Short vs Long Corporate Videos: Which is Best?

Short vs Long Corporate Videos: Which is Best?

We live in a world where video is accessible. We can view it wherever we are, whenever we need it. Our smartphones download the content in next to no time, whether we’re at home, in work, on the street or holidaying abroad by the pool. 

It’s no surprise, therefore, that marketers put so much store in this type of content. It’s viewed more often and shared more frequently. 

How long should your corporate video be? Is short really best? The answer lies in three important questions:

• What is the purpose of your video content?
• What type of video are you producing?
• Where is it going to be posted?

A gaming business that wants demonstrate how dynamic and cutting edge it is may well opt for a short, 30-second, corporate promo that dazzles its young audience. A construction company that handles multi-million-pound building projects, however, knows that its core audience is going to want something with greater depth. 

The Pros and Cons of Short Video

There’s plenty of evidence online that the longer your video, the less likely it is to be watched all the way through. Short video between 30 seconds and 2 minutes is ideal for social media where attention spans seem to be a little shorter. 

What we watch content on is also important. Many of us nowadays download onto our smartphones. But different demographics have their own little habits. For instance, there’s a perception that millennials prefer shorter videos that don’t take up too much of their time. 

Short content tends to be shared often compared to longer content. If your video is entertaining, amusing or just plain interesting, it makes sharing even more likely. It can be used to create brand awareness, sell something or provide customers with useful information on how to use your services or product. Short video works well for content such as testimonials too. 

Explainer Videos

These often work well with animation, as this initial explainer ad for the now famous music sharing site Spotify shows. Punchy, quirky and entertaining it says exactly what it needs to say in an engaging way. 

How To Videos

These can be short or long depending what your audience is looking for. They suit the short format which can be posted on social media easily and shared. Take a look at this example from Schwarzkopf about styling hair. Again, it’s quick, gets straight to the point, is useful and, above all, it’s shareable. 

Demonstrating Your Product

When your audience can see your product being used, they are more likely to buy. Add in a little humour and you ad can be twice as effective in half the time, as this marketing video for Man Crates shows. 

The downside of short corporate videos is that you only have a limited time to get your point across. However, this can actually be beneficial as it really helps focus the mind when you are developing content. If you need to say more, however, and have a bigger budget, you may just want to look at long video or creating multiple bitesize videos.

The Pros and Cons of Long Corporate Videos

Time is relative. One person may think that three minutes is way too long, others that ten is too short. There’s no doubt that it’s more difficult to keep your viewer’s attention with longer video projects and a lot will depend on the idea that you are trying to get across. 

The biggest factor you will need to determine is whether investing in a long video will deliver the return that you are looking for. 

Here are a few areas where it works really well.

Inspirational/Storytelling Videos

These have grown in popularity over the last few years but you really need the budget to match your aspirations. Inspirational videos are all about associating your brand with bold ideas and big emotions rather than the direct marketing of a product or service. 

You are telling a story and it needs to keep the viewer engaged from beginning to end. Where the video is going to be shown is also important. This video for Make a Wish comes in at just under 12 minutes but tells a powerful story. It was also shown at an event rather than shared on social media. In other words, it had a relatively captured and influential audience.  

Documentaries

A number of businesses are also investing in documentaries that highlight their brand and values but in greater detail. Again, this is more about telling the story than selling. Interest needs to be maintained which usually means having pretty high production values. 

Take a look at this example from Stella Artois. The brand is mentioned throughout but the story is about the people. 

Complex Idea Videos

Your business may have an academic slant or be heavily dependent on data. Getting complex issues across may well require much greater detail and a longer video. This offering from FranceMed Pharma may seem a little dry to most of us but it is aimed at a specific audience who will want to do business with the company and need to know details beyond a simple catchphrase or advertising gimmick. 

The downside for long corporate videos is the cost. The more content you have the more you are going to need to spend. Areas like scripting can be a lot harder work as you have to maintain attention as well as create the right reaction in your audience. In short, the longer things go on, the more challenging they can be to put together. 

Length of video for corporate marketing is an important issue. It’s something that you need to consider fairly early on in the development stage. Working with a professional video production company helps you make those important decisions and tailor your content to specific needs and outcomes.

If you’d like to find out more, contact the team at Square Pixel Productions today.