How to Make a Video Longer

Read Time: 4 minutes

Video content can play a wide variety of roles in an overall marketing strategy. To better appreciate the importance of video marketing in the digital age, consider the following pieces of data, courtesy of the Digital Marketing Institute:

97% of surveyed marketers believe video content helps consumers better understand how their products work
As of 2021, approximately 80% of search engine traffic consisted of video content
81% of surveyed businesses create video content for marketing purposes
90% of consumers indicate video content may influence their decision to purchase a product

That said, it’s important to remember that video content can take many forms. For example, when you upload a video clip to Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, or another social media platform, your goal should typically be to ensure it’s not longer than one minute in length. This is because social media users are easily distracted by other pieces of content.

That doesn’t mean shorter is always better. There are instances in which a longer piece of content is more effective than a brief video clip.

Examples of situations in which you might aim for a longer video length include (but aren’t limited to) the following:

Sharing an in-depth YouTube or LinkedIn video in which you introduce your brand, answer customer questions in greater detail, or demonstrate how to use a complicated product or app
Using video during a pitch to investors
Onboarding new employees at your company with video content
Training employees through video
Sharing a mini-documentary about your company

Again, those are just a few examples. The point is, while a common goal when editing a video is to shorten it, sometimes, you may be wondering how to make a video longer without adding too much fluff. These tips will help:

Use Slow Motion and Freeze Frames

Review your video with the goal of identifying moments when it might make sense to slow the video down or even stop it entirely with a freeze frame. Using slow-motion and freeze frames can help you naturally make a video longer.

To return to a previous example, maybe you’re sharing a video tutorial that teaches your customers how to use a complex product. If so, there may be moments when it’s smart to slow the video down or freeze the image so that viewers can more clearly follow the process.

Slow-motion can also be effective if your goal is to trigger an emotional reaction in your audience. Combining slow motion with the right music can yield an emotional reaction while also serving the practical purpose of making a video longer.

Add Intros and Outros

When you create a video, to some degree, you should adopt the same mindset that you would have when writing an essay or blog post. Every strong piece of informative written content includes an introduction to provide context for the reader and a conclusion to summarize the main points of the article.

The same principle applies to video content. Rather than padding the length of a video, introductions, and conclusions can strengthen a piece of content by ensuring the main points are properly emphasized.

Make it Interactive

This may be an easy but effective way to lengthen a video in some settings. Technically, it might not even involve lengthening the content of the video itself. It may instead help you extend the length of an overall presentation in which video content plays a role.

Perhaps you’re sharing a training video with your employees. To be confident your employees are retaining the information the video is sharing with them, at various points, you might freeze-frame the video and ask your audience members to answer questions about what they just watched.

Making video content interactive may become easier as video becomes more versatile and innovative. Perhaps you could add polls and quizzes to your branded videos, allowing viewers to directly engage with the content, while also adding to the content’s runtime.

(Tip: Similarly, you can boost the length of a live video by conducting an interview while filming.)

Add Additional Footage

When asking yourself how to make a video longer, don’t overlook the obvious. True, you don’t want to add extra footage if doing so is a clear attempt to artificially extend video length. Viewers may lose interest if extra footage doesn’t add anything to the quality of the content.

However, if you believe a video is too short in the first place, you should ask yourself why you feel this way. There’s a good chance your intuition tells you a video isn’t long enough because the video is incomplete in some capacity. Again, a short video isn’t always an effective one.

There are also many budget-friendly ways to add footage that don’t necessarily require shooting more footage yourself. They include:

Using animation instead of live-action footage
Using stock videos
Inserting a slideshow into a video

Use Simple Tricks

Another point to keep in mind if you’re not sure how to make a video longer: some very simple tricks can boost a video’s length without detracting from its quality. They include:

Playing audio files over a black screen at moments when you want to highlight a piece of narration, dialogue, etc.
Using a loop to emphasize a certain clip
Adding transitions, title screens, credits, and other such graphics

How to Make a Video Longer: Use the Right Video Maker

You may know one or more of your videos would be more effective if they were longer. However, you might be reluctant to begin lengthening it because you feel you don’t have the time or budget to justify doing so.

This is understandable. Luckily, by using the right video maker, you can generate and improve videos easily and affordably.

Powtoon is designed to simplify the process of video creation and video editing. It’s the perfect tool to make a video longer, even when your video production experience and budget are limited. Sign up today to learn more!

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Hanna Abitbul

Hanna is Powtoon's Content Marketing Strategist. She joined Powtoon as a copywriter in 2019, after graduating from university with a specialized degree in marketing and business. She continues to inspire people to create incredible video content with blog posts, videos, guides, and more. Hanna's passions include reading, singing, and caring for animals (#proudvegan). Nothing makes her happier than waking up to her two black kitties who, contrary to popular belief, are good luck!