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I know what you’re thinking, “I don’t have the time or money to produce high quality videos for our social media platforms.” That’s a reasonable thought to have, and I don’t blame you. However, you might be wrong.

You don’t need Marvel Cinematic Universe-like production to get improved social engagement from video content. In fact, the difference in performance between expensive, produced video and more casual, real video is often minimal or non-existent. So, that’s great news!

Vertical video in social media is where all of the momentum is at right now, and will be for the foreseeable future. People love it, the platforms love it, so now we love it. And you should too! 

So, what exactly is vertical video?

Vertical video is what it sounds like. It is video content captured in portrait framing, or vertically, instead of landscape, or horizontally. It’s the content you would capture and watch with your phone normally, with your device upright just as we use them over 90% of the time.

Think about it. Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Facebook Stories, as well as Instagram Stories and Reels are all vertically formatted. People use these features a ton, and capturing video content vertically allows you to seamlessly post your content to all of them. 

Why should I care about it?

Another great question! The answer is simple: because people engage with it and the social media platforms notice. 

Facebook has stated that people spend five times more time on videos than static text or graphic posts, receiving approximately 59% more engagement than other content types. That seems important! Whenever I review our clients’ social media analytics, video content is always at the top of the engagement charts. And it’s usually not that close. 

Social media platforms are also much more willing to share your content to people who are not following you if your content is in vertical video format. TikTok is the prime example, as you start watching one video and it continues to deliver countless other videos that the algorithm thinks you might like. And the other platforms have copied that formula for their organic content delivery as well. 

So, meet people where they are. 

Here’s the bottom line: you can do it!

It might seem like a lot of work, but you don’t need to make it a cumbersome part of your digital strategy. When do you record videos in your personal life? Probably when there’s something that you want to remember, you want to show someone else or you think it’s fun.

Staff meeting with a fun activity? Record it. Moving worship on a Sunday? Record it. Your Pastor has a word on his heart on a Wednesday? Record it. And post all of it, even if it’s on your regular ol’ phone. People enjoy the organic, authentic side of social media. Don’t let the fear of falling short of perfection paralyze you from doing something that might have a Kingdom impact. We believe in you!

If you have questions or need some ideas on executing this content, our team would love to chat about strategy and execution.

We’re not asking you to lean into vertical video because we want you to, we’re asking you to because your people want you to. They might not say it out loud, but their social activity and the numbers are doing all the talking.