This analysis of 2,384,083 pieces of content reveals the ideal lengths for captivating social media posts:

Instagram: Aim for Reels between 11-17 seconds for entertainment and 38-51 seconds for educational content. Carousels work best with 7-10 slides, but remember a strong hook on slides 1 and 2 is crucial.
LinkedIn: Short-form videos shine at 40-46 seconds, while longer videos find success between 3-4 minutes. When it comes to text, motivational posts should be 20-38 words long, while educational ones average 291 words.
TikTok & YouTube Shorts: Keep it snappy! For entertainment, target 18-31 seconds on TikTok and 28-33 seconds on YouTube Shorts. Educational content performs well at 42-54 seconds on TikTok and 41-57 seconds on YouTube Shorts.
YouTube: Long-form YouTube videos reign supreme at an average of 7 minutes and 9 seconds.
Facebook (The Cautionary Tale): The data shows reach struggles regardless of content length. It's a harsh reality, but reality nonetheless.

Key Takeaways:

• Use this data as a guide, not a rigid rule. A few extra seconds or words won't hurt great content.
• Avoid "fluff" to meet a specific length – it hurts reach.
• Don't sacrifice quality for brevity.

Remember: Engaging content, regardless of length, is key to social media success.