As attention spans shrink, so must explainer videos. In this insightful piece, experts talk about how 60-second explainer videos are becoming the gold standard for businesses looking to cut through the noise.
We live in the age of bottomless scrolling.
Whether on TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts, phone-glued audiences now consume content in rapid-fire bursts. For businesses, the implications are quite clear: they don’t have the luxury of time to tell their story anymore.
Online, a statistic that’s often passed around is that modern audiences have shorter attention spans than a goldfish. “It’s not really that short, but things are not looking good either," says Spire Video, a video marketing firm developing new approaches for explainer videos. “There’s one University of California article that says the average viewer can’t stay focused on a single piece of content for more than 47 seconds.”
Other studies differ slightly, but they all paint the same picture: attention spans are declining year after year.
For businesses and agencies wondering how long explainer videos should be now, given the attention scarcity situation, industry experts have already done their homework.
The answer is 60 seconds.
A 60-second explainer, apart from being supported by research, is not too long to lose viewers and not too short to sacrifice substance. “A 60-second run time is the sweet spot if you’re trying to balance engagement and retention,” the experts say.
60 seconds is enough to include all the essential components that viral videos tend to have in common, such as a compelling hook, a clear and concise message, an emotional angle, a distinct brand identity, and a strong call to action.
While short-form videos aren’t new, their role in the buyer journey has evolved. What was once a component of a broader ad campaign is now often the entire pitch. For brands targeting younger audiences, mastering this format is essential, as this demographic increasingly relies on platforms like TikTok rather than traditional search engines like Google.
For businesses struggling to produce explainers that actually get traction, video marketing agencies now offer production services built around this 60-second standard. These services offer opportunities not just for businesses, but also for creative agencies looking for new streams of revenue.
