Vertical vs. Horizontal Video: Which is Better?

This is a question we get from potential clients from time to time.

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 life, you should have it on YouTube and those look best shot horizontally.

These will also look better if you plan on embedding the video in an email campaign.

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).

If you are shooting your own content, you want to determine where you are posting the videos before you start recording.

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