Customer feedback in the form of video testimonials is an excellent tool to demonstrate how your services or solutions can help solve customers’ problems. However, a common question arises: How long should a video testimonial take?

Opinions may differ. Some feel it should be no more than 45-60 seconds due to people’s short attention spans, while others suggest two to three minutes to tell an entertaining story. However, the length ultimately depends on various factors. The content’s subject matter will ultimately determine its length.

When you have extensive information to convey to your audience, producing a longer video could be a sensible choice; conversely, if your message is concise, a shorter video might be adequate.

This blog will provide you with a clear and complete guide about various factors to consider while deciding how long should video testimonials be. Let’s explore the ideal length for video testimonials that align company’s aim:

Determining the Correct Length of Video Testimonials: Factors to Consider When Deciding How Long Should Video Testimonials Be

Target Audience

Your target audience impacts the ideal length of your testimonial video because different groups have distinct needs and preferences:

• High-Level Decision-Makers: Here, these individuals always need some form of approval or acceptance fast. Customers also would like to be confident that your solution has previously solved these issues for other organizations. A short testimonial, lasting between 45 and 60 seconds, is the most effective way to convey this confirmation.
• Implementation Teams: On the other hand, the implementers of your solution need detailed information that goes beyond their simple factors. They are also concerned with procedural details about the difficulties encountered, the dynamic collaboration throughout implementation, and the meaningful outcomes accomplished. The point for this audience is that a longer video, say one that lasts from 2 to 3 minutes will be sufficient to give the depth and context needed.
• Diverse Needs: Like having written case studies in which some top-rank executives expect a brief in conventional case study format while others want a detailed full-blow case presentation, your video testimonial has to accommodate these two extremes. Jog with the audience’s level of engagement and interest in your solution.

Channel

When you’re preparing how and where to post your video testimonial, you should also know that every platform has rules regarding the length of your video.

• YouTube Channels

The uploading duration that YouTube permits is up to 15 minutes for standard accounts while for verified accounts uploading is allowed up to 12 hours. However, for its maximum effectiveness, the video should be between 2 and 3 minutes long. Should you think that a longer format may be effective, experimenting with variation in the length of the message can help.

• YouTube Advertising

There are different types of advertisements available on YouTube channels that have some prescribed time limit for ads. What could potentially be any length, however, recent research demonstrates that videos less than three minutes long perform best. Native ads that cannot be skipped only last for a maximum of 15 seconds and bumper ads are much shorter than that at only 6 seconds. Admittedly, it isn’t easy to paint the entire testimonial message in six seconds, so try establishing a series of bumper ads that constitute a single customer story.

• Email Marketing

They may also want to use the video testimony by sending it through mail. The recommended length for videos in email marketing is around 2:20. However, it should be noted that it is worthwhile to try out different lengths to see what options your audience will appreciate most.

• Social Media Sharing

Different social media channels suggest different video durations. For instance:

• Twitter: Aim for 44 seconds.
• LinkedIn: Keep it around 30 seconds.
• Facebook: Depending on the purpose, the requirement of some videos is to be shorter than a minute, while others may require videos longer than three minutes.
• Social Media Advertising

If you plan on using your customer testimonial in social media ads, follow the restrictions of the advertising platform. For example:

• Instagram Carousel Ads: Maximum of 60 seconds.
• Instagram Stories Ads: Up to 120 seconds.
• Website Integration

Ensure that you post your testimonial videos on your website, either on the ‘Customer Success’ or ‘Case Study’ page. There is no character minimum here; instead, use Google Analytics to track engagement signals such as views and watch time. While it may be difficult to set this up, the returns obtained make it very useful when determining the content to create next.

Goal

Another factor to consider when determining the length of your video testimonials is the purpose you aim to achieve. Your objective will significantly influence how long your video should be.

• Awareness: Depending on your goal, such as generating brand awareness or sparking interest, it may be more effective to create a shorter video that highlights key elements. A short and compact layout can present information in a way that grabs the prospect’s attention incredibly quickly while also providing all the necessary data.
• Conversion: If you want more leads to progress through the funnel from the evaluation stage to the intent stage, it is better to produce a longer video testimonial. By using this format, it becomes quite easy to go into a lot of detail about customer experiences and benefits, which will ultimately build trust build trust.
• Customer Spotlight: That makes sense if your goal is to highlight the accomplishments of a specific customer, perhaps even using their brand familiarity to your advantage: consider a longer form. This could be extended through an industrial narrative that portrays their experiences and achievements with the solution.

