Social Media Video: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok
Vertical short-form social media video content is essential to a video content marketing strategy. When I create long-form traditional video projects for clients, they almost always include vertical video.
Vertical short-form video refers to video content specifically created and optimized for vertical viewing on mobile devices. Unlike traditional horizontal videos, vertical short-form videos are shot in a portrait orientation, maximizing the use of the vertical screen space. This format has gained popularity on platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, where users consume content primarily on smartphones. The vertical aspect ratio caters to the natural way people hold their phones and facilitates easy one-handed navigation. Vertical short-form videos are often brief, engaging, and designed to capture attention quickly in a fast-paced digital environment, making them popular for creators and advertisers looking to connect with mobile audiences.
Vertical Short-Form Marketing Social Media Video Examples
Travel and Tourism
As a Content Creator, I was asked to create a set of short vertical videos for the Nevada Department of Tourism to post as Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok. These were fun to create! I shot all of the content, created videos for my YouTube Channel, wrote the scripts, and recorded the voiceovers.
Public Outreach
I am creating a series of short social media videos for the Nevada Cancer Coalition to help them reach out to people in the northern Nevada community and help educate them about important issues related to skin cancer. This video is about who should get a skin cancer screening and when.
Business Promo
Social Media is the number one way people will find out about your business. And short video is the best way to use social media. I created this video for local brand, Rack2Roam to celebrate their services installing and up-fitting vehicles with the Alucab Cabin off-road camper.
Elements of Great Vertical Short Form Marketing Social Media Video Content
To create a successful vertical short-form video on social media, I always incorporate some key elements to catch the attention of busy and distracted viewers and get them to engage with the content.
- Quick Hook: Short-for social media videos must grab the viewer's attention within the first few seconds with an intriguing and attention-grabbing introduction.
- Clear Message: For these videos, I always frame them with a concise and clear message that is easy to understand at a glance.
- Engaging Visuals: Use visually appealing and dynamic visuals. This includes high-quality footage that usually comes from a long-form video production.
- Sound and Music: Use engaging audio elements. Whether it's background music, sound effects, or voiceovers, make sure the audio complements the visual content and enhances the overall experience.
- Storytelling: Using the classic elements of storytelling is critical. Short videos must have a clear conflict or problem, then set an expectation, and then reverse that for a satisfying or interesting conclusion.
- Call-to-Action (CTA): Encourage engagement by including a clear call-to-action. Whether it's to like, share, comment, or visit a link, guide viewers on what to do next. My favorite is asking a question that engages viewers with a comment.
- Consistent Branding: Maintain consistency in branding elements such as logos, colors, and fonts. This helps build brand recognition and reinforces your identity.
- Captions: Successful short-form video content almost always has open captions, usually with some kind of effect to make it stand out and be easily readable. This is because most people scroll through this kind of content with their device sound off.
- Thumbnail Image: All social media video content has to have a strong thumbnail image to attract clicks and views.
By optimizing these elements, I can help clients create engaging and shareable vertical short-form videos on social media platforms.