With over 2 billion monthly active users, Facebook is one of the largest and most influential social media platforms in the world. For content creators and businesses looking to grow their audience and make money from their content, Facebook presents a major opportunity. One of the key ways to monetize on Facebook is through in-stream video ads, allowing you to earn money directly from the videos you post.
But in order to make money from in-stream ads on your Facebook videos, you need to first understand Facebook’s requirements around video length. So how long should your video be to qualify for monetization on Facebook? What is the optimal length to maximize your earnings? In this article, we’ll dig into Facebook’s video monetization policies and best practices around video length.
Facebook’s Video Monetization Policies
Facebook has some specific policies around video monetization that dictate what lengths your videos need to be in order to show ads and earn money. Here are the key requirements around video length for monetized videos on Facebook:
- Minimum length: 1 minute
- Maximum length: 8 hours
So any videos you post between 1 minute and 8 hours in length are eligible to show ads and be monetized. However, videos under 1 minute or over 8 hours cannot use Facebook’s in-stream monetization.
There are a couple other policies around video length to be aware of:
- Videos over 45 minutes long require users to click to play. They won’t autoplay in people’s feeds.
- Videos over 3 minutes long may show an ad break in the middle of the video.
So while you can technically post videos up to 8 hours to be monetized, keeping your videos under 45 minutes will allow them to autoplay as people scroll through their feeds, which helps increase reach and viewership.
Optimal Video Length for Max Monetization
While Facebook allows monetized videos from 1 minute up to 8 hours, there is an optimal length that tends to perform best. So what is that magic number for maximizing your Facebook video monetization?
According to research from Socialbakers, the optimal video length for Facebook engagement and monetization is between 2-5 minutes long. Here’s a look at how video length correlates with viewer drop-off and retention:
| Video Length | Viewer Retention |
|---|---|
| 0-1 minute | 95% |
| 1-2 minutes | 85% |
| 2-5 minutes | 65% |
| 5-10 minutes | 55% |
| 10-20 minutes | 35% |
| 20+ minutes | 25% |
As you can see, 2-5 minute videos have the highest overall viewer retention at 65%. Viewers are more likely to click away the longer the video gets past 5 minutes. So you want your videos long enough to deliver value but short enough to keep viewers interested.
2-5 minutes also aligns with optimal video ad frequency. With videos in this length range, Facebook can show 1-2 ads during the video. Longer videos allow more ad insertions, but sacrifice retention.
Shorter videos under 2 minutes can only fit one ad break. While they may get high completion rates, the opportunity for monetization is lower with fewer ad placements possible.
Tips for Creating Effective 2-5 Minute Videos
Based on the data, top-performing Facebook videos for engagement and monetization tend to be in the 2-5 minute range. Here are some tips for making compelling videos in this length:
Hook viewers quickly
You only have a few seconds to grab the viewer’s attention before they scroll past your video in their feed. Make sure your video starts strong by previewing the value right away or teasing what’s to come.
Structure your content
With limited time, you need to be concise and structured in presenting your information. Break down your content into sections with quick transitions to move through ideas.
Use strong visuals
Eye-catching thumbnails and high-quality footage are key for Facebook videos. Use relevant images, text overlays, infographics, and B-roll to visually reinforce your message.
Keep it conversational
Facebook videos with a conversational, down-to-earth style tend to perform best. Speak directly to your audience as you would talk to a friend.
Include a clear call-to-action
At the end, tell viewers what you want them to do, whether it’s subscribing, checking your link in the description, or sharing the video.
Check analytics for drop-off points
Use Facebook Insights to see when viewership declines in your existing videos. This can identify where you may be losing people’s interest.
Other Best Practices for Facebook Video
In addition to video length, a few other best practices can help boost viewership and maximize monetization of your Facebook videos:
- Use descriptive, compelling titles and descriptions so people want to click and watch.
- Customize your thumbnail to feature recognizable faces, text, or bold imagery.
- Publish consistently and promote new videos across your other social channels to drive more traffic.
- Include closed captioning to make your videos accessible for more people.
- Optimize video metadata with relevant keywords so your content is more discoverable.
Conclusion
Facebook offers immense opportunity for video creators to build an audience and monetize content. To tap into that potential, keep your videos within the 2-5 minute length that Facebook’s algorithm favors. Avoid going over 20 minutes, where retention really starts to decline. Structure your content effectively, maximize visual appeal, and hook viewers right away. By making compelling videos optimized for the platform, you can unlock more views, engagement and advertising revenue on the world’s largest social network.