Paid Ads
Short answer: Video ad length should match the platform and viewer attention span: 6–15 seconds for social feeds, 15–30 seconds for mid-roll or YouTube, 30–60 seconds for longer-form storytelling or landing pages. Shorter usually wins on paid social; longer works when the story demands it and retention data supports it.
The real tension you’re facing: you’ve got a product worth explaining, but you know most people scroll past ads in seconds. You’re right to worry. A 90-second ad on TikTok will hemorrhage views by second three. A 6-second cut on a product landing page where people are already interested will feel rushed and incomplete.
The platform dictates the contract with the viewer:
Paid social (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook): 6–15 seconds. People are scrolling. Your first frame and first 1.5 seconds must stop the scroll. If you hook them, they’ll watch a bit longer. The sweet spot is often 9–12 seconds—long enough to land your main idea, short enough to keep watch-through rates high. Shorter formats also cost less to run at scale.
YouTube / mid-roll: 15–30 seconds is standard for skippable ads. People can bail at five seconds, so your opening must work hard. If you’ve earned their attention by second five, they’ll usually stick for 15–20. The full 30-second cut lets you tell a tighter story than social.
Landing pages, email, owned channels: 30–90 seconds. Here people have opted in. They’re warmer. If your product is complex or your story matters, take the time. A founder explaining how the product changed their life, or a before-and-after narrative, can hold attention for 45–60 seconds without feeling long.
YouTube pre-roll or connected TV: 15–30 seconds (skippable) or up to 60 seconds if non-skippable. Non-skippable is rare and expensive, so most brands stick with skippable at 15–30 seconds.
The cost of guessing wrong: a 45-second ad dumped into a paid Instagram buy will tank your ad metrics, blow your budget, and tell you nothing real about whether your message works. A 6-second teaser on your landing page will leave serious buyers frustrated because you’ve given them no reason to believe in the product.
The appropriate duration and included cuts depend on the selected package, channels, and signed Order.
Review stages and revision entitlements depend on the selected package and are confirmed in the signed Order. Requests outside the agreed scope are quoted separately.
The hard truth: no amount of length saves bad filmmaking, and no shortness kills a strong idea. Length is a tool. What matters is whether the viewer feels your product is real and worth their time in the first few seconds—and whether they believe it by the end.
Timing: Each package has its own delivery window. Current launch-package windows are listed on Pricing; every project schedule is confirmed in writing after brief and asset review.
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