How Long/short Should A Motovlog Be?

[Ghaniba]

Doesnt really bother me to be honest, since I started Motovlogging mainly for myself to have fun and if it happens that people like my content and my flow, so be it.

I'm doing something a bit different... Maybe crappy, maybe not. I'm attempting to do more of a podcast motovlog. An epic, full length tour-de-stupid, if you will. My average video length is probably 45mins+ A far cry from the 3-7mins!

I will have to play around with some shorter rant type videos and see how they go for swings... It seems to me that would be WAY easier, and FAR quicker to edit than what I'm doing on my longer banter...

Dave aka Ghaniba

 

[ZBrazil]

there's not secret formula. as long as your shit is interesting it can be 3 minutes or 15 minutes.

 

[The Q]

just dont like long intros.. but i click ahead to see where video gets interesting..

 

[True Racer]

watch your video 5 times then try to pay attention to where you get bored and edit it out or up

 

[2WL]

Anywhere from 3-8mins I guess, generally I try and keep it to 5mins



YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC90E_cjGrsGdwPRFpRzSwmA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2_wheeled_life_/

 

[AdydasNZ]

If i am building a how to / guide i try for 2/4 mins; a-lot of other vids covering the same / similar topics but huge woffle.. so i try to not speak and use call outs to point out what i need to highlight i.e torque setting for a bolt and let that do the job - people can pause or use a phone to screen grab key instructions and move on with life right!

General woffle i do try to keep under 10 mins, but as many have said watch time depends on engagement right - you could skip a 3 mins video twice if its full or umm and arrs but watch 100% of a 12 min vid if its engaging so i try to ensure something is always said, and without umms and arrs by way of planning what i am covering before i leave and call it at that.

 

[HippoDrone]

Although I am newer than new to motovlogging, I have a second channel for PC games and airsoft videos, I have been told several times that some of my videos are too long but it wouldn't stop me posting a long video as I post content that I'd want to watch and would enjoy so in those instances I am not chasing views or subs as such but more wanting to share my experience with folk. If some don't like it then I guess I could/would lose views/subs but at least I'd be putting out content I enjoyed piecing together.

 

[BlakShadow]

I shoot for 5-10 minutes, preferably on the shorter end to help audience retention. But the key is to keep it interesting. If you're at Sturgis or Daytona or Laconia and can keep people's attention for half an hour, by all means go for it! Though personally I'd even break that up into smaller chunks.

I agree that intros should be short. I just obliterated that rule in my last video (it's like a 30 second long Doctor Who intro spoof), but I was just having fun. I'm considering using a 5-10 second portion of that as my normal intro for the rest of the winter, until I can get riding again and focus back on moto content. Then I'll make a new moto related intro.

I also don't usually start with the intro itself (again, another rule I broke with my last vid - and in my early ones). I give a 5-10 second teaser of what the video will be about so that Short Attention Span Theater viewers will know whether they want to stick around or not. Sometimes I specifically shoot a brief intro - "Today we're going to replace the shifter on my Shadow ACE 1100." Other times I just grab a sound bite from the middle of the video. If I'm ranting about cars hogging the passing lane, I might use a clip of me shouting some choice words at them as blow past them on the right.

 

[AdydasNZ]

How long a vlog should be is much like talking with someone how long a good session in the sack should last - its subjective and pointless.. duration isnt whats important its engagement.. you could have super passionate sex that lasts 5 mins or boring 15 mins of action its fair to say you will focus in on the one thats most engaging as being best right..

I think of a video much the same if its worth watching its worth watching regardless of the time / length; if i had to go out or shoot inside to see kids or something i would pause and come back if i had too..

 

[shift_love]

i usually reedit my videos 2-3 times to get them down to around 8 minutes. 5 minutes would be optimum, but sometimes its hard to fit any real content into a video that short, and we all want good content to attract viewers and subscribers right? whats the point of a video youve fought to make short if its dumb, or leaves out pertinent stuff right?

 

[WingManGT]

I believe they should be as long as needed, people are still gonna skip parts they find boring no matter how long it is. I' try to keep myself under 10-12 min.

