How (And Why) Your Campaign Should Use Vertical Videos For Social Media

Vertical videos have become the most important content format for social media platforms. Unlike traditional horizontal videos, vertical videos take up the entire screen on mobile devices, making them more engaging and attention-grabbing for viewers. 

However, creating effective vertical videos for your digital campaign requires a different approach and set of best practices than other types of video content. In addition to the different aspect ratio of your video, you need attention-grabbing visuals, including text overlays and graphics, to make your videos stand out in a crowded social media landscape. 

Size Matters

The ideal aspect ratio for vertical video is 9:16. This allows the video to take up the maximum amount of screen real estate on a mobile device, without any black bars or cropping. Apps that promote vertical videos like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat are the most popular in the world and you want to take up every inch you can.

Hook Your Viewer Instantly

Capturing your audience's attention in the first few seconds of a vertical video is key to getting their thumbs to stop scrolling. Remember, you’re not just competing with Democrats or even other politicians. You’re competing with all of the other content creators on the app. 

Lead with a strong visual or an attention-grabbing hook that immediately captures your audience's interest. This could be a striking image, a bold statement, or a surprising fact that piques curiosity makes your viewers have to keep watching. 

And Keep It Short

Try to convey your message within the first 10 seconds of the video. 

Focus on a single, clear message or idea in each video. 

Sound Off

When it comes to social media videos, many viewers will be watching with the sound turned off. This means that it's important to optimize your vertical videos for "sound off" viewing, so that they're still effective even without audio.

Use captions or text overlays to convey important information. You should also make sure that your text is clear and easy to read, with a legible font and a color that contrasts with the background.

Also make sure any text or graphics in your vertical video are placed in a way that will be visible on all platforms.

Tell A Story

Effective storytelling is crucial in creating engaging vertical videos. That means videos are well-scripted and rehearsed, with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

In politics, a powerful call-to-action that inspires viewers to take action is mission-critical.

Conclusion

For campaigns working to cut through the noise and reach voters on the social media platforms they use the most, vertical video must be a key part of your content strategy. The good news for campaigns with tight budgets, not much staff, and even less time, is these videos don’t need much editing and can be used on multiple platforms at once.