How long should a TEDx talk be?
Is 15 minutes a long time?
It didn’t used to be - but it is now.
When TED first started they said 18 minutes was the optimal length for a talk- short enough to hold our attention, long enough to present serious content.
Over the years the limit has stayed but the average talk length has dropped lower and lower- it's now closer to 10 minutes.
So how long should your TEDx be?
Some organizers will give you a very specific time (great- aim for that), others will be more general and say you have 10-15 minutes.
My rule of thumb is- how long does it need to be?
Don’t start with a limit in mind: write your talk, tell your stories, figure out the very best way to give the audience the realization you need them to have.
If that ends up being 8 minutes, don’t try to drag it to 10.
If it takes 3 minutes- that’s awesome! Some of my favorite TEDx talks (hello Derek Sivers) are under 5 minutes.
Organizers want you to have the best possible talk and most will probably be happy that some speakers err on the short side, as guaranteed there will be a couple who bore on for way longer than they should.
And if it’s closer to 15- does it really need to be?
If your idea is technically dense and you can't get your message across in less than 15 minutes then do that, but be honest with yourself (and ask for good feedback)- is it necessary?
Where have you given 3 examples where 2 (or one!) would do? Are there places you're repeating yourself? Is there a story about you when really there should be one about the idea?
Look for places where you can edit down- not to condense more into less, but to remove detail to leave breathing room for the idea.
The best talks will leave you wanting more. In fact that’s the optimal state! If you have a strong business case for doing a TEDx, the ideal outcome is that the audience immediately seek you out afterwards so they can get more of you!
***
Want to speak on the TEDx stage- I can answer all your TEDx questions: https://calendly.com/resonance-ideas/tedx-strategy-call
