What is the Best Video Length for Facebook?

Using video on Facebook is the perfect way to get some brand exposure, connect with your customers or fans and stand out from the competition. But, because of just how much content is out there on social media, the attention span of your audience is much shorter than it used to be, and the length of any successful video should take this into account. Here are some key factors that determine the best video length for Facebook.  

As a general rule, your video should be as long as it needs to be to get your key message across – no longer. Brevity is a key component of successful video marketing, and you don’t want your video to start boring your audience. 

Ask yourself what you want your audience to understand by the end of the video and try to impart that information as succinctly as possible. Give away as much as you need to, but you should leave your audience wanting more.

Most people’s social media feeds are chock-full of content and, as a result, social media users often have little patience for videos that run for too long or don’t grab their attention straight away. 

For this reason, trying to get your content into 30 seconds is a good starting point provided that is enough time to get all the necessary information across. This is only a starting point, however, and the length of your video will vary depending on the tone of your brand and the purpose of your video.

It’s difficult to say that any single time is the best video length for Facebook because it should be dictated by the purpose of your video. For example, a brand video might be shorter but a how-to video might be much longer. 

Most brands should be able to put across their identity and ethos in a very succinct way, but a how-to video should take as long as is necessary to demonstrate the process in question, without leaving any gaps or cutting corners but also not indulging yourself or going off on unnecessary tangents

If your content is organic, rather than paying Facebook to advertise it, you should note that videos longer than 3 minutes are prioritised by the Facebook algorithm, meaning your followers are more likely to see your video. 

This isn’t the only factor the algorithm takes into consideration, however, and if you try to fluff up your piece with filler to reach that runtime, it’s unlikely to make a difference – the content still needs to be high-quality and engaging.

Video thrives on social media provided it is executed properly, and this type of content is much more likely to be shared with or reach audiences who are outside your typical demographic, potentially expanding your customer base, and creating a buzz around your brand. 

The best video length for Facebook is determined, above all, by your video’s purpose but keeping the run time down will make it more likely that your audience sticks around for the whole thing.

If you are looking to create a marketing video for Facebook, you are welcome to get in touch with us to find out about the services we offer.