How long should a reel be for a business?

Length follows purpose, not the other way round

A common mistake is picking a target length before filming, then padding or trimming footage to fit it. It works better the other way round: decide what the reel needs to do, then let the content set the length.

As a rough guide, based on what actually holds attention: a quick hook or single striking result, a before-and-after, a satisfying finish, works well at 7 to 15 seconds. A tip, a short process or a “how it's made” moment usually needs 20 to 45 seconds to land properly. A story with a beginning, middle and end, a client project, a day in the life, can justify 60 to 90 seconds if every second earns its place.

These aren't hard cut-offs. Think of them as the range where each type of content typically lands once it's been edited properly, not a stopwatch to hit while filming.

Watch time and rewatches matter more than the number

Instagram and TikTok both weigh how much of a video people watch, and whether they watch it again, more heavily than the raw length. A 12-second reel that gets watched twice signals more than a 45-second reel people stop watching halfway through. That's why a short, tightly cut clip can outperform a longer one even though it says less.

This is also why a 27-second product film I made for Bialetti's Perfetto Moka works as a standalone piece: it's exactly as long as the product story needs and not a second more, which keeps people watching it through rather than losing interest partway.

Check your own insights rather than assuming: most platforms show average watch time and replay rate per post, and those two figures will tell you far more about whether a length is working for your specific audience than any general rule can.

Cut to the story, not to a timer

The most reliable test in editing isn't “is this the right length”, it's “does every clip earn its place”. Watch the edit back and ask, honestly, whether removing the next three seconds would lose anything. If not, cut them. Reels that feel too long almost always have a section where the pace drops, not simply too much total content.

That discipline matters more than aiming for a specific second count. A tightly cut 40-second reel usually outperforms a loosely cut 20-second one, because pacing, not raw duration, is what keeps someone watching. It's worth watching the first draft of any edit with a critical eye once, then again after a break, since a slow section is far easier to spot on a second viewing than while you're still close to the footage.

When longer vertical video makes sense

Not everything belongs in the 7 to 45 second range. A genuine story, a client transformation, an event recap, a behind-the-scenes look at a bigger project, can run past 90 seconds and still hold attention, particularly on YouTube Shorts or as a feed post rather than a quick-scroll placement. The same rule still applies: it earns the extra length through pace and content, not because longer automatically feels more valuable.

If a piece needs proper structure and more than a minute or two to tell properly, it may not be a reel at all, and a short promo film is often the better format. I cover that distinction in reel or promo film length. A useful rule of thumb: if you find yourself wanting chapters, a clear beginning, middle and end with a few distinct beats, that's usually a sign the content wants to be a short film rather than a reel.

Testing lengths on your own account

General ranges are a starting point, not a rule for every account. Your actual audience, and the specifics of what you sell, will have their own patterns. Post a mix of shorter and longer reels over a few weeks and check watch time and rewatches in your insights rather than likes alone, since those two numbers tell you far more about whether the length worked.

Give any test a fair run before drawing conclusions. A few weeks and a reasonable spread of posts is more reliable than judging length from a single reel that happened to do well or badly for other reasons entirely, such as timing or a particularly strong hook.

I build this thinking into every edit through reels and short-form video, cutting each one to the length the content actually needs rather than a fixed template.