Why Your Business Needs to Start Making Vertical Video for Social Media.
Did you know that the average person spends two and a half-hour on social media per day? Surveys also show that videos are consumers' favourite type of content to see from a brand. This proves that videos are important and must be a part of your social media strategy. The real question is, are you taking advantage of this opportunity to reach your target customers on social media? If you already have this equipped on your marketing arsenal, are you using the right video format and the right video orientation?
We're going to dive into the topic of horizontal versus vertical video, the different video aspect ratios, and which works best for social media platforms.
Horizontal vs. Vertical Video
Before you shoot your brand videos, it is best practice to consider which platform you'll be posting or uploading your video content to and the device your target audience will be using to watch your video. Each social media platform has its preferred aspect ratio (proportional width and height of your video). A study found that 75% of video viewing is on smart mobile phones, and users hold their phones vertically 94% of the time.
Video Aspect Ratio
YouTube is the world's most popular video platform, where people watch more than one billion hours per day. It uses the 16:9 aspect ratio, perfect for watching videos on TV and desktop screens, and is the most common aspect ratio of horizontal videos, and considered by some as 'old school'.
2020, YouTube updated its platform to accept vertical videos for its mobile users. Thus, vertical videos are no longer shown with annoying black bars when viewed on desktop. On top of that, it has also added YouTube Shorts, a new short-form video experience right on YouTube for creators and artists who want to shoot short, catchy videos using nothing but their mobile phones. This and the stories feature on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and others take up the entire real estate of a mobile device's screen with a 9:16 vertical video. This aspect ratio is probably one of the top reasons why vertical video creation and viewing is on the rise.
Native Facebook and Instagram posts or videos that show up on feeds can either be a 1:1(square) or a 4:5 vertical aspect ratio. Facebook even allows a 2:3 vertical which occupies more area on the mobile screen.
If you're filming a video that you want to use on different media platforms, it is best to keep in mind the different aspect ratios. This will make the task of cropping your visual assets appropriately in post-production easy.
The bottom line is, video is the preferred content by the majority online, especially on social media platforms. With most of the target audience on mobile devices, backed by its ever-improving hardware and apps, online video content is an effective way to share your message personally and professionally as a brand.
Is your marketing budget, time, resources, creative know-how, and other challenges holding you back from creating or managing your video content? Visit VUE Studio to find out how we could help.
