Video is the top-performing form of digital content, on social media, driving more engagement than any other social posting option. In fact, social media posts on X (formerly Twitter) with video see up to 10x more engagement. But incorporating video content into your social media marketing strategy isn’t as simple as hitting upload. If you want to convey your brand’s message successfully and maximize viewer engagement, you need to understand the best video duration for social media platforms.
How Long Should Social Media Video Content Be?
For the moment, the ideal length of a social media video is between 30 seconds and 3 minutes. A majority of viewers stay engaged until the end of the video if it’s a minute or less, regardless of the social media platform or niche.
Hurrdat’s Social Media Director, Allie Gritt, adds,
“Shorter videos (around 15-30 seconds) tend to perform better for shares and comments on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where quick, snackable content is popular. However, for platforms like YouTube, where viewers expect to invest a bit more time, longer videos (over 5 minutes) can perform well in terms of watch time and even shares, especially if they’re highly engaging and valuable. The key is matching video length with the platform’s typical user behavior.”
Unfortunately, video length recommendations change all the time. While it’s not possible to give a definitive answer without knowing your audience’s preferences or the type and topic of your video, it is possible to give you general video marketing best practices for common social media platforms.
What’s the Best Video Length for Each Social Media Platform?
The ideal video lengths for the most common social media platforms are:
- Facebook: 15 seconds-2 minutes
- Instagram: 7 seconds-1 minute
- LinkedIn: 30 seconds- 5 minutes
- Pinterest: 15-30 seconds
- X (Formerly Twitter): 20-45 seconds
- YouTube: 15 seconds-2 minutes or 10+ minutes
Video length will also depend on where you plan to publish it to your account. Will it be a short-form story? A reel? A post in your main feed? Here’s the best length by platform based on format.
| Social Media Platform | Recommended Video Length |
| 15 seconds-2 minutes | |
| Feed | 30 seconds-2 minutes |
| Story | 15-20 seconds |
| Reel | 15 seconds-1 minute |
| 7 seconds-1 minute | |
| Feed | 15 seconds-1 minute |
| Story | 15 seconds |
| Reel | 7-30 seconds |
| X (Formerly Twitter) Feed | 20-45 seconds |
| YouTube | 15 seconds-10+ minutes |
| Feed | 2 minutes or over 10 minutes |
| Shorts | 15-30 seconds |
| TikTok Feed | 10-15 seconds |
| Pinterest Feed | 15-30 seconds |
| LinkedIn Feed | 30 seconds-5 minutes |
Facebook Video Length Best Practices
- Ideal Facebook Feed Video Length: 30 seconds-2 minutes
- Ideal Facebook Story Video Length: 15-20 seconds
- Ideal Facebook Reel Length: 15 seconds-1 minute
As the world’s largest and most popular social media platform, Facebook is one of the best places for businesses to post their social media videos. But just because you’re able to post videos up to four hours long doesn’t mean you should. Over the past few years, Facebook users have been watching more long-form videos, but shorter video still dominates both organic and paid posts. Facebook videos in the feed see the most engagement when they’re less than two minutes long. But to capture the attention of people scrolling on the platform, brief videos are best for Facebook Reels and Stories.
Instagram Video Length Best Practices
- Ideal Instagram Feed Video Length: 15 seconds-1 minute
- Ideal Instagram Story Video Length: 15 seconds
- Ideal Instagram Reel Length: 7-30 seconds
Unlike its aforementioned sister company, Instagram has always catered toward a younger audience with a shorter attention span–when the app first released the ability to share video, you could only record for up to one minute. Even now that you can record for much longer, Instagram’s ideal video length is still under a minute, while the best length for Instagram Reels and stories is even shorter. Because it’s a visual platform, users tend to scroll quickly on Instagram, so it’s best to keep videos brief to maximize Instagram engagement and shareability.
X Video Length Best Practices
- Ideal X Feed Video Length: 20-45 seconds
Formerly known as Twitter, X is more restrictive in its video rules. Non-premium subscribers are capped at two minutes and 20 seconds for a video, while X Premium subscribers can upload videos up to four hours long. However, the sweet spot for videos on X is 20-45 seconds if you want people watching them in full. Users are accustomed to short, snappy, and easy-to-digest content on X, so long videos don’t particularly suit the platform.
