But as per the latest study – which included the sample of 1.1 million TikToks – longer videos generate more views and watch time than shorter videos, though shorter videos exceed the longer ones by far in numbers. It reveals that 86% of videos on the platform are of less than a minute, but videos with length of 1 minute or more get 43.2% more reach and 63.8% more watch time.
So length of a TikTok video is another important aspect which creators must keep in mind along with quality of content and editing – however, the last two should not be sacrificed just for increasing the length.
What Length Attracts More Views?
The sample includes videos of all lengths from under 5 seconds to 10-minute long, with 33.7% of videos having length of 10 to 30 seconds. Only 12.3% of videos on TikTok are between 60 seconds and 10 minutes in length. It is surprising because TikTok has gradually increased the length limit of videos from 15 seconds to 10 minutes over the years, but most people still prefer videos between 10 to 30 seconds.
There are logical reasons behind this preference. Shorter videos are less time consuming: they need less editing and filming. Shorter videos also allow creators to create a large number of them in a short period of time, thus boosting their channel.
But numbers are in favour of longer videos when it comes to the reach and watch time of videos. Videos having length more than 60 seconds have 43.2% more reach than videos between 30 to 60 seconds and 70.3% more reach than videos having length of 10 to 30 seconds.
The same is the case with watch time. Videos with run time of more than 1 minute have 63.8% more watch time than those having run time between 30 to 60 seconds and 175.6% more watch time than videos that fall between 10 to 30 seconds.
What Explains This Difference in Reach and Watch Time?
The reason behind this difference is simple: TikTok, just like other social networks, wants its users to stay longer on the platform, and longer videos are a tactic to achieve this. Moreover, there is not much competition in the 1-to-10-minute category–only 12.3% 0f videos fall in this category–which allows most videos of this range to reach maximum audience.
In short, the reach and watch time of videos increase with the increase in their length, whether it is from 5 seconds to 30 seconds or 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Does This Make Length the Most Important Aspect of TikTok Video?
It’s worth noting that, length is an important aspect, but it is not the only one. Various factors play a key role in boosting a video on TikTok. For example, the opening of videos must be attractive enough to make the audience watch it till the end; on-screen text is as important as audio for people with hearing issues also use the platform. Moreover, quality editing and the reasonable pace of videos are required to survive the competition on TikTok.
Most importantly, consistency is the golden key to remain relevant on TikTok and to boost one’s presence. Without it, the advantage of lengthy videos might not do any good for some.
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