What is a good length for a YouTube pre-roll ad?

Sep 15, 2023
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Are you wondering what is a good length for a YouTube pre-roll ad? Pre-roll ads are those short commercials that play before a YouTube video.

They can be anywhere from 6 seconds to however long you want, but the average is around 15 seconds.

But what is a good length for a YouTube pre-roll ad?

It really depends on your goals and your audience. If you're trying to sell something, then you'll want to err on the longer side so that you have enough time to make your pitch.

On the other hand, if you're just trying to raise awareness of your brand or product, then a shorter ad might be more effective.

Ultimately, it's up to you to decide what is a good length for your pre-rolls ads on YouTube.

However...

Here's a few things to consider that might help you make your decision:

  1. The average attention span of a human is 8 seconds, so try to keep your ad under that if you can. Now, there's a lot of debate about these 8 seconds, at Kubbco we've seen ads that are longer perform just as well if not better than shorter ones. If the content is good, people will watch.
  2. People generally don't like ads, so the shorter you can make it, the better.
  3. You want to strike a balance between giving people enough information about what you're selling, and not boring them with too much information.

So there you have it! What is a good length for a YouTube pre roll? It depends on your goals and your audience, but in general, shorter is better.

Keep your ad under 8 seconds if you can, and include only the most essential information about what you're selling.

But honestly, try out many lengths and see what works best. The options are at your fingertips.

If you'd like to also get even more fancy, consider tying your YouTube Pre-roll campaigns to your overall media plans and strategies.

Here's a good example of a pre-roll that is longer but keeps attention

Here's a good example of a pre-roll that is shorter

Need help with your YouTube pre-roll ads or strategy?

Our team of social media content producers, strategists and paid media experts can help you see real success with YouTube pre-rolls.Get your ads going

Chris Kubbernus
CEO

As CEO of Kubbco, Chris leads the company's vision and uses his 20 years of advertising experience to drive results for our clients.

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