The Art of Vertical Video: Strategies for Social Media Success
If you’ve been on social media over the last decade you’ve seen the domination of vertical video. Whether it’s on Instagram stories, Reels, or TikTok, creators are using their phones to speak straight into the camera and connect people on their phones. It’s empowering to think that all you need to reach your community and find new audiences is in the palm of your hand. Jade Media put together tips to help you get started and make the most out of your vertical video across platforms.
Tip 1: Video is vertical and full screen
For the best user experience, your video orientation should be vertical (9:16) and use the full screen. This allows you to make the most of the real estate of the phone screen. It also aesthetically gives your audience a nod that this content was made for them to consume in their phones and feels inherently social.
Tip 2: Use the tools within the app to enhance your content
The best social media content feels human. Use native tools of the app to make your content feel more personal. There are tools in each app that can help make your video feel like it was made in or for the platform you’re posting on. This can include subtitles, headline text, stickers, polls, filters, green screen and much more. Find the tool that makes the most sense for the story that you want to tell.
Tip 3: Use text with intention
When you use text with intention, you tell the algorithm and the audience who your content is for. With social media platforms doubling as search engines, it’s important that your videos have intentional text to help it be found by the right audience. Consider the following:
Video Headline: Quick text to summarize what your video is about at the top and/or beginning of your video.
Post caption: The key signal to the algorithm as to what your content is about and who it is for. Include keywords that your intended audiences would search for to find your video.
Subtitles: Adding subtitles is wonderful for accessibility and search engine optimization. By using subtitles (GENERATED IN APP), you let the app know what exact words are in your video, allowing it to be easy to search for.
Hashtags: Add hashtags to give another signal to the algorithm as to who to put your content in front of. You want your hashtags to range from macro topics to micro topics to help with search and discovery
Tip 4: Use sounds with intention
Uses sound with intention: Use trending sounds if they align with your brand themes and to ride the wave of what is popular at the moment. Creating sound-on content with captions allows it to be enjoyed no matter how its consumed.
Tip 5: Make content mutually beneficial
Ultimately, your content needs to be mutually beneficial to your brand and to the audience watching. This means that there needs to be a clear message about your brand and a clear and beneficial takeaway for your audience. How can you educate, entertain, inspire, reveal, celebrate, relate, analyze, react, etc. in ways that your audience is stimulated, and give your brand a clear right to play.
We hope that these tips provided some inspiration to get into the vertical video game. Let Jade help you and/or your team improve their social media video in just one hour. Contact us today to set up a time for your team. Contact us to transform your social video today.