The short answer
For most businesses, 60 to 90 seconds is the right length for an explainer. That is enough time to name a problem, show how you solve it and ask the viewer to do one thing. Go shorter for ads and social posts. Go longer only when the viewer already wants the detail, such as onboarding or training.
Count words, not seconds
A clear, unhurried voiceover runs at about 150 words a minute. That gives you a simple rule: 30 seconds holds about 75 words, 60 seconds about 150, 90 seconds about 225 and two minutes about 300.
Write down what the video has to say, then count the words. If the count is over, the fix is fewer points, not a faster voice. A rushed read is the quickest way to lose a viewer.
What fits in each length
Our price list uses five lengths, and each one suits a different job:
- 15 seconds: one line and one image. Social ads, bumpers and teasers.
- 30 seconds: one benefit, shown well. Product teasers and paid ads.
- 60 seconds: problem, solution and a call to action. The classic homepage explainer.
- 90 seconds: the same story plus how it works in three steps. Sales and landing pages.
- 120 seconds: a full walkthrough. Onboarding, training and technical products.
Where it will be watched
A cold audience in a social feed gives you a few seconds, so the first scene has to carry the point on its own, with or without sound. A warm audience on your website, in a sales call or in an email to a lead will watch longer, as long as every scene earns its place.
If you need both, plan one main video and its short cuts together. Cut-downs and vertical or square versions cost less when they are planned at script stage than when they are added at the end.
How to cut a script that runs long
Five edits that shorten almost any script:
- Speak to one viewer with one problem.
- Say each idea once.
- Let the picture do the describing. If we can show it, the voice does not need to say it.
- Move the detail to the page under the video.
- End with one call to action, not three.
Length and price
Price follows length, because more seconds mean more script, more scenes and more animation. A 60-second motion graphics video starts at $899 with us and a 60-second explainer at $1,699. Every service page lists the price for 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 seconds, and anything longer than two minutes is estimated to your script.