YouTube Video Length Best Practices
- Ideal YouTube Video Length: 2 minutes or over 10 minutes
- Ideal YouTube Shorts Video Length: 15-30 seconds
With over two billion active monthly users, YouTube is the largest video sharing site in the world. Unlike other social media platforms, YouTube was designed for nothing but video content, so best lengths vary significantly depending on the topic. For YouTube videos that cover how-tos or product announcements, short-form video clips around two minutes or YouTube Shorts under 30 seconds are best. Otherwise, if what you’re making is worth your audience’s time, watch times 30 minutes and beyond are common. Testing and adjusting social video lengths as you create more content will be crucial to your success on this platform.
TikTok Video Length Best Practices
- Ideal TikTok Video Length: 10-15 seconds
Everything about TikTok is fast-paced. Initially, the maximum length of TikTok videos was 15 seconds, but that time has increased to accommodate longer-form storytelling and content sharing. That said, snappy content continues to dominate on TikTok due to the infinite scrolling feature on the platform’s main “For You” page. With the best length for TikTok videos falling at or under 15 seconds, it’s best to post short-form video content on this platform and create strong hooks that capture attention quickly.
Pinterest Video Length Best Practices
- Ideal Pinterest Video Length: 15-30 seconds
Pinterest operates a little differently than other social media apps—notably, you can only upload videos with a business account. While videos on Pinterest between 15 and 30 seconds generally see the best results, these guidelines differ slightly for promoted videos. Pinterest encourages paid videos to stay on the shorter side around 6-15 seconds. For how-to or demo Pinterest video pins, which can hold the audience’s attention longer, between 1-3 minutes is the right duration for the highest engagement.
LinkedIn Video Length Best Practices
- Ideal LinkedIn Video Length: 30 seconds-5 minutes
LinkedIn’s viewers aren’t your standard social media surfers. This social media platform is full of professionals who tend to be more willing to sit and watch a longer social media video if it improves their professional knowledge or tells a compelling brand story. When creating a LinkedIn video, if the goal of your content is brand awareness, it’s best to hover around 30 seconds. However, there’s a place for long-form video content on LinkedIn, too, if you want to share industry knowledge and engage with your connections more deeply. As long as you’re following video best practices on LinkedIn, long-form content can perform just as well as short-form videos.
How to Choose the Right Social Media Video Length
Though we can set general guidelines for video duration on social media, these aren’t a one-size-fits all solution. Choosing the right video length requires you to know about your audience, marketing goals, and how social media algorithms differ.
Gritt explains,
“Algorithms are always optimizing for engagement and retention, so they often favor videos that keep users on the platform longer. On platforms like TikTok, shorter videos can get a boost because they lead to more repeat views and shares, which signal high engagement. YouTube, however, rewards longer videos that maintain high watch times since they can keep viewers engaged on the platform.”
Gritt also discusses how age and other demographic data about your followers can impact how long your social media videos should be. She says,
“Younger audiences tend to favor short, dynamic content, while older audiences may prefer slightly longer, more detailed videos. Also, think about where and when your audience is consuming content—someone scrolling through Instagram on their lunch break might prefer a quick video, whereas someone on YouTube in the evening might be open to a 30-minute tutorial or day-in-the-life. Understanding when and how your audience is watching helps in deciding if you need a quick, attention-grabbing clip or a more in-depth video.
Ultimately, there is no set answer to how long your social media videos should be. There’s also no such thing as a social media video that’s too long if the content is valuable and you can keep people interested with engaging storytelling. The best way to determine the ideal video length for your social media accounts is to review videos that perform well for competitors in your niche, analyze what’s performed well for your brand in the past, and continually test and refine your social media video strategy based on those results.
Need help creating social media videos? Hurrdat Marketing can develop and execute a comprehensive social media marketing strategy for your brand. Contact us today to learn more!