Approaches to Customer Video Testimonials

To get the best out of your video testimonials, here are two successful approaches to follow:

Approach #1: More Presenters, Longer Time

A good example is to include multiple speakers within the video testimonials that you create. This creates a chance for the viewers to relate to your brand owing to the various appearances this technique provides. For instance, a fashion firm can use endorsements from men and women of different ages, sizes, and dressing senses insisting on the versatility of their clothing. If you gather these various testimonials and put them in one video, you will be able to provide an overall look at the customers’ experiences and their level of satisfaction.

Approach #2: Shorter videos, Yet Focused

Another approach is even to make very small videos that stand for certain products or services. By asking specific questions, you can make the testimony as concise and exciting as possible, for example, a software company can create a testimonial only about one advantage of their product instead of making a general testimony. This method puts the viewer in a position to know about everything that the company has to offer and how it can assist them.

Here are a few points that show that short video testimonials which are not complex, offer several advantages for businesses:

• Higher Engagement: This is because viewers are likely to watch shorter videos till they complete, compared to when they are watching a long video and it gets interrupted.
• Creation Efficiency: A short video is easier to create because it takes less time and tends to perform better.
• Wider Shareability: These kinds of videos can be brief and shared on social media platforms, so many people will be able to see them.

Key Considerations for Video Testimonial Length:

Target 1-2 Minutes

To balance storytelling with the viewer’s ability to follow for an optimal amount of time, each animation should be approximately 1-2 minutes long.

Adapt length to content

It’s important to select longer videos for detailed explanations and shorter ones if you want your audience to grasp the information easily.

Create credibility

Focus on the effective message you want to convey that will instill confidence in potential customers about the products.

Create a focused message

To make your video engaging and informative, cut out the fluff and highlight key points.

Enhance Viewer Engagement

They should use timers or prompt the subject to stay focused during filming to help the viewer stay focused during the entire video.

The customer-centric approach

Ideally, testimonial videos should be customer-oriented, brief, and tailored to convey their message as concisely as possible. It also makes sure that all the information gets to the viewers, and they are more willing to take action when instructed to do so.

Conclusion

All this analysis proves the need to create videos of different lengths for the given audience, channels, and goals. In this case, it will lead to increased interest among the viewers and guarantee the transmission of the message to specific population groups.

There are no hard and fast rules about video length but we recommend providing two key versions: a 15-30 second ‘hit’ of the message for organizations that require an immediate and sticky impact, a 60-second to 2-minute ‘brand anthem’ that swiftly delivers attention-grabbing content detailing the customer encounter, and a full 2-3 minute narrative cut that provides a more progressive experience.

In addition to redistributing activity across a variety of platforms, this combined strategy fully communicates the benefits of the brand and increases the chances of engaging potential clients.

Enhance Your Brand’s Impact with Amigoz

At Amigoz we understand that professional video production can make a huge difference in your brand, increase your sales, and build your company’s reputation. If you’re looking for a professional video production service, we’ve got you covered.

With modern technology at our fingertips, we control the aspects of storytelling, lighting, framing, and sound to guarantee that every video we create is impactful and engaging. We want to develop interesting videos that make people not only watch but turn them into loyal customers of your company.

Are you prepared to bring your brand message to the next level through compelling videos? Contact us today for a booking of the video production session.

FAQs

Q. What is the most appropriate length that a video testimonial should be? 

A. It is mostly preferred that the video testimonial is 60 to 90 seconds in length. This duration is sufficient for the customer to express or describe his or her experience and at the same time, the viewer will be able to follow through.

Q. Why should video testimonials be long?

A. Longer video testimonials are boring and time-consuming and do not fit the modern digital society’s fast pace. That’s why the short length of the video is essential as it guarantees that the message retained its significance and did not let the audience lose interest.

Q. Is it possible to make a video testimonial longer than 90 seconds? 

A. Yes, a video testimonial may be longer if the information presented is useful and interesting. However, the main idea must be maintained simply so that the audience doesn’t get distracted easily while watching the show. If you’d like to use longer testimonials and don’t want your audience to skip parts of the videos, its better to divide them into smaller parts.