Video: The longer the better?

In the world of YouTube and online videos, it used to be that the shorter a video, the more effective it would be. Due to what many believed to be the "A.D.D. nature" of today's viewer, marketers felt there was only a short window of time in which to engage the consumer, explains SEO Reel.

While that is still partially true (cat videos will never go away), a trend of lengthier, long-form videos on YouTube have seen significant success.

For instance, informative videos such as KONY 2012 can be pointed to as an example of how longer videos can still engage consumers. There are also a growing number of videos lasting longer than 10 minutes, featuring what the news source calls "weblebrities," or YouTubers who have garnered a large following.

What the media outlet found was that videos can now last up to 20 minutes or more and still earn high audience retention scores. Realizing this, YouTube recently got rid of its 10-minute limit for non-partner video uploads, extending it to 15.

This is an important change that can open up new and innovative business marketing ideas, given how long-form content is catching on.

A recent study from Ooyala pointed out that long-form content accounted for more than 50 percent of the total time people spent watching videos across all connected devices in the first quarter of 2012, marking a 25 percent increase from six months ago.

What's more, video-watching on smartphones during Q4 2012 grew by 41 percent over Q4 2011, while long-form tablet viewing rose 32 percent over that same time period.

Another factor to consider is the time of day long-form content is released. Researchers found that the best time to attract viewers is in the morning and late evening. Tablet-users are specifically susceptible to watching videos late at night, as nearly 10 percent of their time is spent watching such content between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. Some tablet users are also early risers, as almost 6.75 percent of their time spent watching videos takes place around 8 a.m.

SEO Reel adds that in addition to creating longer videos, marketing should also pay attention to the first 15 seconds of their content, as this represents the available window to draw viewers in and make them want to watch a piece in long form.