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Vertical Videos Revolution: How to Use it in B2B Marketing Strategy

Wojtek Jeżowski

September 30, 2023

Table of Content

In modern marketing, where videos hold more sway than a Jedi's mind trick, enter the Vertical Video Revolution - a journey to uncover the dominance of video in digital marketing, the rise of vertical videos, and their transformative effect on B2B branding. Let's try to answer the question: Why your tech brand marketing strategy need vertical video content.

So, whether you're reading this while pretending to multitask at work or you're genuinely intrigued, grab your metaphorical popcorn as we explore an era where brand stories unfold vertically, perfectly tailored for screens that demand our attention more than a needy cat.

But wait, there's more! This isn't just about adjusting screen angles; we're talking about a strategic evolution that's shaking up how brands and audiences do the digital tango. As smartphones become an extension of our hands and social media our virtual playground, vertical videos have donned the cape of captivating storytelling in ways that even your favorite superhero would applaud. It's time to flip the script, or should we say the screen!

So why do you need a vertical video for brand marketing strategy?

First and foremost, you need to understand why this dynamic format should be crucial for your brand's marketing strategy. This section will explore the strategic benefits, advantages, and approaches of including vertical films in your brand narrative.

Leveraging Your Brand's Assets

Vertical videos are a versatile canvas for showcasing your brand's storytelling prowess. By adapting your existing content into captivating vertical narratives, you effectively reach mobile audiences with consistent messaging across platforms and showcase your company's adaptability to modern trends.

Through transforming your visuals into vertical formats, your brand's reach expands without compromising its essence. Repackaging client success stories with dynamic vertical visuals resonates better with mobile viewers. Sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses humanizes your brand's narrative, fostering emotional connections.

Vertical videos also provide a unique tool for elevating your brand identity. For example, you can craft a vertical video montage chronicling your journey from inception to recent successes. This way, your storytelling skills are showcased in a remarkable manner that elevates your reputation as a leading technology brand.

The Benefits of Vertical Video for Brands

Vertical videos have a significant impact beyond their visually stunning qualities. As mobile devices become the primary screen for content consumption, they improve user experience. Their full-screen appeal grabs attention, immersing viewers and aligning with changing user behaviors. This fosters deeper engagement and interaction rates.

In 2023, numerous data-backed insights emphasize vertical videos' effectiveness in driving interactions, brand recall, and conversions, guiding smarter marketing decisions:

Global Video Viewing: In 2023, about 3.63 billion people globally will watch digital video content.

Rising Ad Spending: U.S. digital video ad spending is expected to hit $78.45 billion in 2023, up from $67.16 billion in 2022.

Increasing Importance: 73% of marketers emphasize a greater than before importance of video production for their business.

Untapped Potential: 88% of brands underutilize video marketing trends.

Mobile Advertising: Video comprised 25.8% of 2022's mobile ad spending, projected to reach 26.5% in 2023.

Customizing Vertical Video Formatting

Each social media platform has its distinct video format preferences, impacting viewer engagement while watching videos. The aspect ratio, in particular, defining a video's height-to-width ratio, plays a pivotal role in how it occupies mobile users' screens.

Aspect ratios go beyond appearance - they define engagement. Mismatched ratios lead to distorted content or black bars, diminishing viewing experience. TikTok's 9:16 ratio, tailored for mobile immersion, minimizes distractions. By mastering ratios, your content can be tailored to platforms and devices, optimizing your target audience's engagement.

Customization isn't just fitting content - it's also enhancing storytelling. Vertical video optimization goes beyond resizing; it crafts experiences customized to screens. Visual composition, text placement, and aesthetics matter. By leveraging various tools and resources, you can ensure that their content aligns perfectly with platform specifications.

Some of the resources worth mentioning are video editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro, recognized for their precision in fine-tuning aspect ratios and dimensions and catering to the needs of professionals in our field. Additionally, user-friendly online platforms like Kapwing and Canva provide interfaces for resizing and optimizing videos across platforms. However, it's worth noting that the latter's effectiveness may not match the precision achieved with professional software.

