The length of an animation video is crucial to its success. The timing of your video can be a deciding factor in whether viewers choose to press or skip the play button. If the video is too short, the content can suffer, and you may not be able to talk about everything you would like to. On the other hand, if it goes on too long, viewers might give up and not watch your animation.
This choice was much easier in the past due to the established TV advertising time frames. But with the growth of social media, there are endless possibilities for animation video duration.
How long should your animated video be?
A video on social media can be as short as a single second or as long as hours of content, depending on the site. Although the runtime can be difficult to get right, there is an average time that will guarantee the greatest engagement.
There are three main categories for Instagram videos, each with distinct viewers’ expectations and goals.
Video On Instagram: 1 Minute
Instagram’s main feed videos and its IGTV platform were combined into a single format called Instagram Video in 2021. Although viewers can still click through to complete watching videos up to 15 minutes in length, the maximum length that will show up on your Instagram grid is 1 minute.
Additionally, if your account is validated, you can post videos from your desktop app that are up to 60 minutes long.
If possible, you should still aim to keep your time under a minute. Unless otherwise specified, aim for 2 to 5 minutes. Short and to-the-point animation is the best way to grab the audience’s attention; even passive scrollers can’t help but notice.
Instagram Stories: 15 seconds
It’s critical to maintain user engagement because Instagram Stories account for 72.6% of the app’s overall ad reach, according to the Digital 2022 research. Instagram stories can only be as long as 15 seconds per slide.
Note:Facebook allows for cross-posting of Instagram Stories and Instagram Videos.
Instagram Reels: 15 to 60 seconds
Reels are TikTok’s replacement on Instagram. Reels are designed primarily for viral moments and quick-hit videos, unlike stories or grid posts. You manually choose 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 45 seconds, or 60 seconds before you begin shooting.
The sweet spot with Reels occurs within the first few seconds, regardless of your selected duration. If you can immediately capture your audience’s interest, they’ll probably watch the entire thing.
Facebook allows videos to be 240 minutes long. However, for viral content, Facebook recommends videos that are less than one minute or stories that are less than 20 seconds long. Long animation videos don’t necessarily perform poorly, though. Instead, they advise that live streaming, evolving stories, and episodic web series should all be 3 minutes or longer.
Facebook’s algorithm favours native video content, regardless of duration. That means you should not share a YouTube or Vimeo link on the platform; always post videos directly, as viewers are likelier to watch.
TikTok
Everything about TikTok is quick, including the app’s development and internal content. With that in mind, you should present as much information as possible in small pieces.
The app increased the maximum video length from one minute to three last year, then more recently to ten minutes. But it would be ideal if you aimed for a shorter animation video.
Despite having a modern taste, TikTokers choose to use standard runtimes. Therefore, staying in the 15-second range is recommended—enough time to draw in and hold the viewer’s interest.
Twitter’s videos are only 140 seconds long because the social media platform frequently refers to its character restrictions. In case you forgot, Twitter doubled it to 280 characters in 2017.
Aim for videos that are 44 seconds or less in length to capture viewers’ interest without going too long. If necessary, a brief Twitter video can be a trailer for a link to a larger version on YouTube or Vimeo to grab the audience’s attention.
YouTube
There are videos of all lengths on YouTube, which is the web’s official leader in video content. Uploaded videos can last up to 12 hours for verified accounts.
Your end goal will determine the duration of your ideal YouTube video. Want to make money with YouTube ads? With longer content, it’s a good idea to aim for a minimum duration of 10 minutes. It’s advisable to stick around the 2-minute mark if you seek more modest viral attention. Always be aware of the shortening attention spans on the internet.
LinkedIn has a stronger focus on business, and their videos are shorter to the point. This implies that you can upload native videos up to 10 minutes in length and video advertising up to 30 minutes.
However, LinkedIn found that videos with a running time of 30 seconds or less have a 200% increase in completion rates (meaning users watched the whole thing instead of clicking away). They also claimed extended-form videos could increase interest just as much as they do when telling more intricate storylines.
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