Tap, scroll, tap, scroll, scroll, scroll, scroll, scroll… This is the usual movement of a person online, whether it be social media or browsing websites – Our attention span online has decreased significantly over the years (Or so we thought, but data suggests it’s not true).
Instead, people’s engagement with content they don’t find relevant has gotten lower and more “picky” over time, and it makes complete sense – And we can notice if something is interesting or relevant to us or not, in under 3 seconds.
So we are going to chat about creating long-form videos that will keep people engaged…
According to Google, there has been a 70% increase in the number of YouTube users who follow and engage with creator channels, year over year.
Building a deep connection with active users – One main point to note is that we assume video content has to be short form, and that was normal until recently – “There’s definitely an assumption that digital content has to be short form, and that was the norm until recently. But I think audiences have started to consume YouTube more like traditional TV,” said Safiya Nygaard, whose quirky, intimate channel has amassed nearly 1 billion views. “A 20-minute time stamp can seem like a lot to commit to when you click on something, but we’ve seen completely the opposite.”
For brands that want to keep a user engaged, think of more than 5 minutes for an interactive video, or over 1.5 minutes for an ad (Experiment with it and find your sweet spot).
To leave with some ideas, here are some ideas to create long-form videos:
- Take as long as you need – If you need to tell a story, don’t cut it short, keep it engaging, and tell it how it needs to be told, with no time limit.
- Show people how – How-to videos always work well and is very successful in keep a user engaged.
- Follow the norm of effective creative – Use the same principles you use for short-form ads/content to create long-form ads/creative.
