Explainer video is a short video clip which is now being used as a vital tool in the modern marketing strategies, particularly on internet forums. Such videos are mostly found accompanying a description and are supposed to give a quick review of the subject to its viewers.

What can be the best length for an explainer video?

Similar to the‘elevator pitch’ in a blog, an explainer video should be informative as well as precise. A proper explainer video is supposed to cover about one minute or less. Just like an elevator pitch is limited to few words, an explainer video should also be brief.

Does video length affect viewership?

Many online explainer videos on YouTube and other business websites are losing viewership and registering low performance than expected. This has become imperative to consider the impact of overall video length to the perception of viewers. Many online viewers are mostly skimmers and only need some concise and relevant information about the product or the business. According to Wistia in his article,‘Does length matter? It does for a video:2K12 Edition’ a graphical analysis in the article fosters a great understanding in the decline of viewership of an explainer video over time due to its length.

How to keep your viewers engaged in the video?

It is usually said that an ideal explainer video usually lasts for 60-90 seconds. Utilizing these few seconds wisely can successfully grab the attention of your viewers. You may divide your video into the following four segments, each of it addressing a different perspective.

• Segment 1 – Address the problems which your customers might be facing in their lives.
• Segment 2 – Introduce your product as a possible solution to their problems.
• Segment 3 – Give a brief description of your product including its usage and mode of action.
• Segment 4 – Guide your viewers about the next step.

How to decide the ideal length for your explainer video?

It is difficult to give a certain time limit for an explainer video. As the name suggests, explainer videos are meant to ‘explain’ the desired object to the viewers, so if this purpose is not fulfilled, the video can turn out to be a real failure. While deciding video length, the purpose of the video should be kept in mind. An explainer video is supposed to serve any of the following three purposes:

• An introduction to some product/service.
• Providing a detailed overview of the product with a bit of convincing manner.
• To provide detailed training about the use of the certain product.

Being precise does not mean the elimination of other key factors for making an impressive video. The script, voice tone, technical quality, everything counts a lot to make a video gain viewership. While creating your own explainer video, make sure you do your best to keep it interesting and appealing. Use humor wisely in support of your message. Poorly timed humor instances in an explainer video will drive away your target audience and lead to great frustrations. Avoiding lifeless content whenever possible is a great showcasing skill. Avoid including complex statistics, facts, and figures, and definitions unless the video is developed in a classroom context. Lastly to keep the explainer video short, pace yourself. Keep the dialogue to between 120 and 150 words in a perfect fluency for easy comprehension of the content.

An explainer video is supposed to be within the scope of only relevant content delivered using verbal and non-verbal cues fitted in relevant positions in the video to maintain the attention of the audience. If your video is successfully fulfilling the purpose it is made for, then that explainer video certainly has the ideal length.

Author Bio:

Hilary Addison, article’s author, is a tech-savvy blogger as well as a professional video editor at Animated Video Company – HelloAnimations. She has full command on 2d and 3d animation and she has been working for media industry since last 10 years.