Why Short Videos Might Be Killing Your Engagement Strategy

New research from Tubular Labs reveals that when it comes to social video, length matters more than brands and creators might think. While ultra-short videos have become synonymous with platforms like TikTok, Tubular’s findings suggest that in many cases, longer content may actually drive better performance — especially when it comes to views and engagement.

This is particularly important for TikTok, where the platform itself is leaning into longer formats. For example, creators in TikTok’s Creator Fund only earn revenue from videos over one minute long. Plus, users can now watch videos in landscape mode, a nod to more traditional long-form viewing.

Despite the fact that most brand TikTok videos are under 30 seconds, Tubular found that videos between one and two minutes actually generate the highest average views. Surprisingly, even two- to five-minute and five- to 10-minute videos often outperform those under a minute. And in terms of growth, 15- to 20-minute TikToks saw the biggest year-over-year increase in views — up a staggering 56.57%.

Engagement also varies by category and video length. Videos under five minutes work best for content related to pop culture, animals, gaming, sports, beauty and fashion. Meanwhile, those in the five- to 10-minute range perform well in categories like news, science, automotive and home/DIY. And finally, videos over 20 minutes shine in kids’ content, entertainment and toys verticals.

All of that being said, there’s no one-size-fits-all rule: What’s optimal for a brand may differ for an influencer, and trends shift across platforms and regions.

For example, in the Asia-Pacific region, YouTube brand videos under 30 seconds receive the highest average views (about 120,000). At the same time, influencers see the most success with videos between 30 seconds and two minutes, although many are still heavily producing under-30-second YouTube Shorts — suggesting untapped potential. Media companies in the region tend to upload two- to five-minute YouTube videos, though the shortest ones continue to pull the most views.

Tubular also examined the food and drink category on Facebook, comparing creators in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

In Europe, most food and drink content is two to five minutes long, but five- to 10-minute videos get 6% more views and face 236% less competition.

In the Asia-Pacific region, two- to five-minute videos dominate in terms of upload volume — 424% more than average — yet the top-performing formats are split, with under-30-second and five- to 10-minute videos leading for views.

The bottom line? Short-form video isn’t going anywhere — but brands and creators should think twice before defaulting to it. A strategic mix of durations, tailored to audience, platform and content category, may be the real key to unlocking engagement and growth.