Furthermore, style guides provided by social media platforms themselves offer valuable insights into recommended aspect ratios and best practices for creating vertical videos. Online communities and forums like Reddit and Stack Overflow provide a space for professionals to exchange tips and tricks for video customization. Collectively, these tools and resources can empower businesses to produce captivating vertical videos that effectively engage audiences across various screens and platforms.

See guides for Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, or ask us for more!

The Power of Vertical Videos

Utilize the Entire Screen

As we've already mentioned, vertical videos transcend trends, crafting an immersive experience that commands user attention. Picture stepping into a narrative where the screen captures your gaze entirely, eliminating all and any distractions. In an age of notifications and side-scrolling temptations on a mobile screen, vertical videos demand complete viewer attention. This format envelops the audience in an intense cinematic cocoon.

Many savvy brands have harnessed the full-screen allure to elevate their storytelling. For example, luxury automakers engineer virtual experiences that make their vehicles' every curve palpable. In demystifying complex B2B solutions, industry leaders often utilize vertical space to visually demonstrate complex processes. This clever approach sheds light on intricate details and helps to convey information more clearly.

See the example of Tesla below:

Fashion brands make vertical ads to transform screens into virtual runways, while fitness gurus post vertical videos to guide workouts that engage their fans even from afar. Each swipe unveils a story that captivates audiences, leaving no room for distraction. The Vertical Video Revolution isn't just a perspective shift; it's seizing screen real estate to craft immersive experiences. As we delve into the trend further, let's explore how vertical videos hold attention, stir emotions, and etch permanent marks in viewers' hearts.

Incorporating Vertical Video into Stories

Vertical Video format seamlessly integrates into your brand's stories and reels. Their power shines when woven into short-form content, catering perfectly to modern attention spans.

Leveraging the format for short-form video content.

Vertical videos cater to bite-sized content preferences. Whether it's a product showcase or some quick industry insights, this format captures attention and ensures that your message is absorbed even in fleeting moments.

Harnessing Instagram, and Facebook stories, YouTube Stories/Reels for brand narratives.

Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube Stories have embraced vertical videos for authentic storytelling. Here, your brand can shine with behind-the-scenes glimpses, quick tips, or interactive narratives, fostering deeper connections amidst the sea of scrolling content.

Building a stronger connection with your audience.

Vertical videos mirror smartphone holding positions, creating an immersive experience and a unique bond between the brand and the viewer. Weaving vertical videos into your narrative reveals how they capture attention, engage hearts, and elevate B2B branding, transforming glances into lasting connections.

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Capturing Attention ASAP

The attention span of online users has been gradually decreasing over the years and is projected to decrease further with the fleeting online content. This means businesses need to capture the viewer's focus early or fade into the digital haze. Thus, the art of crafting engaging intros becomes an art in itself – a skill that can determine whether a viewer lingers or moves on.

Crafting compelling intros blends creativity and strategy, enticing viewers to continue watching. Whether through teasing curiosity ("Unlock the mystery behind business transformation"), evoking emotion (Showcasing a jubilant celebration), offering a visual feast (Rapid sequence of captivating visuals), presenting intriguing contradictions ("Less work, more growth? Let's find out"), or providing a glimpse of problem and solution ("From struggle to success in seconds"), intros must tantalize. Viewers choose where to invest their attention, which makes a well-crafted intro a ticket to extended engagement.

Crafting Compelling Vertical Video Content

Little Details, Big Impact

Vertical videos have their own unique subtleties that hold immense power in capturing attention and conveying messages effectively. Putting a strong focus on visual and audio details creates a profound impact on your audience. You can establish a deep sense of relatability and connection by incorporating some subtle elements that resonate with your viewers' behaviors and pain points.

For instance, using familiar or trending background sounds or incorporating relatable scenarios can instantly strike a chord with your audience, making your vertical video content more memorable and engaging.

High-Quality Content, Not Just Production

Contrary to popular belief, you don't need a lavish production budget to create impactful vertical videos. While high-quality visuals are important, authenticity and relatability often outweigh visual perfection. Viewers appreciate content that feels genuine and relatable, even if it's not produced with Hollywood-level budgets.

