4 reasons why the world is going vertical

(unless Apple releases a new square iPhone next year)

The story format is the first original born video format of the internet. It grew to 1.5 billion users in five years. And it's one of the most significant events that Nostradamus couldn't predict.

TL;DR

• Mobile phones are vertical, and we’ve always used it vertically. Have you ever tilted a laptop to watch a vertical video?
• It’s easier to get attention on the 9:16 vertical format. Fullscreen, no distractions and your audience has nowhere to run.
• The more people consume vertical content, the more social platforms promote it. It’s smart to give people what they want.
• Vertical content kicks horizontal competitors’ ass like there is no competition. Statistically, vertical content is the best for sales.
  If you want to see some numbers don’t hesitate to check the reasons down below.
  Challenge accepted.

The nature of the smartphone is vertical

Here is a starter for our left brain; We hold our phones vertically ​94% of the time​ and rarely put them down. People use them to pay their bills in the boring supermarket line. We suddenly stop studying and check "Drake's net worth" on Google. On the train, we tap through our friends’ Instagram stories.

All vertically.

If we use it all the time vertically, why would we ever want to tilt our mobile phones to watch horizontal videos? Have you ever seen anyone who tilts his TV or laptop to watch a vertical video? It may seem like a small thing. Maybe you're thinking like, "Of course, I can tilt it in milliseconds and watch it in full bleed."

Challenge accepted

You’re on a bus on your way to work. It’s crowded and the driver is kind of mad on the brakes. Would you turn your phone sideways to watch the video? Pretty sure, you would watch it vertically and hang on with the other hand for dear life to survive the rollercoaster.

There are hundreds of scenarios and reasons. But the truth is I’m lazy. You’re lazy. We're always in the pursuit of minimal effort, and these small differences will make the difference.

So please, create your content vertically!

Vertical video is eye-catching

All you need is the attention of the viewer! And it’s easier to obtain it with vertical videos. They have nowhere to run. Imagine that you’re watching a horizontal video without tilting your phone. There are so many things that can and will distract you. You can get pulled out because of little detail in the left corner of the screen. Maybe you’re curious about the first comment and poof. You’re lost.

Vertical content almost forces people to focus on what you want to show. It uses all the available space for maximum engagement. That means less distraction for viewers and increased conversion for you! They see nothing but your brand or product. Light that candle. It’s you and your customer.

All the social media platforms promote vertical content

No surprises here. ​Over half of the videos​ on the internet are viewed from mobile devices. We use social media ​on mobile apps 70% of the time​.

The equation is simple.

People love to consume vertical videos, and social platforms want more screen time. Look at YouTube. YouTube is the world’s largest horizontal video platform and is now promoting vertical videos. Every platform in the game embraces the transformation of the vertical format. In the next chapter, you’ll discover all the important players and how they structure their environment for a more pleasant experience.

Vertical content performs better than horizontal

You know it. Vertical video is somewhat hypnotizing; it’s hard to skip once it starts to play. Plus, it often starts to play automatically. Advertisers are aware of that. This is why they started experimenting with vertical videos a long time ago, and they got compelling results. Here are some of the savory outcomes:

• MediaBrix’s research shows that vertical videos see a 90% higher completion rate compared to horizontal videos.
• Snapchat told publishers back in 2015 that ​vertical video ad completion rates were 9x higher than horizontal video ads​ on the platform.
• Wibbitz found out ​a 130% increase in views and 4 times more engagement​ on Facebook with vertical content. Also, they proved that vertical content is king when it comes to click-throughs and swipe-throughs.

It’s enough with statistic slam dunks, right? Now, it’s time to get to know the leading vertical platforms. Let’s discover what’s happening in the vertical world of social giants.

Instagram

TL;DR

• 500.000 million daily users. If they jump at the same time, we may have an orbital shift.
• Instagram is the Bible for Millennials and Gen-Zers. And BTW, Instagram has all their credit card info as well!
• Over 1⁄3 of users have bought on Instagram. Cha-Ching $ for you.
• People use IG like Google. They search for the brand before they buy products.
• Stories are hypnotizing, with the completion rate of 75%.
  We don't want to bore you with general stuff. You know how big Instagram is and how crazy people are about it.
  In short, Instagram took the inspiration (stole) from Snapchat and worked hard for years.
  In 2019 they have:
• 500 million daily IG Story users.
• 500.000 influencers that broadcast all the moments of their life in the stories. All the attention and credit card info of Millenials and Gen-Zers.
• A massive market and ad ecosystem for brands.

But we're here to talk about vertical content. So let's begin... People rarely share regular IG posts nowadays. There are two reasons why.

• Instagram placed stories at the top of the screen. You start to scan from the top left to right. And it's hard not to press when you see your bestie or crush up there.
• You can share every moment of your life. You can get more attention, and it doesn't stick to your profile. (unless you want to)

That's why ​Instagram is the perfect place for brands.

Look at these​ numbers:

• People watch stories until the end. The average completion rate is 75%.
• 15–25% of people swipe up on the links in branded stories. That's a LOT!
• Half of the brands use video in IG stories and it has better retention.
• Instagram is a new way to confirm purchases. 70% of users search for brands, and 60% of them discover new things to buy.
• Brands transform stories into sales machines. 59% of brands link stories to a shoppable page.
• Your buyers want to stay in touch. 8 out of 10 follows business accounts.

