Vertical Video Mastery: Dominating Social Media Platforms
Our peepers are positioned side by side, making the horizontal world our main stage. The horizontal layout outshines the vertical one when it comes to showcasing the daily drama of life, such as group interactions, dynamic motion, or those breathtaking landscapes that leave us speechless (or at least until we find our next meme).
The situation at hand is a colossal collision between our visual preferences and hand-held habits (your phone), between common sense and handiness, between the past and the future. So, what's the remedy for this conundrum? drumroll
Flipping phones sideways? Nope, not a chance. Back in 2018, 72% of millennials refused to take that "drastic" step. And now, in the present day, a whopping 80% of social media video viewers (Youtube Shorts, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and all their digital pals) scroll through these platforms on their phones.*
The key to capturing the attention of today's audience is making your content mobile-friendly. In the pre-smartphone era, widescreen videos reigned supreme with their 16:9 aspect ratio, claiming their territory on computers, TVs, and laptops. But times have changed, and so must our videos. Enter the vertical realm of smartphones, boasting a 9:16 ratio, demanding our content to evolve and occupy as much screen space as possible. Vertical video content now conquers 78% more screen territory than widescreen videos, and that's a game-changer, folks.*
Making a creative vertical video is the secret sauce to seizing someone's attention instead of watching them vanish into the digital horizontal abyss. You and I are about to explore why vertical videos reign supreme on social media, the epic battle of square vs. vertical, and the art of creating your very own vertical video masterpieces!
The Vertical Video Victory
Snapchat burst onto the scene in 2011, revolutionizing the way users exchanged photos and videos by encouraging vertical orientation – and they say change is hard! Since then, the social media giants have all hopped aboard the vertical express, adapting their platforms to favor this new format. In the attention economy, vertical videos are your ticket to success.
Nonetheless, there's an ongoing face-off between square and vertical videos in the social media arena. So, which format deserves the crown? Generally speaking, if you're aiming for a mobile-first audience, it's wise to roll with vertical videos – it's hip, it's cool, and it's the way to go!
Square Videos vs. Vertical Videos: The Ultimate Showdown
Recent experiments by Buffer reveal that square videos bag 30-35% more views and a staggering 80-100% more engagement than their widescreen counterparts (16:9) on social media platforms. It's evident that square videos are crushing widescreen in the social media arena. Posting a widescreen video on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok leaves unsightly black borders that are the visual equivalent of a vacant lot – they take up space but offer no value. Avoid these no-value zones whenever possible.
So, we've established that square videos triumph over widescreen, but now the real question emerges: which is better, square or vertical videos? Instagram, FB, and TikTok are all vertical-centric platforms. Posting a widescreen video on these platforms is like pitting a unicycle against a Ferrari – it simply won't keep up. Buffer conducted a series of tests on Facebook and Instagram to compare the performance of vertical and square video content, and the results were astonishing. Vertical videos on both platforms significantly outperformed square videos, boasting 6% more 3-second views and a jaw-dropping 187% more viewers who watched at least half the video. It's safe to conclude that in most cases, vertical videos are the top choice over square videos – the numbers don't lie!*
Mastering the Art of Vertical Videos
Before hitting the 'record' button, consider where your video will make its grand debut. While vertical reigns supreme on many platforms, sites like YouTube and Vimeo are still die-hard fans of widescreen (16:9). Reflect on your audience's platform preferences and aim to make their viewing experience a breeze.
Fear not! If you accidentally shoot a horizontal video (16:9), you can still salvage it by cropping it into a vertical format. By importing your video into an editing app like Splice, you can choose your desired aspect ratio and crop away. Voilà! Your widescreen video is now a vertical masterpiece.
However, beware of the resolution loss when using this method – cropping means fewer pixels in a larger space, resulting in lower quality. To avoid this pitfall, plan your shoot with a vertical orientation in mind. Enhance your vertical videos with attention-grabbing titles, animations, and music using Splice's video editing app.
Vertical Videos: Riding the Wave of the Future
Keeping up with ever-evolving trends can feel like a wild rollercoaster ride. Not long ago, 16:9 widescreen was the darling of the video world, but it fell from grace before many media agencies could adapt. The secret to standing out on social media is embracing trends like vertical video content.
Resistance is futile; instead, harness these trends to your advantage. As you ride the vertical video wave, stay alert to emerging trends, observe successful content creators, and experiment. Now, go forth and create captivating vertical video content – the world awaits your genius!
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