Animated explain videos are an effective medium for corporate videos. The majority of people prefer to watch a video than read manuals and FAQs. Videos also make sense from a time management perspective. We’ve previously discussed how animated videos can help to make your internal comms more interesting.
However, we’ve noticed the scripts for explainer videos are getting longer. Anything more than 90 seconds is not a good idea, especially for people working from home. The length of a video should ideally be appropriate for the audience and the purpose. The general rule of thumb for most business videos is to keep the content under two minutes. A new rule of thumb is to respect people’s time – we’re all busy!
With time in mind, when it comes to obligatory training videos such as fire drills and health and safety, or information about employee benefits should pension and healthcare plans, 90 seconds is more than enough. Researchers have found that 90-seconds is also the sweet spot for promotional videos.
Short Attention Span
You’ve probably read that the average attention span of humans is about 8-seconds – less than a goldfish. That figure is a myth. It was extracted from a 2015 report published by the Consumer Insights team of Microsoft Canada. The BBC reports that 8-second attention spans are unfounded and professionals that observe attention span don’t know where it came from.
Attention span is tied to tasks. The amount of energy a person invests in a video will depend on how interested they are in the subject matter – or on the flip side, how engaging the content is. Marketing statistics reveal that people are more likely to watch an animated explainer video than read text-based content. Employees already have email overload.
To manage the number of emails, employees tend to create silos. However, silos can mean that important information can easily get lost in the mix. Some emails are opened but not read properly. Animated videos sent via email elicit 300% more clicks. But it’s not only the nature of the content that’s important. Researchers found that people start to lose interest after 90 seconds.
Videos Need to be Concise and to the Point
The amount of content the average person consumes in one day is estimated to be around 34 gigabytes of data and information. This includes phone calls, conversations and TV alongside the usual forms of digital media consumption and work-related research. To put this into perspective, 34 gigabytes of data is the equivalent of watching 30 movies back-to-back. There’s not enough time in a day to do that, so imagine the information overload the average person maintains on a daily basis.
There’s a downside to consuming this amount of data as well. The brain is not able to retain all this information and subsequently has a difficult time separating what is trivial and what is important. Studies show that animated videos help to improve the retention of information – sometimes as high as 95%. When you’re making a video, there is a fine line to draw between keeping your video concise and to the point and making sure you get your message across.
The key to corporate videos is the SFI strategy – Statement, Fact, Insight. The objective is to make your point immediately, back it up with evidence and provide insight into the benefits. Not only does this strategy capture attention, but it will also keeps your audience captivated for at least 90-seconds.
Bitesize Video Series
We appreciate there are some corporate videos that will fall outside the 90-second mark. Training videos are an example that spring immediately to mind. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to forfeit the 90-second rule of thumb. If you can’t get your message across in 90 seconds, create a bitesize series of videos that gets your message across in chunks.
A bite-sized video series is ideal for breaking down longer or complex information. Shorter videos also lend a hand to knowledge retention and time management. The challenge with a bite-sized video series is structuring the order of the training in a logical way and knowing which information to leave out.
90-second animated videos are an effective strategy that cuts down on information overload and effectively drives engagement. Bite-sized videos are also easier to consume on mobile devices. Whilst animated videos are dynamic and versatile, the smart strategy to get your corporate message across is to reign in the length of videos. Statistical data indicates 90-seconds is the optimum length.
