Short Videos for Short Attention Spans

It’s very likely that you may have kept scrolling through your social media feed when you came across a video that is a minute too long. You’re not abnormal and this isn’t something specific to you. Just know that this is a phenomenon that is everywhere and shows no sign of going in the other direction. In this article, we’re going to show you how the demand for ever-shrinking social media content is growing.

As if video isn’t enough of an attractive medium, social media have made it short, simple, and catchy. According to wordstream.com, videos up to 2 minutes long get the most engagement.

Shorter Attention Spans

With our attention span getting shorter, our need for small, bite-sized video content is growing. With YouTube having more than a billion users, and more than 500 million hours of video watched daily, brands and other entities are competing to reach us and deliver their message with the most power in the least amount of time.

The Need for Shorter Videos

This phenomenon is prevalent in memes and funny or shocking videos. On Twitter, for example, where 82% of users watch video content, the vast majority of videos are maximum 2 minutes. Videos that are seconds long portray certain feelings and are used to complement jokes, and it’s present in viral content.

Short Videos in Modern Media

Another area in which short video content is sought after and used is in the news. News agencies, outlets and their extensions, such as AJ+, use short, informative videos with large type to get their story across in the most effective, time-efficient way possible, and they go viral. In fact, news outlets rely on such methods to gain followers and engagement rates.

Ideal Video Size

It’s safe to say that there’s enough research on this topic to figure out the ideal video length for every major social media platform. For instance, according to HubSpot.com, the ideal length for an Instagram video is 30 seconds. Our brains process visual images a lot faster than text, therefore we tend to scroll through our feed faster than any other platform. Videos should be concise in order to meet viewers’ expectations. On Twitter, the ideal video length was calculated to be 45 seconds. Twitter has a character limit to tweets, so users are accustomed to short bits of information, and that applies to video on Twitter as well.

Why Video Size Matters

The ideal video length on Facebook is 1 minute. It needs to be short in order for users to like and share quickly, and move on. YouTube’s ideal video length is 2 minutes, however, users like to spend time on the platform to browse for specific content or keep up with their favorite YouTube channel, making it preferable to upload long-duration content on that platform.

Social Media And Our Lives

It’s easy to slip into disillusionment  when talking about  conditions of effectively using social media and engaging with your audience. Considering our constant need to use our phones and check for notifications social media is only going to be a growing part of our lives, and has helped us reach an unprecedented level of connectivity (in one way or another).

Audience Demands

Now, for an insider’s look on these phenomena. Video production companies including us are constantly up to date on the latest trends in motion design and digital media. They’re also looking at what audiences demand out of video content. You are guaranteed to get the video content required to get your brand’s message across to your target audience in an effective way.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the need for fast-paced, short and powerful video content is only expected to grow in the coming years. That has its drawbacks when it comes to our attention spans getting shorter. Millennial’s rank the highest among generations who watch video content online, and with short video content showing no sign of fading out, coming generations are only going to create more demand for it. On that note, feel free to contact us to get started on your next video project!