Finding the Perfect Length For A Charity Video

So you have your video strategy in place, but now you want to know what the optimal length for your videos should be? Well the short answer is ‘2 minutes or less! But less than 90 seconds is even better.’ However, the longer answer is worth a read. Check out our roadmap of pointers, before embarking on your video journey.

Size Matters

Social media users face a constant flood of content, providing only a brief moment to capture their attention. The primary goal of any content, including videos, is to engage your audience. If your video is long and lacks substance, viewers will lose interest quickly and scroll away.

Craft your video to be snappy, engaging, and informative. The optimal video length varies based on the platform’s user behavior and preferences, making it essential to tailor your content for maximum engagement. Consider the following:

• While the temptation is to believe longer videos are better for storytelling, shorter charity videos with strong story development often achieve higher views and engagement.
• Use different video lengths to complement each other; shorter 10-30 second videos alongside related 1-2 minute videos consistently perform well.
• Bumper ads (30s, 10s, and 6s) have higher recall rates, thanks to their non-skippable format, allowing brands and unique selling propositions to make a stronger impact.
• Video is a crucial channel, and though bumper ads constitute a smaller part of all video ad views, they remain a pivotal campaign type and marketing channel for the present and future.

Different Video Types and Lengths

Diversifying video is crucial for optimizing charity campaigns. Below is a breakdown of what a well-rounded campaign strategy for different types and lengths should include:

Longer Videos

For longer charity-based videos, we recommend:

• Creating a minimum of 6-8 fundraising videos, each lasting around 1-2 minutes.
• Including at least 1 video dedicated to each project or campaign, such as Winter, orphan sponsorship, Sadaqah Jariyah, and Luminous Centres.
• Additionally, developing 2-3 broader videos targeting new audiences, covering general topics like Ramadan, Zakat, and Khums.

Shorter Versions and Bumper Videos

For shorter charity-based videos, we recommend:

• Develop 3-5 bumper videos with durations of 30, 10, and 6 seconds. These should smoothly align with longer videos, sharing the same footage, messaging, USPs, and branding. Think of each shorter video, like a 15 or 10-second clip, as a part of a specific 30-second video, which is then related to a 60-second video.
• Bumper videos essentially form clusters of concise ads conveying messages or linking to broader videos with clear overarching themes. To achieve this, outline key themes and messages for interconnectedness.
• Avoid trimming 6-second chunks from longer videos; instead, simplify a single idea for each bumper video. The 4 essential elements for an effective bumper video include:

1. Hard-selling messages for brand awareness,
2. Promoting well-known fundraising campaigns,
3. Utilizing text and images for a clear message,
4. Recognizing the roles of both voiceover and music in conveying emotions within short durations.