Instagram isn’t just a haven for foodies and fitspo models to post their latest culinary creations or motivational workouts, it’s a social media site that provides brands with unique opportunities to tap into their customer’s world.

With over 800 million active users, Instagram continues to be a social platform that brands are utilizing to increase awareness, support brand messaging, and boost engagement. According to Sprout Social, an estimated 71% of U.S. businesses use Instagram and 80% of users are following a business on Instagram. To better showcase the marketing power of Instagram, Sprout has also found that at least 30% of users have purchased a product they first discovered on Instagram.

While photos continue to be Instagram’s bread and butter, it’s also a social media channel that, when done right, allows videos to thrive! This applies to the ad world as well, with 25% of Instagram ads spawning from single videos. 

When it comes to doing videos right on the ’Gram, there are many things to factor in, but one of the most important is the length. A few years ago, Microsoft Corp. found that people lose concentration after eight seconds, which is actually one second less than the attention span of a goldfish. It’s important to remember that many consider the average human attention span to be meaningless and something that depends more on interest and the tasks at hand. With that being said, how long should your Instagram videos be to reach their maximum potential?

Instagram allows you to post 60-second videos, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should take advantage of that full length of time.The key here is to convey your message effectively in an amount of time that will fit your audience. According to Hubspot, the sweet spot for Instagram videos is 30 seconds, as those receiving the most comments averaged 26 seconds in length.

Image from HubSpot

One other thing to take into consideration is the content overload that can occur on Instagram. Be sure to change things up and use Instagram Stories or Live videos to continue sharing your brand’s message!

Would you like more guidance regarding video usage and the correct length for Instagram and other social platforms? MILO Digital’s team of experts are here to help! Let’s talk!