10 Tips to Boost Your Social Media Content Strategy for Vertical Video

Sep 15, 2023
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Marketing video creation works like a complex machine. It has many moving parts that must coordinate to see your desired results. For example, your visuals must match your message, which has to pair with the title.These ten tips will show you how to build a successful social media content strategy with vertical video.

What Is Vertical Video and Why Should You Care?

Videos are the most powerful content format for marketing. In addition, over half of consumers want to see more videos from brands.You can share videos in three different formats:

  • Horizontal video is wider than it is tall and fits best on computer screens. A typical example of horizontal video is YouTube videos.
  • Vertical video is taller than it is wide and fits best on smartphones. TikTok is one of the most popular apps for vertical video.
  • Square video is a mix of both vertical and horizontal video. Facebook and Instagram primarily use square video.

While there are three possible formats to use in your marketing, vertical video is quickly becoming one of the most popular formats. This is because anyone can shoot vertical video as long as they have a smartphone. While you can also capture horizontal video on a smartphone, most users feel more comfortable holding it upright.You should include vertical video in your strategy to stay on trend with consumers.

Where Do You Post Vertical Video?

Vertical video is compatible with several popular social media platforms, including:

  • TikTok
  • Snapchat
  • Facebook Stories
  • Instagram Reels
  • YouTube Shorts
  • Twitter feed

10 Social Media Content Strategies to Get You Started with Vertical Video

Use these ten social media video marketing strategies from expert video marketers to crush your vertical video creation with unique social media content ideas.

1. Know Your Platform First

Each platform has slightly different vertical video dimensions. For example, Facebook Stories has a recommendation of 1,080 X 1,920 pixels, which is similar to Instagram and TikTok. However, if you wanted to share the video in your feed, you would need to create a square video.By understanding your platform, you’ll know what dimensions work best. In addition, you will know what might also be on the screen. For instance, each platform has comment, share, and react buttons on the video screen, which could cover essential parts of your video if you weren’t aware of their placement before filming.Familiarizing yourself with your platform before filming ensures you create the most compatible video, improving the user experience.

Image from Sculpt

2. Create an Engaging Hook

The average viewer’s attention span is just eight seconds. That means you have just eight seconds to convince your viewer to keep watching. That initial hook is key to the success of your video. Without it, you wouldn’t have an audience.Here are some tips for capturing their attention:

  • Use colorful imagery
  • Make it active
  • Say or do something shocking
  • Connect personally with your audience

Try to be unique with your hook and avoid cliches. On the other hand, you don’t want to overpromise or use a technique that doesn’t match your brand, which will hurt your business in the long term.

3. Optimize Your Written Content

Even though you are creating vertical video, your written content plays a role. For example, what you write in the description and title will impact where your video appears. Having many viewers and having quality viewers are two significantly different results.Many viewers simply mean a significant number of people saw your marketing content. However, quality viewers mean the consumers who saw your videos are all potential buyers with a need, interest, and means to purchase your products.You want your video to appear in those consumers’ feeds. To do so, you must use wording they would use and connect to similar brands to increase your chances of showing up in their searches and feed.

4. Opt for a Shorter View Time

YouTube’s horizontal videos support a longer view time, with videos up to ten minutes performing exceptionally well. However, most viewers who are watching video vertically do so on a short-form video app like TikTok.For vertical video, your goal should be to keep your video under one minute. While you might be able to get away with videos as long as two to five minutes, they won’t see as much success as shorter videos that capture the attention of passive scrollers.Reserve those longer videos for active viewers who searched out your content, as they will be more willing to sit through the video.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related Content: Learn More about Creating Stellar Videos

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5. Focus on a Single Message

Because your vertical video is shorter, you will want to pack the most significant punch in what little time you have. You don’t want to waste your precious time on fluff or unnecessary information. Instead, keep the video focused on one primary message and spend the entire time driving that message home.For example, if you want your audience to purchase a specific product, you want the video to focus on the benefits and features of that product or show it in use in some specific way instead of trying to demonstrate several products at once.

6. Create Clear Video

Smartphone screens are much smaller than desktop screens, which means the content you create must be visible on those devices. If you film content with dozens of small details and fast-moving parts, your viewers are likelier to miss part of the video.Instead, focus on clarity. Clarity means your video shouldn’t be blurry or hard to see, which often happens if you pan too fast, trying to capture too much video in one minute. In addition, it should remain simple with minimal people and objects on the screen to distract from your main message.For example, pay attention to your video's background scenery or noise before choosing a location. You might find a quiet studio is much clearer than trying to film a video in public.

7. Mix Up Your Angles

Shooting vertical video might make you think of holding a smartphone at arm’s length and eye level. This is the default “tourist on vacation” pose you see everywhere. However, that isn’t the only angle you can use.Because you don’t have a wide panorama shot like with horizontal video, you’ll want to be creative. Try mixing up your shots. For example, you can use an aerial shot and look down at a scene. You might also turn your camera on a slight angle and film diagonally to capture more of the scene without leaving vertical mode.Zooming in for a closeup and out for a wide view are also ways to mix up the angle. Using different angles keeps the video moving even if you are filming a stationary object.

8. Make Use of All Your Space

Every part of the video’s shot is room for you to convey your message. You should use each corner and edge of the vertical video. For example, move your models closer instead of posing them in the distance so that they fill in some of the cracks.A split screen allows you to convey more information in less time and space. A split screen can play two or more videos stacked on the same screen simultaneously. For example, you might show three different angles of the same product on the same screen.

9. Make It Clear on Silent

Consumers watch 85% of Facebook videos on silent. Often this is because their phone is on mute while they’re scrolling. Facebook isn’t the only platform where users aren’t listening to the sound. This also happens on Instagram, TikTok, and other vertical video platforms.If your entire message depends on sounds, rethink how you convey your message. Using clearer visuals, text, and subtitles can improve the clarity of your message even without sound.

10. Use Storytelling

Video marketing is primarily a platform for storytelling. You can convey a message, incite emotions, and move your viewers to action with a few carefully selected words and shots. Storytelling is the art of creating an experience through visuals and words.You don’t have to create a fictional tale to use storytelling. For example, it could be a narrative of a protagonist that beats the odds. However, it can also be the story of how your shoes help the user get to where they’re going or how food transformed a person’s life.Storytelling puts the consumer in the center of your message instead of your brand. You’re telling them that your video is about them and relatable experiences rather than a specific product. Your product then takes the back seat and shows up near the end as the solution to the problem or situation presented in your story.

Image from HubSpot

Make Your Video Stand Out

Creating content for social media doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With the right tools and ideas, you can create content that resonates with your audience and moves them to action.Contact us to talk with a social media content expert to build a successful video marketing strategy.

David Ledstrup
Chief Strategy Officer

As Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) @ Kubbco, I lead the global strategic efforts and oversee the research and planning, community, content strategy and paid social teams.

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