An analysis of 1.1 million TikTok videos reveals that despite the platform’s reputation for brief content, longer videos consistently generate higher reach and watch time, challenging conventional wisdom about social media audience behavior.
Buffer’s research indicates that while 86% of TikTok videos are under one minute in length, content exceeding 60 seconds achieves 43.2% more reach and 63.8% higher watch time compared to shorter formats.
The distribution of TikTok content remains heavily weighted toward brevity.
According to the study, 33.7% of videos run 10-30 seconds, 27.3% fall within 30-60 seconds, and 22.2% last just 5-10 seconds. Only 12.3% of videos exceed one minute.
Despite creator preference for shorter formats, the data shows a direct correlation between video length and performance. Videos over one minute achieve 70.3% more reach than 10-30 second videos and 95.7% more reach than 5-10 second clips.
Image credit: Buffer
The watch time metrics reveal an even more dramatic disparity, with minute-plus videos garnering 175.6% more watch time than 10-30-second content and 264.5% more than 5-10-second videos.
Mid-Length Content Offers Balanced Performance
The research identifies a specific performance threshold at the 30-second mark.
Videos in the 30-60 second range outperform shorter content, achieving 18.9% higher reach than 10-30 second videos and 36.7% more reach than 5-10 second clips.
According to Buffer’s analysis, this length represents an effective middle ground, providing enough time to develop concepts while aligning with viewer expectations.
The medium format captures 6.9 seconds of median watch time and 302 median reach, which is higher than its shorter counterparts.
Short Videos Face Engagement Challenges
While very short videos dominate platform volume, they struggle with engagement metrics. The study found that 22.2% of TikTok videos run 5-10 seconds, yet these achieve only 3.1 seconds of median watch time and 194 median reach.
The data suggests that even ultra-short videos often fail to maintain viewer attention for their full duration, with users scrolling past before completion.
Image credit: Buffer
Algorithm Favors Time Investment
Buffer data scientist Julian Winterheimer notes that video length exists within a complex algorithm and isn’t necessarily the determining factor for content success.
The research suggests TikTok’s algorithm prioritizes videos that keep users on the platform longer, potentially explaining why longer videos receive broader distribution.
The findings challenge the common assumption that TikTok users have limited attention spans. When presented with compelling content, they are willing to engage with longer formats, with the highest median watch time (11.3 seconds) and reach (432.5) for videos in the 1-10 minute category.
Beyond video length, Buffer’s research highlights the importance of essential content elements, including strong hooks within the first two seconds, captions and on-screen text, fast-paced editing, clear calls to action, and consistent posting schedules.
The study concludes that while content quality remains paramount, creators who have mastered these fundamentals may benefit from experimenting with longer formats to leverage algorithm preferences.
Dragomir is a Serbian freelance blog writer and translator. He is passionate about covering insightful stories and exploring topics such as influencer marketing, the creator economy, technology, business, and cyber fraud.
An analysis of 1.1 million TikTok videos reveals that despite the platform’s reputation for brief content, longer videos consistently generate higher reach and watch time, challenging conventional wisdom about social media audience behavior.
Buffer’s research indicates that while 86% of TikTok videos are under one minute in length, content exceeding 60 seconds achieves 43.2% more reach and 63.8% higher watch time compared to shorter formats.
Longer Videos Dominate Key Metrics Despite Platform Trends
The distribution of TikTok content remains heavily weighted toward brevity.
According to the study, 33.7% of videos run 10-30 seconds, 27.3% fall within 30-60 seconds, and 22.2% last just 5-10 seconds. Only 12.3% of videos exceed one minute.
Despite creator preference for shorter formats, the data shows a direct correlation between video length and performance. Videos over one minute achieve 70.3% more reach than 10-30 second videos and 95.7% more reach than 5-10 second clips.
Image credit: Buffer
The watch time metrics reveal an even more dramatic disparity, with minute-plus videos garnering 175.6% more watch time than 10-30-second content and 264.5% more than 5-10-second videos.
Mid-Length Content Offers Balanced Performance
The research identifies a specific performance threshold at the 30-second mark.
Videos in the 30-60 second range outperform shorter content, achieving 18.9% higher reach than 10-30 second videos and 36.7% more reach than 5-10 second clips.
According to Buffer’s analysis, this length represents an effective middle ground, providing enough time to develop concepts while aligning with viewer expectations.
The medium format captures 6.9 seconds of median watch time and 302 median reach, which is higher than its shorter counterparts.
Short Videos Face Engagement Challenges
While very short videos dominate platform volume, they struggle with engagement metrics. The study found that 22.2% of TikTok videos run 5-10 seconds, yet these achieve only 3.1 seconds of median watch time and 194 median reach.
The data suggests that even ultra-short videos often fail to maintain viewer attention for their full duration, with users scrolling past before completion.
Image credit: Buffer
Algorithm Favors Time Investment
Buffer data scientist Julian Winterheimer notes that video length exists within a complex algorithm and isn’t necessarily the determining factor for content success.
The research suggests TikTok’s algorithm prioritizes videos that keep users on the platform longer, potentially explaining why longer videos receive broader distribution.
The findings challenge the common assumption that TikTok users have limited attention spans. When presented with compelling content, they are willing to engage with longer formats, with the highest median watch time (11.3 seconds) and reach (432.5) for videos in the 1-10 minute category.
Beyond video length, Buffer’s research highlights the importance of essential content elements, including strong hooks within the first two seconds, captions and on-screen text, fast-paced editing, clear calls to action, and consistent posting schedules.
The study concludes that while content quality remains paramount, creators who have mastered these fundamentals may benefit from experimenting with longer formats to leverage algorithm preferences.
Read the full study here.