How long will a consumer look at a banner ad? Thirty seconds? Ten seconds? Five? Answer: None of the above. The average time a person will fix his or her eyeballs on a banner ad is a staggering — three seconds. That’s it. After that, they’re outta there. Yes, microscopic attention spans are rampant in banner space.
But what about video? Are shrunken attention spans making some waves? With the proliferation of online video marketing, brand marketers certainly must find out. Accurate info will provide a needed gauge of appropriate running times. Right now 30-60 seconds is the standard for digital vids. Nevertheless, some productions stretch out to two minutes and beyond, while others flash past in a peppy six seconds.
Certainly there’s a time and a place for each of the different running times. If a brand marketer is communicating the countless benefits of a particular product or service, six seconds probably won’t carry the ball very far. This kind of info-packed messaging generally clocks in at about sixty seconds. To keep eyeballs glued during the stretch, engaging visuals and other content come into play.
On the other hand, video messages squeezed into six seconds have an entirely different purpose. These ‘compacts’ zoom into action as powerful attention getters – basically the visual equivalent of the printed or spoken tagline. While light on baggage, they’re still powerful hooks. As such, mini-vids support the more substantial, lengthier productions, which are needed to drive conversions. Brand marketers can also sharpen up their lengthier vids by incorporating some of the ‘snap, crackle, and pop’ storytelling techniques utilized in the shorter versions.
So what’s the perfect running time for an online video? Ultimately, it’s all about engagement. Whatever duration captures viewer interest is the right one. That, of course, generally depends on a number of marketing factors.
If you have any questions or comments about utilizing video to enhance your online marketing, or about any other brand building topic, feel free to send them our way. You can connect with the Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #4033 or bart@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest brand marketing news and tips.