And finally, you can track your ads and analyze with FB ad manager. Even retarget your prospects until they buy. What? It's not a crime.

A place for the next generation market

Millennials and Gen-Z will grow up. Even now they have huge buying power (actually, it’s the baby boomers that have the cash), and in a few years, they'll be your low hanging fruits.

They ​create and consume ​like crazy:

• 31% of Millennials and 39% of Gen Z users create stories content.
• 60% of Millennials and 70% of Gen Z users watch Instagram Stories.
• 1 in 4 Millennials and Gen Z-ers look for Stories of the products or services they want to buy.

I can hear you ask “what about IGTV?”

IGTV is the hidden gem of Instagram. Currently 17.8% of users watch them according to the latest data.

However, they recently came up with a feature that lets users share 1-minute previews of their IGTV videos to the IG feed. It went well. ​Some brands saw 5 to 10 times more views​ with the new preview feature. And BTW, you can link your IGTV videos with a story swipe-up.

IRRELEVANT FACT: The most liked photo on Instagram is an egg with 58M likes. @​World_record_egg

LinkedIn

TL;DR

• It’s the place where B2B happens.
• More than half of the traffic comes from mobile.
• LinkedIn generates leads for 62% of B2B marketers.
• For 91% of marketing executives, LinkedIn is the top place to find quality content.

LinkedIn supports the vertical format and they even promote it.

Yes, it’s a serious business platform and you can be a bit skeptic about vertical content. But the truth is attention ratio stays the same whether you're a 13 years-old teen or 45 years-old executives.

What's in it for Vertical?

• 97% of B2B marketers ​use LinkedIn as a content distribution channel.
• More than half of the traffic comes from mobile.
• For 91% of marketing executives, LinkedIn is the top place to find quality content.
• 78% of B2B marketers say LinkedIn is the most effective social media platform for content marketing.
• LinkedIn generates leads for 62% of B2B marketers.
• Vertical videos start to play automatically.

You see, they’re ready to consume your vertical content.​ Go, be one of the vanguards. Here are some ideas to start today:

Highlight Personal Achievement

You can share your achievements and stay humble. You can shout out who helped you along the journey. Even better, you can show your team to humanize your corporate identity.

Ask Me Anything

Answer the questions from your followers and show your business expertise.

Go Behind the Scenes

You hit the sales goals? Did someone get promoted? You can share your happy or fun moments. It’s an opportunity to show your team and environment.

Educate Your Market

Show how-to’s series about your product. Do interviews. Position yourself as an expert and thought leader.

Snapchat

TL;DR

• Survived the IG attack.
• Still has lots (190 million) of users.
• One of the best places to communicate with teens. (13-17)
• Tons of ads and features to experiment with like AR. (augmented reality)
• Easy to measure your campaigns.

Snapchat is the creator of the vertical story format. They even survived the IG attack and now have 190 million daily users. How? Well, teens love Snapchat. And they can transform your business.

• Most of the Snapchat users are 13 to 29 years-olds. However, 13-17-year-olds form the ​majority with 69%​, and most of them are female (61%).
• As you guessed, Snapchat isn’t for every business. If you’re a B2B company that targets decision-makers, it isn’t your best bet.
• 55% of users enjoy viewing stories from brands​ they follow, and 88% enjoy stories made by advertisers. So you’re welcome to push.
• You can ​get creative with Snapchat ads​. There are tons of options like AR (augmented reality) filters. It's easier to freak out teens with new features because they're ready to embrace all that is new.
• They have an advanced analytics console. You can measure any metrics, create custom audiences, retarget your audience and so on.

Twitter

TL;DR

• 40% of users ​purchase a product after seeing it on Twitter.
• 70% of users don’t find video ads intrusive.
• 63% of users are between 35-65​ years-old and 66% of them are male.
• It’s a huge personalized newspaper.

People use Twitter as a smart newspaper. Politicians use it as a weapon. And most of the brands use Twitter for community management. Well, you have to be there when people talk shit about you.

Just like other mediums, vertical content takes all the real estate and works well on Twitter.

What is in it for vertical content?

• Videos get 6X more retweets ​than photos, and that is 3X more than GIFs.
• 40% of users ​purchase a product after seeing it on Twitter.
• 67% of B2B businesses use it as a digital marketing tool.
• 85.4% of Twitter users find Promoted Accounts useful for discovering new brands.
• 70% of users don’t find video ads intrusive.
• 63% of users are between 35-65​ years-old and 66% of them are male.

Verdict

Do you remember Vertical Video Syndrome or VVS? It's a so-called disease from six years ago, where people were bashing vertical videos. Well they got it ALL WRONG!

Millions laughed at vertical video shooters. But NOT anymore....

However, they couldn't see that the whole industry would turn into vertical. Samsung made a Vertical TV. Laugh at that.

The tide has turned. Literally! Your audience shoots and browses vertically. So let’s give them what they want and engage with them on their level.

Here is our prescription to future proof your business. Think where your content will be viewed, think mobile, think vertical and try to apply these learnings whenever you can!

So from now on hold your smartphone vertically before you press the record button!

PS: We have written 2 extra blog posts about the best tools to publish vertically on Social and the must-know tips and trick to make you content pop on these platforms.