What the vertical video format excels at is conveying empathy and connection, allowing the essence of your brand or message to shine through. By focusing on delivering valuable and authentic content, you can forge a more personal connection with your audience. Here are some great examples of high-quality content!

Apple

Accenture

Tips for Engaging Vertical Content

Crafting engaging vertical content involves mastering innovative storytelling techniques. Consider creating a concise narrative arc within your short video to make the most of the limited screen space. Begin with a captivating hook that immediately grabs your audience's attention. Progress the story in a way that keeps viewers engaged and curious about what's to come.

Finally, conclude with a satisfying resolution or call-to-action that encourages interaction. For example, a brand promoting a new product can use a vertical video to introduce the product, demonstrate its benefits, and end with a call for viewers to visit the website for more information.

And finally, don't be afraid to think outside the box - for example, here are some snapshots of Starburst's Swirlers vertical video:

Vertical Video Ads

Vertical video ads provide a unique opportunity to tell impactful stories in a short span of time. You can create narrative-driven ads that resonate deeply with your target audience by leveraging the vertical format. Infuse your brand's values and messaging into relatable stories that connect to your audience on an emotional level. Utilize native platform features like Instagram Stories' swipe-up function to seamlessly guide viewers from captivation to action.

For instance, an e-commerce brand can create a vertical video ad showcasing products in a more personalized manner. See an example from Amazon below:

Vertical Video vs. Horizontal Video: Making the Choice

The choice between vertical and horizontal formats plays a crucial role in how your brand communicates its message. Each format has its own strengths and serves distinct purposes. Here's a snapshot to guide your decision:

Vertical Videos: Captivating Mobile Audiences

  • Designed for mobile devices, providing a seamless viewing experience.
  • Ideal for platforms like Instagram Stories, TikTok, and Snapchat.
  • Captures immediate attention by occupying the full screen.
  • Matches mobile scrolling behavior, making it user-friendly.
  • Perfect for quick and impactful storytelling.

Horizontal Videos: Traditional Depth and Detail

  • Suited for desktop and TV screens, it offers a cinematic experience.
  • Great for longer narratives, tutorials, and in-depth content.
  • Ideal for YouTube and TV broadcasts, where widescreen viewing is expected.
  • An immersive experience akin to the traditional movie theater format.
  • Often associated with higher production value.

Choosing the Right Format: What Matters Most

Audience Preference: Consider where your target audience spends their time. If they are mobile-centric, vertical videos are more aligned.

Platform Strategy: Analyze the platforms you intend to use. Vertical videos shine on all social media channels, while horizontal formats suit platforms that favor longer content.

Content Intent: Match the format with your content's purpose. Short and snappy messages suit vertical videos, while horizontal videos are great for detailed explanations.

Emotional Impact: Evaluate the emotional resonance you want to create. Vertical videos offer an intimate, full-screen experience, while horizontal formats provide a cinematic feel.

Future Proofing: Keep in mind the shifting landscape of content consumption. Vertical videos are becoming more dominant on mobile devices and social media platforms.

In Conclusion: Embrace the Vertical Video Revolution

As video consumption patterns evolve, vertical videos are emerging as a vital tool in the marketer's toolkit. They're not just a trend but a strategic choice that aligns with how audiences engage with content today. While horizontal videos retain their place for specific purposes, vertical videos hold the key to capturing and retaining the attention of mobile audiences.

By incorporating vertical videos into your marketing strategy, you're embracing a powerful way to communicate, connect, and inspire in the mobile era. So step into the Vertical Video Revolution and tell your brand's story in a format that resonates deeply with your audience!

Take the Plunge: Elevate Your Brand with Vertical Videos

Ready to harness the unique power of vertical videos? We're masters of storytelling in all formats. Whether you're looking to create captivating vertical video ads, engaging narratives, or behind-the-scenes glimpses, we're here to transform your vision into compelling visual stories. Don't just adapt to change - be the change with vertical videos that captivate, resonate, and inspire. Let's create captivating content that sets your brand apart in a mobile-driven world together.

Contact us now and let your clients watch videos which are telling the stories in the right way! Let the vertical magic begin!

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