Should you make short videos or long videos?
Let’s look at the difference and find out which one can help you get more views and reach more people.
What Is a Short Video?
A short video is a quick video that usually lasts less than one minute. You can find short videos on many apps, like:
- TikTok
- YouTube Shorts
- Instagram Reels
- Facebook Reels
- Snapchat Spotlight
People like short videos because they are fast to watch and easy to scroll through. They’re fun and simple.
What Is a Long Video?
A long video is a video that can be 5, 10, or even 20 minutes long. These videos are usually found on platforms like YouTube and Facebook.
Long videos are good for telling full stories or teaching something in detail.
How Much Time Does It Take?
Let’s imagine it takes 1 hour to make one long video.
In that same hour, you could make 10 short videos.
So now you have two choices:
- Make 1 long video
- Or make 10 short videos in the same amount of time
Which Gets More Views?
Now let’s talk about views, also called traffic.
Let’s say:
- One long video gets 1x views
- One short video gets 10x views
That means one short video gets 10 times more views than a long video.
So if you make 10 short videos, you could get:
10 videos × 10x views = 100x more traffic
That means 100 times more people might see your short videos than your long video — using the same amount of your time.
Sharing on More Platforms
Let’s say you post your long video on just one website, like YouTube.
But now imagine this:
You post each short video on 10 different platforms — like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, Facebook, and more.
So if you made 10 short videos, and each one goes to 10 platforms, you now have:
10 videos × 10 platforms = 100 total posts
That’s 100 chances for people to find and watch your content, instead of just 1.
Which One Is Better?
Let’s compare: Thing to Compare Long Video 10 Short Videos Time to Make 1 hour 1 hour Number of Videos 1 10 Views per Video 1x 10x Total Views 1x 100x Platforms Shared 1 10 per video Total Posts 1 100
So in the end, short videos:
- Take the same time to make
- Get more views
- Are easier to share
- Give you more chances to grow
Short videos are fast to make, fun to watch, and easy to share. If you want more people to see your content, short videos are a smart choice. You can get more views, post to more platforms, and grow faster.
Long videos can still be useful — especially when you need to teach or explain something in detail. But if your main goal is to reach more people, short videos are the better option.
Why Short Videos Are Easier to Watch Than Long Videos
When you make videos for people to watch, you want them to click, watch, and enjoy. But did you know that short videos are often easier to watch than long ones?
Let’s look at the reasons why short videos work better and reach more people.
1. Long Videos Have Barriers
Long videos usually need two things before someone even watches them:
- A thumbnail (the picture you see before you click)
- A title (the name of the video)
People look at the thumbnail and title and decide if they want to click.
If they don’t like what they see, they won’t even give the video a chance.
That means long videos have a barrier — something that stops people from watching.
2. Long Videos Must Be Clicked
To watch a long video, you have to click on it.
This takes a little effort.
You have to decide, “Do I really want to watch this whole thing?”
That’s why many people skip over long videos, especially if they’re in a hurry or just looking for quick fun.
3. Short Videos Start Right Away
Short videos are different.
They don’t need a click.
They start playing by default. That means they begin playing automatically as you scroll.
You don’t choose to watch — you choose to swipe away if you don’t like it.
So instead of “click to watch,” short videos work as “swipe to stop watching.”
This makes short videos much easier to start watching, even by accident!
4. Short Videos Are Easy to Watch
Short videos are fast.
They take less than a minute.
You don’t have to spend much time or think too hard. It’s just a quick, fun moment.
That makes short videos easy to consume — which means easy to watch, understand, and enjoy.
Even if you’re busy, you still have time for a short video.
5. More Shorts = More Hooks
Every good video needs a hook — something interesting that makes people keep watching.
If you make 1 long video, you might only have 1 hook.
But if you make 10 short videos, you can have 10 different hooks.
This means 10 different chances to grab someone’s attention.
More hooks = more people watching.
6. Short Videos Are Built for Today’s Attention
Today, people scroll fast. They move from one thing to the next.
Short videos fit this world perfectly. They’re made for:
- Quick watching
- Fast swiping
- Short attention spans
Long videos ask for time. Short videos ask for a moment.
And most people are more likely to give a moment than 10 minutes.
Summary
- Long videos need a click, thumbnail, and title
- Short videos play automatically
- Short videos are fast and simple
- 10 short videos give you 10 chances to grab attention
- Short videos match how people watch content today
So if you want more people to see your videos, short videos are a smart and powerful way to go.