 

[kryten]

According to the YouTube "experts", the current YouTube algorithm favors videos that are over 10 minutes long. I try to keep mine between 10 and 15 minutes. I personally get bored if a video goes more than 5 minutes unless the person is able to talk the entire time and keep the topic interesting but I'm doing my best to please the almighty algorithm. I can also ramble on for hours about nothing so...

My latest Story Time with Kryten video is about 24 minutes long and has a pretty good retention rate although the view count is low so the length may be scaring some people away. My story time videos tend to go a little longer than the rest so I might have to wait until I gain a few more loyal viewers before I do more.

 

[shift_love]

the past 3 videos ive posted have been around 5 minutes long, i dont see a difference in views whether theyre longer or shorter. so i may go back to doing videos around 8 minutes depending on content.

 

[kryten]

the past 3 videos ive posted have been around 5 minutes long, i dont see a difference in views whether theyre longer or shorter. so i may go back to doing videos around 8 minutes depending on content.

You don't see a difference in view count but do you see a difference in viewer retention and view duration? The more people watch the more YouTube promotes you in search results but it's based on total viewing time not total number of views. You're better off with 50 people watching 50% of a 20 minute video than 100 people watching 80% of a 5 minute video

I hate that they do it that way because I want to actually have a conversation with my viewers. I want them to see the entire video so if I make a reference in a later video they'll know what I'm talking about. I'm trying to put out a variety of different types and different length videos so I can both grow and communicate effectively with my established audience. We'll see how it works. The longer ones seem to get lower view counts but better total watch time. Some people may be scared away by the length of the videos but they seem to be sticking around for the shorter ones and the people that watch the longer ones are my core audience and I'm really more interested in pleasing them anyway. Hopefully they like the longer format stuff but only time will tell.

 

[IronicRbnd]

I don't know if I should be posting this in the editing section or general discussion, but my question is "How long should a Motovlog be, to keep the audiences attention?" I imagine that once you have a relationship with the audience they will sit through longer videos, but I think that generally peoples attention span are getting shorter. They want to consume information and entertainment quickly and won't sit through a longer video unless, UNLESS they are really interested in the topic.
So my question is, what have you found from your analytics and feedback from subscribers is the ideal length for a Motovlog. What is the average length of time someone will watch one of your videos? Personally I think around 5 minutes is what most people will watch. As a Motovlogger / content creator I would like 8 minutes or more to say what I want to say etc. Any thoughts?

depends on your own analytics ultimately, I stick with 4-6mins

 

[Cherrie]

I would recommend under 5 minutes is ideal for most videos (no one has time to watch you unless you're really entertaining
my long time viewers will watch my entire video, but most new viewers won't watch that long, and if the video time is too long, it's a deterrent to click (IMO)

But... if you can't edit that much out, i would say under 10 minutes for sure!

Cheers!

 

[Cherrie]

According to the YouTube "experts", the current YouTube algorithm favors videos that are over 10 minutes long. I try to keep mine between 10 and 15 minutes. I personally get bored if a video goes more than 5 minutes unless the person is able to talk the entire time and keep the topic interesting but I'm doing my best to please the almighty algorithm. I can also ramble on for hours about nothing so...

My latest Story Time with Kryten video is about 24 minutes long and has a pretty good retention rate although the view count is low so the length may be scaring some people away. My story time videos tend to go a little longer than the rest so I might have to wait until I gain a few more loyal viewers before I do more.

Interesting input, curious where did you heard this?

 

[MrNapper]

I average 6-10 or so and also look for videos in and around the same when I youtube...constantly.

 

[Undead MV]

The main question is do you have the enough audience to make a long clip? I think that when you have faithfull subs you dont have to care about the lenght of your videos, audience will watch them anyway, reaching that point is the most difficult

By now i try to keep me under 10 min

 

[PlanZ]

I'm watching a lot more longer videos now because of using youtube on smart TV as an alternative to mainstream TV.
30 minutes is plenty but below 10 minutes you hardly get settled.
It still needs to be interesting due to what is being shown as much as what is being said.
There is no universal formula for 'interesting content' - it needs to be something you already know a bit about as a rule.