Which Is Better: Vertical Video Or Square Video?

In today’s fast-paced social media landscape, organisations have to adapt in order to connect with their target audience which leaves many considering how they can optimise their video content to fit in with this mobile centered way of consuming video content. 

With almost 80% of all internet video being viewed on a phone or mobile device, there’s no question that mobile video marketing is an essential part of any engaging video marketing campaign. 

There are a lot of different social media platforms available to organisations and it’s important to consider the platforms that your target audience are using and focus your efforts there. Videos can be distributed across a range of platforms and the type of content you choose is dependant on various factors, from short, eye-catching content (on sites like Twitter and Instagram), to longer, more in-depth videos on platforms like Youtube.

This rise of mobile content has created another debate – should you use square or vertical video?

There’s obvious reasons to choosing a more mobile-friendly format than the traditional landscape style. On phones and other handheld devices, square videos are eye-catching and take up more ‘real estate’, allowing you to capture attention and build an audience. Videos with this square 1:1 ratio resulted in 30-35% higher video views than landscape,  with a 54% increase in engagement when looking at view-through rates for the first 10 seconds.

Though it should also be considered that vertical video consumption on social media is at an all time high. Vertical video performs better on social media platforms like Facebook & Instagram in particular when you consider Instagram Stories & IGTV. 

So, to connect with your target audience on mobile devices, should you use a Vertical or Square format?

The key is to first identify your target audience and how they connect with various digital platforms. Do you want your content to be viewed on Youtube? A social media story? Or a pop-up ad? Are you raising brand awareness with a short, punchy clip? Or directing mobile viewers to watch a more in-depth case study? 

Short, eye-catching content can spark viewer interest and brand recognition, so it’s important to have content that is accessible and stands out. For this reason, Vertical videos  (often used in stories or pop ups, which are quickly swiped through ) can be an effective tool to compete for the decreasing attention span of your modern audience.

Sponsoring  Vertical video ads in the ‘Story’ feature of Instagram, Facebook or Snapchat has been found to be more cost efficient than regular square video ads as people are expecting to see video content when they are engaging on Instagram Stories for example, so they’re a good choice if you have a short, powerful message or Call-To-Action.

Alternatively, square video content is more versatile as it can be used effectively across various social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn & Twitter. Square videos are perfect for mobile content that will be distributed across these channels as they are a great option for a   mobile device, and also aren’t alienating as vertical clips are if watched on a computer or other device. 

It’s also easier to create square mobile content by repurposing or cropping regular footage, whereas vertical video requires more planning and editing if you didn’t shoot with vertical framing in mind.

How can mobile video make a difference for your organisation? Have a look at more of our social media and online campaign content:

Click here to learn more about Laundry Lane’s social media video production strategies.