Finding The Sweet Spot: Leveraging Duration For Maximum Impact

When it comes to crafting the perfect explainer, one burning questions often rises above the rest: how long should it be?  There are a few factors that come into play when figuring out how long your video should be, and how to make the most of that time, so let’s take a look…

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Keep It Concise

‍Brevity is the name of the game in terms of explainer videos.  No matter how cool your video is, no audience wants to watch a 10 minute video.  Well, some might, but for the most part, they’ll see the duration and close the window in all of 30 seconds.  Shorter videos in the realm of 60-90 seconds keep your message concise and to the point so audiences remain engaged for the full video.

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Delivering Key Information

Pack a punch with your content.  Focus on succinct delivery, sticking to one main message to avoid confusing or overwhelming your audience.

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Capturing Attention

Capturing attention is key.  We think it’s pretty safe to assume you know this.  No matter what duration your video is, you want to make sure that first 5-10 seconds is attention grabbing.

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Maintaining Engagement

With platforms like TikTok and Instagram working hard to shorten our attention spans, its integral to keep your video interesting and well-paced so your audience doesn’t get bored.

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Make it Compelling

But Explanimate, my product is so ‘boring’ no one’s going to want to watch a 90s explainer about a revolutionary toilet brush.   Don’t you worry, every great explainer video is a story waiting to be told.  Crafting a compelling arc that resonates with your audience will always leave a lasting mark.

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Adapting to Platform Norms

While explainer videos are versatile, there are still steps you can be taking to make sure you’re maximising your impact across each platform.  For social media, where attention spans are at their shortest, use a shorter version of your explainer (we recommend about 30-60 seconds) to maximise engagement.

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Consider Complexity

The complexity of your message or product can also influence the idea duration.  While simpler concepts might be effectively conveyed in shorter videos, more complex concepts need to be broken down into bite sized pieces so they may warrant a longer video.

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It’s All About Balance

Ultimately, finding the optimal duration is about striking a balance between delivering your message effectively and respecting your audience’s time.  You want to aim for brevity without sacrificing clarity or impact.

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So, there you have it.  The ideal duration for an explainer video, and how to make best use of that time.  It’s not entirely unlike making a sandwich, where you want to pack as much flavour between the bread as you can, while still making sure it can fit in someone’s mouth (sorry, we’re hungry).

Moral of the story is: keep it concise, engaging and focused on key information.  By doing this you can craft a video that captivates your audience and leaves them craving more.

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