In this episode of The Tap, Wes and Julian tackle the age-old debate: How long should your videos be? Short? Long? 60 seconds? The truth is simpler and far more useful—your video should be as long as it needs to be to deliver value and no longer. We break down myths, metrics, and how your audience’s needs matter most.

• Debunking the 60-second rule: Why this advice is outdated and oversimplified
• Audience-driven decisions: Let your viewers and platform guide your video length
• With Me videos trend: The surprising popularity of ultra-long content
• Metrics that matter: Retention rates, platform context, and behavior patterns
• Practical tips: Deliver your message with sincerity, value, and brevity

In this episode, we cover:

• 00:00 Introduction and topic overview
• 01:00 Debates about attention spans and expert “rules”
• 03:00 Platform differences: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and more
• 05:00 Real-world example: Black & Decker’s video length data
• 08:00 “With Me” video trend and surprising ultra-long engagement
• 11:00 Audience-first thinking: testing, metrics, and feedback loops
• 14:00 Winston Churchill’s famous quote (and its lesson on editing)
• 16:00 Final advice: respect your audience and don’t stress over rules

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Contact Wes directly: wes@tapeditgo.com

Visit tapeditgo.com for resources, courses, and community support.

This episode was originally part of the Smartphone Video Podcast with Julian Mather. Julian is now an accomplished motivational speaker — learn more at julianmather.com. He has passed the reins of this podcast to Tap Edit Go to continue the mission, bringing you fresh episodes and new guests.