After guiding hundreds of social media content projects, a key thing we’ve found is the shorter the video the better. With attention spans growing shorter and shorter due to TikTok and Instagram, people want to watch more quantity, but in a shorter amount of time. Now, there is a time and place for long form content, but if you’re posting on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube shorts, then you want to post shorter length content. Now what is a Reel? A reel on Instagram is a short video that can be up to 90 seconds long.
How long should I make IG Reel? What length should IG Reel be?
When posting a Reel on Instagram, the best length to post is around 5-10 seconds long. We’ve found through numerous real-life tests and projects that short reels less than 10 seconds generate more views and maintain retention. Instagram’s algorithm seems to push shorter videos to more users and also seem to retain the viewers attention.
Do longer IG Reels do better?
While there are longer videos on IG, they tend to be very story driven, engaging, and captivating. It is possible to pop off with a longer reel but you must keep in mind every second must be captivating. One second it’s not interesting and BOOM you lost a viewer. It’s difficult and a gamble to retain a viewers attention for a long period of time and therefore it’s often recommended to keep them short.
What is a trick to make my IG Reel go viral?
One trick we’ve seen that some users do is make a super short 1 second long reel that is eye catching with a super interesting CTA to check the caption for tips. While you read the caption the reel keeps replaying and they generate 20 to 60 views from you alone while you read it. While you will generate views through this, often times you’ll lose the respect of the viewer for wasting their time once they realize they gained nothing from reading the caption. You don’t want to make the viewer feel tricked or cheated.
How short should I make my IG Reel or TikTok?
We recommend at a very minimum, your reel should be 3 seconds long but should provide some value or entertainment. Any shorter than that, and there’s no story. And story is always king! Remember Vine videos were a max of 6 seconds, so you can definitely tell a story in under 6 seconds.
If you’re looking for someone to create your content for your company, let’s connect!