The Guide to Vertical Video on Social Media [Part II]
Click 👆to get your ebook!
This is just a teaser for our guide to using vertical video on social media, This ebook will show you everything you need to know about engaging your audiences on Facebook, YouTube, and Linkedin. And we’ll give you some tips and tricks to avoid any silly mistakes when you start posting your vertical content. 😉
TL;DR
- Major platforms like LinkedIn and Youtube are investing in vertical video advertising
- Learn how to kick a$$ at vertical video for Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn
- Hint: Hashtags matter more than we thought
Are you ready for more vertical shenanigans?
In the first part of our guide, we showed you a few tips and tricks you can use to attract new customers and users with vertical video. We covered the vertical greats: Instagram (IGTV and Stories), TikTok, Snapchat, and even Twitter.
And in this part, we’re going to show you how reign supreme over YouTube, Facebook, and even LinkedIn.
Ready?
Let’s go vertical!
Remind Me, Why Vertical?
If you haven’t read the first part of our guide, you may be wondering why you need vertical video. Now, we’re vertical geeks, and here’s why you should become one too:
- We use mobile phones vertically 94% of the time
- Vertical videos see 90% higher completion rates than horizontal videos
- Vertical videos produce a 130% increase in video views, and 4x more engagement
Doesn’t that sound like a marketer’s dream?
1. How to Use Vertical Video on Facebook
Everyone and their (grand)mothers are using Facebook. And when it comes to vertical, 79% of both grandchildren and grandparents agree that that vertical video is more engaging. So when Facebook adopted the story format, they saw 500M daily users.
Pretty good, right?
How to Shoot a Facebook Vertical Video
- Prepare a script
- Make your intro interesting, and your outro engaging
- CTA: invite viewers to follow you on social media or perform an action
[Please embed a screenshot of your script]
Thumbnail Magic
A great thumbnail is the key to vertical success.
- Use expressive headshots (people love thumbnails with faces)
- Write complementary text (add teasing text to your thumbnails)
- Branding (be consistent with the style of your thumbnails)
- Size: 1280x720
Hashing Out the Deal with Hashtags
Facebook works like a search engine, so make sure you use the appropriate tags and hashtags.
- Your first tag matters: make sure the most important tag is in the first place, followed by others
- Use both general and descriptive tags (e.g. #dieting and #ketodiet)
Descriptions and Subtitles
If you’re posting regular Facebook videos, you will be able to add a description with a link in it:
- State which topics you’ll cover in your video
- Add a CTA and a relevant link
- Point your viewers to your description from the video
- Make the first 25–30 characters count; they’re the ones your viewers will see first, and decide whether or not they’ll read on and watch the video
Additionally, when you post Facebook video, you can use REV to create .SRT files with subtitles and upload them. People watch videos on mute, so closed captions are a great way to attract even more viewers!
Tool: Facebook Creator Studio
Facebook Creator Studio is an amazing tool for posting and cross-posting to IG and FB. You can schedule your videos, post, and gauge insights from your analytics.
Pro tip: Upcycle your old horizontal videos with Tappable’s video converter. You’ll get engaging vertical videos in a few seconds! You can even use Tappable to repurpose your videos for other platforms.
2. How to Use Vertical Video on YouTube
From its humble beginnings as a platform that hosted cat videos and Russian snow shenanigans, YouTube turned into a veritable marketing goldmine.
Some might even say the platform is prophetic; YouTube was one of the first platforms to announce vertical advertising.
After all, 70% of their traffic comes from mobile.
Scripts, Captions, Hashtags, Oh My!
Facebook script and thumbnail rules apply to YouTube, with a few additions:
- CTA: Invite your viewers to subscribe to your channel
- Show your related content on the final screen
- Thumbnail size: 1280x720
- Your captions matter
Here’s the thing: YouTube is actually a search engine, second in traffic to Google.
The keywords and hashtags you use in your captions make a huge difference.
Closed captions are indexed. Create and upload your own .SRT files with REV to ensure there are no auto-captioning mistakes.
Hit the Library
Just like Google, YouTube is a huge library of video content so similar rules apply:
- Your first tag is the most important tag
- Use general and broad keywords (e.g. #diet and #ketodiet, #dietingtips)
- Describe topics covered with tags
- Add your primary keywords and links in the beginning (YouTube only displays first 25–30 characters of your description before the cut)
Upcycle Your Old Videos
Vertical video is a brave new world. Use it to the fullest by upcycling your old horizontal videos with Tappable’s video converter. You can convert them to vertical, or adjust them for other platforms to maximize your video ROI.
3. How to Use Vertical Video on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is one of the rare social networks where B2B action takes place.
91% of marketing executives look up quality content on it, and more than half of the platform’s traffic comes from mobile.
Do you smell vertical video in the air?
What Should I Post?
We’re glad you asked!
- Personal achievements: Speak about your personal journey and your experiences
- Ask Me Anything: Take questions from your audience and flaunt your expertise
- BTS: Show what’s going on at your company; from promotions to achievements
- Educate your target audience: film tutorials and how-to’s
Tips & Tricks for LinkedIn Vertical Video
LinkedIn is all about B2B engagement:
- CTA: Invite your viewers to comment on your videos or send you a message
- Subtitles: Use REV to generate .SRT subtitle files and upload them to LinkedIn natively
- Thumbnail size: 720x720
- Create enticing thumbnails following the FB and YouTube advice
Improving Your Visibility
LinkedIn functions as a search engine, so follow the Facebook and YouTube advice for hashtags and descriptions.
Your first tag is the most important one, so make it count.
Ready to go vertical? Check out the first part of our guide, and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest insights.
