departure based on patterns we’ve seen across hundreds of videos.
With Zelios’s free script timer (words to time calculator): https://zelios.agency/script-timer/, you can quickly estimate the length of a script at your reading speed with this fast and easy-to-use tool. It tells you how long it will take to read a script aloud.
Where Will Your Video Live?
The website that is hosting your video counts a lot when it comes to the length of the video. Our research has shown two minutes for videos embedded on landing pages can do a good job in engaging their viewer for 2 minutes and beyond if executed well.
On social media, the same video might not keep viewers more than 60 seconds. A cybersecurity client has thus prepared two versions of their explainer: a longer one for 2 minutes and 30 seconds for use on their website and sales presentations, and the shorter one of 45 seconds as a teaser for social channels.
The latter explains the problem statement and unique approach briefly and tells the interested viewers to link to the 2:30 version for full explanation; a strategic differentiation for expected use contexts.
Our findings also suggest that videos which are sent in email campaigns work best under 90 seconds in excess of all possible complexity. When the fintech startup we worked with changed from a 3-minute overview to a concise 75-second version for their email nurture sequence, their click-through rates to the website increased 48%.
Testing Reveals the Truth
A/B testing with real audiences probably gives us some of our most salient wisdom. Again and again, we have seen that ideas about the “ideal” length often don’t hold when it runs to real life.
The project management tool we worked with had an entrenched belief that its explainer had to be less than 60 seconds. We suggested trying it against a 90-second version that included a few short snippets of customers giving testimonials. The long version had similar completion rates while prompting 27% more trial signups. The additional elements of social proof took a little time, but the reassurance they provided was evidently helpful to the prospects.
Another client found the opposite: A 70-second video generated better responses from their audience than the 2-minute version they initially favored. Without testing both, this insight might have slipped by unnoticed.
Needless to say: while guidelines based on experience are good starting points, your audience and value proposition alone may suggest otherwise. Finding what works through testing different lengths with your real prospects provides you real insight that precedes generalized best practices.
The Hidden Factor
The density of a script, that is, the number of ideas being put forth per second, is often ignored in discussions of video length. It has been discovered that giving complex concepts and ideas some breathing space allows for better understanding, as opposed to ramming through a barrage of multiple points in quick succession.
A machine-learning platform first tried to explain their technical method, three key features, competitive advantages, and implementation within 90 seconds. The experience felt quite overwhelming. Extending to 2:15 proved much more effective. Comprehension scores shot up dramatically simply by making more time available for the same content to land.
From our experience, one big idea or feature typically requires on average 20-30 seconds for a good visual explanation. This would suggest that for any number of key points you could reasonably consider, this should help you begin estimating how long your video might be.
The Engagement Cliff
A notable pattern our analytics from hundreds of datasets tracked in SaaS videos has identified is the “engagement cliff.” Rather than a slow and steady decline in viewership, we have often seen relatively stable engagement up to a certain point when viewership drop-offs suddenly accelerate.
Certain explainer videos reach this cliff usually at 2:30. What this does not rule out, however, is videos going longer than this. If the content beyond the 2:30 mark becomes especially relevant to the viewer, though, it increases the risk of them abandoning the video altogether.
Length vs. Pacing
Our research has shown that perceived length frequently has a greater impact than real duration. A slow 90-second video may seem longer than a well-paced 2-minute one.
Our marketing automation platform first produced a 90-second explanation that, in spite of its briefness, felt tiresome. Their 2-minute version was actually praised for being “quick and to the point” despite being longer after being restructured with greater visual variation and narrative flow.
Finding Your Optimal Length
Leaning on our journeies into hundreds of SaaS explainer videos, here is our process:
- Formulate the core message, the minimum messages for communication of the value proposition.
- Consider the audience’s familiarity with the problem space; the lesser the audience’s knowledge of the problem space, the more context it needs, and hence longer.
- Consider where the viewers will find the video and their mind state during the said encounter.
- Write the script of the core message and then time how long a natural reading would take; add 15-20 percent for visual moments and transitions.
- Produce varied length versions, please test with real prospects in real environments, if at all feasible.
- Not just completion rates but conversion actions post-viewing will come into play as well.
Ultimately, the quest for the “perfect” video length misses the point because it is really about making a video that is just as long as it needs to be for your audience to receive the value proposition-no shorter, no longer-than that. Sometimes that has to do with 60 seconds; sometimes it is three minutes. The length is ideal to the extent that it serves your business objectives.
After all our work with tech startups, we’ve found that a well-crafted 2-minute video that clearly explains your solution is infinitely more valuable than a confusing 60-second video that leaves viewers with more questions than answers. Focus first on clarity and engagement—let the optimal length follow naturally from there.