Introduction
As social media continues to evolve, content creators face an important question: should you film content horizontally or vertically? Whether you’re creating for Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or any other platform, choosing the right format can make a huge difference in how your content is perceived, how it performs, and how engaged your audience is. The way people consume content has changed drastically in the past few years, especially with the rise of mobile use, and understanding when to use horizontal vs. vertical filming is crucial for maximizing your reach and impact.
In this blog, we’ll explore the different contexts where horizontal and vertical formats work best, the specific advantages of each, and how to make the most of both formats in your content strategy. By the end of this post, you’ll have a clear understanding of which format to use for different platforms and content types, and how to create engaging content that connects with your audience.
The Rise of Vertical Video: Why it Matters
Vertical video became more popular with the rise of mobile devices. Smartphones are designed to be held vertically, which naturally led to the increase of vertically filmed content. With social media platforms like Instagram Stories, TikTok, and Snapchat, vertical video quickly became the standard format for a lot of content.
It’s not just the younger generation gravitating toward vertical content either—statistics show that over 75% of video content is now viewed on mobile devices. Given that users are more likely to hold their phones vertically, it’s natural for platforms to adapt to this behavior and prioritize content created in the vertical format.
The Advantages of Vertical Video
There are several reasons why vertical video works well, especially on mobile-first platforms. Here are a few key benefits of vertical video:
1. User-Friendly for Mobile: Vertical video is a natural fit for mobile viewing. With more than half of all internet traffic coming from mobile devices, vertical content ensures that you are catering to the majority of your audience.
2. Better Engagement: Studies show that vertical video can generate up to 90% higher completion rates than horizontal video on mobile devices. The reason is simple—viewers don’t have to rotate their phone or adjust their grip to watch the content, making it easier for them to stay engaged.
3. Optimized for Social Media: Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat are designed around vertical video. Whether it’s Stories, Reels, or short clips, these apps display vertical content in full-screen, which is more immersive for users and enhances the overall viewing experience.
4. Increased Visibility: Vertical videos tend to take up more space on the screen, which can make your content stand out in a sea of other posts. On social platforms where scrolling is the norm, commanding more visual space can help grab viewers’ attention.
Horizontal Video: Is It Still Relevant?
While vertical video is booming, horizontal video is far from obsolete. Horizontal content remains the standard for several types of media and is still widely used across multiple platforms. Understanding when and why horizontal video is the right choice can ensure your content looks professional and is suitable for its intended platform.
The Advantages of Horizontal Video
Horizontal video continues to be highly relevant for a number of reasons, especially when considering platforms that cater to a wide range of devices beyond just mobile. Here’s why horizontal video is still an essential format:
1. Widescreen Format for Cinematic Content: For longer-form content or videos that need to tell a more detailed story, horizontal video is the better option. It mimics the widescreen aspect ratio that we see in cinema and television, which is why YouTube and other video-heavy platforms still favor horizontal content.
2. Better for Landscape and Group Shots: If you’re filming something that requires capturing a wide scene—like nature shots, sports, or group interactions—horizontal video is more effective. The wider frame allows you to fit more into the shot without having to zoom out or compromise the quality.
3. Cross-Platform Flexibility: Horizontal video is versatile because it can be used across many different platforms, including desktop, mobile, and TV. While vertical video shines on mobile, horizontal video is easier to adapt for larger screens, like smart TVs or computer monitors.
4. Professionalism: For certain types of content, horizontal video gives a more professional and polished appearance. If you’re shooting for a brand, commercial, or educational content that requires a more traditional feel, horizontal video provides a more structured and professional look.
Platform Considerations: Where Horizontal vs. Vertical Matters
Now that we’ve explored the advantages of each format, let’s break down the specific platforms where horizontal and vertical formats work best. Each social media platform caters to different audience habits, and knowing where to use which format will help your content perform better.
Instagram: Vertical Content
Instagram is one of the biggest platforms for vertical video content. With features like Stories, IGTV, and Reels, Instagram is built for vertical viewing. When you’re posting to Stories or Reels, vertical content is the clear winner since these features are designed to take up the entire screen.
However, Instagram also allows for horizontal video in regular feed posts. If you’re posting a short promotional clip or a tutorial video that requires more detail, horizontal video can still work well in the feed, but keep in mind that it won’t look as immersive as vertical video in the Stories or Reels format.
TikTok: Vertical Content
TikTok is the king of vertical content. With its short, engaging video format and mobile-first approach, vertical video is the only option that works here. TikTok’s entire user interface is designed for full-screen, vertical video, making it one of the best platforms to embrace this format.
Trying to upload horizontal videos to TikTok often results in awkward cropping or bars on the sides, which reduces the visual appeal. Stick with vertical here if you want to get the best results.
YouTube: Horizontal is Still Dominant
YouTube is the premier platform for longer-form video content, and horizontal is still the dominant format. Most YouTube users watch videos in widescreen, and horizontal video is the industry standard for anything from tutorials and vlogs to interviews and documentaries.
That said, YouTube has recently embraced vertical video with the introduction of YouTube Shorts, which is directly competing with TikTok and Instagram Reels. If you’re posting to Shorts, then vertical is the way to go. But for anything else, especially videos meant to be viewed on desktops, horizontal is still king.
Facebook: A Mix of Both
Facebook offers a versatile approach to video, supporting both horizontal and vertical formats. Since Facebook caters to a wider audience demographic, you’ll often find both formats performing well, depending on the type of content.
For Facebook Stories, vertical is the better choice, as it follows the same mobile-first, full-screen design as Instagram and TikTok. However, for Facebook Watch and traditional posts that are likely to be viewed on both mobile and desktop, horizontal content works best.
LinkedIn: Horizontal Content
For professional networking and B2B marketing, LinkedIn favors horizontal video. Most LinkedIn users are either on desktops or accessing content during breaks on mobile, so horizontal videos give a more polished, business-like feel. While vertical content can work in LinkedIn Stories, horizontal is typically better for brand promotions, interviews, and webinars.
When to Use Both Formats
In some cases, the best approach is to create both horizontal and vertical versions of the same video. This can help you distribute content across multiple platforms without compromising the quality or engagement of your video.
How to Repurpose Video Content
1. Shoot in Horizontal First: If you’re creating content that needs to work across multiple platforms, it’s usually easier to film in horizontal first. This gives you a wider frame to work with and ensures that your video looks professional on platforms like YouTube and Facebook.
2. Crop for Vertical: Once you have your horizontal video, you can crop it for vertical formats. Many video editing software tools allow you to easily switch aspect ratios, so you can create a vertical version for platforms like TikTok and Instagram without reshooting the entire video.
3. Plan for Flexibility: When shooting your video, keep in mind the need for flexibility. Leave enough space around your subject to ensure that cropping the video for different formats won’t cut off important parts of the frame.
Conclusion: Finding the Right Balance
The debate between horizontal and vertical video isn’t about choosing one format over the other—it’s about knowing which format works best for the platform and audience you’re targeting. Vertical video is a must for mobile-first platforms like TikTok and Instagram Stories, where the full-screen experience is key to engagement. On the other hand, horizontal video remains crucial for longer-form content, YouTube, and platforms that prioritize widescreen viewing.
Understanding when to use each format can make a huge difference in how your content is perceived, how well it performs, and how engaged your audience is. By adapting your content to fit the specific platform, you can ensure that your message reaches the right audience in the right way.
At the end of the day, it’s all about creating a seamless, enjoyable experience for your viewers—whether they’re holding their phone vertically or sitting back with a widescreen display. So, the next time you pick up your camera to film, think about where your content will be seen, and choose the format that best fits your audience and platform.
