Vertical Videos (for Story, Reel, IGTV, TikTok, Shorts)
Not Creating Vertical Videos? You Should Be!
Did you know that smartphone users hold their phones vertically 94% of the time, including to view videos? It makes sense then for brands and creators to generate content in vertical format and tap into a massive, existing audience.
Why vertical videos make a difference in your content?
An astonishing 57% of the world’s video views come from mobile devices. And with that rise in mobile video viewing comes a corresponding increase in vertically viewed videos online. After all, videos are easier to watch when you don’t have to turn your phone. Though smartphone users had been shooting vertical videos since the devices had the capability, the real revolution began when Snapchat launched in 2011 with a video format designed around the iPhone.
It is more ergonomic for users to keep their phones vertical and not rotate their devices every time they want to see a video. Hence, it makes sense that a vertical video does a much better job of engaging viewers and then keeping them engaged.
Here is a stat worth keeping in mind: 73% of Gen Z watches video content on their smartphones. This is not surprising since, according to an IBM study, 75% of Gen Z prefer their smartphones over any other device. And the reasons why are pretty obvious: accessibility, quality, engagement, and storytelling.
The younger generation is in love with user-generated content (UGC), to the point where it influences their purchasing decisions even more than brand content or influencer content.
According to HubSpot Blog research, UGC also offers excellent ROI, with 40% of marketers ranking it a high-ROI format on social media. Brands too can leverage the vertical video format for the same reasons why UGC is successful: it is a budget-friendly way to create content and needs few resources, while still appealing to Gen Z’s video consumption habits.
For some time, square videos were seen as a viable solution to prevent users having to tilt their phones. However, the square format does almost little-to-nothing for the immersive experience. With so much of the mobile screen not utilized, users did not find square videos engaging enough and were more prone to scrolling away.
Vertical video dimensions leverage the big screens that are a hallmark of modern smartphones to deliver engaging content like never before.
Much like what widescreen televisions did for movies and TV shows, taller aspect ratios did for immersiveness on mobile platforms. It also helps that swipe-to-navigate features are perfect for vertical videos and keep audiences engaged.
Just like any other trend or feature that gets established with and accepted by social media audiences, so has the taller frame of vertical videos. Simply put, on any social media platform, your brand should be using any and all vertical video functionalities available. And your audiences expect you to deliver the same.
Social media platforms that are driving the growth of vertical video include Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Vertical videos also work wonderfully well for shorter content formats – a must as the average human attention span keeps getting shorter (it is already shorter than that of a goldfish).
This is why YouTube Shorts and Insta Reels are trying hard to replicate the success and popularity of TikTok.
If your brand is not aboard the vertical video wagon yet, it might well be playing catchup to brands that already are. Many big and small brands have already incorporated the vertical video into their wider marketing strategies.
D2C brand Spread the Love deployed vertical format videos across their website, from homepage to product pages, for great results. The average time spent on site has increased by a whopping 250%, along with a 14% rise in conversions. Vertical video livestreams also contribute greatly to attracting relevant traffic.
