"How long should our video be?" is one of the most common questions we get — and the honest answer is another question: what does it have to do, and who's watching it?

There's no universal number. But there is a reliable way to decide.

Length follows the job, not the other way around

A video's runtime should be a result of its purpose, never a target you write toward. When you decide "we want a 60-second video" first, you end up either padding a 30-second idea or cramming a three-minute one. Both feel wrong to the viewer.

Start with the job. The length reveals itself.

Rough guidance by purpose

These aren't rules — they're starting points:

  • Social hook / short-form — 15 to 45 seconds. One idea, one hook, one takeaway. If it needs a second idea, it's a second video.
  • Ad / commercial — 15 to 60 seconds. Long enough to land a problem and an offer, short enough to survive a paid feed. Tighter is usually better.
  • Explainer / how it works — 60 to 120 seconds. Enough room to walk through a process without losing the thread.
  • Brand film / founder story — 90 seconds to 3 minutes. This one earns its length because the viewer chose to watch it — but it still can't ramble.
  • Testimonial — 30 to 90 seconds. One clear before-and-after beats a five-minute interview every time.

The real metric isn't length — it's retention

A 30-second video watched to 6 seconds failed. A 3-minute video watched to the end succeeded. Length is just the container; retention is the thing that actually tells you if the content is working.

That's why we tell clients to stop asking "how long" and start watching the drop-off. If people leave at the same spot every time, the problem isn't the runtime — it's what happens at that moment in the script. (This is one of the metrics that actually predict revenue.)

When in doubt, cut

Almost every first cut we review is too long. Not because the extra footage is bad — because it's unnecessary, and unnecessary always reads as slow.

Here's the test for every line and every shot: if this were gone, would the video still do its job? If yes, it goes. A tight video respects the viewer's time, and viewers reward that with attention.

The one rule that always holds

Make it as long as it needs to be to do its one job — and not one second longer. If you've nailed the script structure, the right length usually takes care of itself.

Sitting on footage that feels too long? Book a free Strategy Fit Call — we'll help you find the cut that actually converts.