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?
3 Trust Signals For Your Website
We’ve all heard that most people do business with those they know, like, and trust. This is not just true for people; we also like to use businesses we trust.
Believe it or not, even if your company is B2B, potential clients will check your website before considering you.
Here are 3 of our favorite ways that companies can build trust through their website:
Pictures of Team Members
Having professional headshots of your key employees (or at least pictures of actual team members) gives potential clients an idea of who they’ll be working with. We recommend replacing any stock photo on your website with a picture of an actual team member. It’s a great way to build trust for your brand.
Promotional/Brand Video
You probably knew this was coming since we’re a video production company, but we’re confident this is a great way to build trust for a company. We know this because, during discovery calls, this is the main reason why businesses tell us they need a video.
If one of your potential clients watches your website’s brand video, they get a sense of who you are. They can also see your team and the quality of your work.
A one-time investment for a professional video can pay off for years if you add it to the homepage of your website.
Case Studies/Portfolio
Proof that you’ve delivered the services that you offer is the ultimate trust signal in my opinion. When you can show prospective clients what you’ve done instead of telling them, it gives them confidence you can do the same for them.
When companies contact us for a professional video, they’ve usually watched a couple of our videos on the “Our Work” page of our website. If our style is what they are looking for, they know we can do it for them too.
Be sure to have some examples of your work, a client testimonial, or add the logos of the companies you’ve helped somewhere on your website.
I hope these tips help build trust for your brand.
What are some trust signals you have on your website?
How To Maximize The ROI of a Video
Today, let’s get into how to maximize the return on investment on a video. So when we shoot a video for a client, we don’t just want to produce an incredible video, we want it to perform well and make you money. So I want to give a few tips to ensure it does just that.
Put it on Your Website
You want to be sure to put this video somewhere on your company’s website. Now, depending on the type of video it is, is where you’re going to put it.
For a brand video:
If it’s a brand video, that corporate video that shows off your team and services, you probably want to have that somewhere on the home screen. Depending on the layout, it could be above the fold, below the fold, but somewhere on that home screen to where when someone’s browsing your website, then they watch that video, it usually does a lot of the trust building and selling for you.
For a recruiting video:
Now, if you have a recruiting-style video where you’re more going into depth on your team, you may have that on the About Us section of your website.
For a services video:
And if it’s a video on a specific service, you want to have that on your services page under that particular service.
Social Media Channels
In addition to posting videos on social media, you want to ensure your videos are uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo.
The reason is, that someone can find that content years down the road, and your company can be making money long after the video is shot. That’s important to us because we don’t want you investing money with us to just produce a killer video. We want you to get a strong return on your investment as well.
So hope this helps. Get recording. And remember at 12 Media Group, we put your brand in focus.
Ready to discuss a video project for your company? Click here to get started: Get a Quote
Choosing The Right Video Production Company
When choosing the right video production company for your business, there are several factors to consider. Here are 5 things we recommend to check to ensure you get the best experience:
Portfolio
You’ll want to check out the video production company’s portfolio of videos to ensure their style aligns with what you want for your project. Also, what types of video do they shoot? Music videos? Corporate videos? Events? You want to go with a company with experience in the kind of video you’re looking for.
Proximity
Where are they located? You may find a video production company that fits your creative needs, but do they service your area? We are located in McKinney, TX, just outside of Dallas, but we will travel to our client’s location if necessary. Full disclosure: we add travel expenses to our agreement if we travel out of town. Most of our video projects are shot in the DFW area.
Delivery of Video Assets
A must-ask when interviewing video production companies: When will you receive your video? Our process allows us to get assets to our clients in about a week and a half after shooting the video. Also, you own the videos once we deliver them to you. I’m finding that several companies try to guard your video assets instead of sharing the raw file with you.
Also, how your video is delivered is important. Our preferred method is sharing the files in a Dropbox folder to free up space for you.
Licenses
Music: Something else you need to be aware of: the cool music you hear in brand videos isn’t necessarily free. Any reputable video production company will use royalty-free music from a company like Epidemic Sound to ensure your company doesn’t get in trouble for uploading the video to YouTube, Facebook, or other social media platforms.
Drone Footage: Drone videography looks amazing in a video, but be sure whoever you’re using is licensed to fly a drone. All of our videographers have the required credentials to shoot amazing drone shots.
Budget
You need a rough idea of your budget and the typical project amount of the video production company you’re considering. That way the proposal does not blow you away. Most companies will have a range on our website. Most of our video projects are about $5000 (sometimes more and sometimes less) depending on the project’s scope.
I hope this helps in your decision-making process to choose the right video production company for your project. To schedule a discovery call with us, please click here: Get a Quote
