Being a marketer, it is a bit strenuous to choose one in the battle of “Long Video Ads vs Short Video Ads.” Reason? Because both of them have certain pros and cons! Also, the attention spans and interests of the audience are great deals to handle. Although you may prefer short-term video ads as it requires a short attention span. But you know what? Recent studies have shown that long-form videos perform better with a higher conversion rate!
Now, that seems like a paradox, no? You see, when a video ad can tell the stories more successfully, it can easily sway a customer. And long video ads effectively utilize that strategy. Well, that’s not the only reason. Also, short-form videos have high click-through rates. Both of them hold value. In this article, you will delve into “Longer Video Ads vs Shorter Video Ads” and find out which works better.
Stay tuned!
Metric System for Analysis
Before taking a big leap to detailed analysis, let’s take a quick tour of the common viewing metric systems in digital marketing. Based on this we will analyze which works better i.e., longer video ads or shorter video ads.
- The goal of your campaign: As you know, there are three primary objectives of advertisements- to inform, to persuade, and to remind. Depending on the goal of your campaign you can adjust the length of the video.
- Click-Through Rates (CTRs): It is a metric that measures the number of clicks you receive on your ads per number of impressions. So, you can measure the click-through rates by counting the number of people visiting your website in response to your video ad.
- Video Completions: It represents how many people have watched your entire video. You might have seen a “Skip Ad” option in the videos where you can skip the ads within 5-15 seconds. In case if you do not skip the ad and watch it completely, then it will be counted as a successful video completion.
- Influencing Capacity: You can influence consumers by embracing the art of storytelling. Likewise, the audience will get swayed only if they find your video entertaining and informative. To achieve a high degree of influencing capacity, you have to convey a well-rounded story with a hook and compelling conclusion. By highlighting more features, you can substantially influence the viewers.
Longer Video Ads vs. Shorter Video Ads
| Characteristic Features | Long Video Ads | Short Video Ads |
| Conversion Rates | High | Low |
| Click Through Rates (CTRs) | Low | High |
| View Through Rates (VTRs) | Low | High |
| Influencing Capacity | High. Because longer video ads are a superior way to engage consumers with a better emphasis on entertainment and story. | Low Because it is difficult to tell a story within 5 seconds. |
| Suitable for Campaign Goals | To build brand affinity that needs true viewer attention | To drive clicks |
| Pros (Advantages) | To retain or get loyal consumers Increase sales Increase profits | To drive more people to your website To increase brand awareness |
| Cons (Disadvantages) | Viewership rate drops if the first few seconds are not enticing, entertaining, or informative enough. | Low influencing capacity because it cannot convey the entire message of the ad in the form of story-telling. |
Which works better? (Inference)
Based on the table mentioned above and recent reports we reached the following inferences-
Long Video Ads
In video advertising, long video ads are considered a better way to engage the consumer. Although short video formats of TikTok and Instagram reels popularized the short video formats. But according to new research from Liftoff, a growth acceleration platform, long video ads have proved to be more effective. Even though the attention span of the consumers is usually short. But a bit longer mobile video ads can substantially capture the attention of the user. So, the ideal duration of long video ads is 30 to 60 seconds. Brands observed 50% higher conversion rates with longer videos than their shorter counterparts.
Thus, long-form video ads are beneficial if your campaign goal is to-
- Build a greater engagement with the consumer
- Build a loyal customer base
- Increase the conversion rates
- Increase sales and profits
Short Video Ads
It is considered a better option if you seek to reach the click-through goals and video completions. Because you will not get enough time to convey a story thoroughly within a few seconds of short video ads. However, people will stick to watching your short ad because the view drop-off rate increases with the increase of the video’s duration.
Final Words: Authenticity and Content is the Key
Image: CPI by ad formats of all verticals
Always remember that irrespective of the video ad duration, consumers grow weary when ads are constantly shown on their feeds. Therefore, to stand out in the crowd you must clamp down to make your ad look like informative and entertaining content than a commercial. Thus, for an effective video ad you need to keep it short enough to keep the viewers entertained and long enough to create a meaningful impression by engaging the viewer.