Vertical vs. Horizontal Video: Which is Better?

When determining whether your video should be shot horizontally (landscape) or vertically (portrait), there are two factors to consider: where the video is going and what its goal is.

Let’s get into it:

Website

If the video is going on your website, we recommend that you have a horizontal video.  When you embed it from a platform like Vimeo or YouTube, it will look better than a vertical video.

Also, if the goal is for the video to have a long shelf, you should have it on YouTube and those look best shot horizontally.

Social Media

Here is where it gets a little tricky.  Both styles of video, horizontal and vertical, can look great on social media, depending on the content/type of post.

What we recommend for vertical video:

• Reels (Facebook and Instagram)
• Short Form Video (YouTube shorts, TikTok, LinkedIn)
• Stories (Facebook and Instagram)
• If the content does not need a long shelf

What we recommend for horizontal video:

• Promotional Video (Facebook and LinkedIn)
• Testimonial Video: (Facebook and LinkedIn)
• If the content needs a long shelf life

Since most of our clients need a variety of videos for their marketing strategy, we can provide both horizontal and vertical video assets so they are covered for their website (long-form content) and social media (short-form content).

What type of content does your company use most of the time?