Vertical video, also known as portrait video, has become increasingly popular in recent years, especially with the growth of mobile device usage. Platforms like Snapchat and TikTok have embraced vertical video, which is well-suited for viewing on smartphones. This has led more brands and creators to adopt vertical video for social media marketing. But does vertical video also work well on Facebook? Let’s take a closer look.
The Rise of Vertical Video
Vertical video is shot in portrait mode, which means the height of the video frame is larger than the width. This format has a number of advantages:
- Vertical video fills more of the screen on smartphones when users hold their phones vertically.
- Shooting vertical video is easier one-handed with a smartphone.
- Vertical orientation feels more natural for consuming content on mobile.
According to analytics firm Sprout Social, vertical videos make up the majority of videos now consumed on mobile:
| Year | Percentage of Vertical Video Views |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 45% |
| 2017 | 69% |
| 2018 | 90% |
This shows a clear trend towards vertical video becoming the dominant mobile format. Platforms like Snapchat and Instagram Stories, in particular, pushed the vertical video style to the forefront. TikTok then accelerated this trend even further, with its short form vertical videos and simple creation tools.
Now over 1 billion people use TikTok every month, making it one of the top social platforms. The boom in short vertical videos has reshaped user behaviors and expectations for video content.
Does Vertical Video Work on Facebook?
Given the popularity of vertical video elsewhere, should brands also be using vertical videos on Facebook? The short answer is yes, vertical video can be very effective on Facebook as well. Here are a few key reasons why:
1. Mobile Usage on Facebook
As of 2022, approximately 94% of Facebook’s users access the platform via mobile devices. The Facebook app and mobile site are designed around vertical scrolling and engagement. So vertical videos fit nicely into users’ typical mobile behaviors on Facebook.
Vertical videos take advantage of the extra vertical space when people are browsing their News Feeds and watching videos in-app. Horizontal videos either get cropped or have large black bars on the sides on mobile. Vertical videos eliminate this problem by filling the screen.
2. Strong Video View Metrics
Studies have found that vertical videos on Facebook can lead to more completed views and longer watch times compared to square or horizontal videos. For example, analytics company Quintly examined over 4,000 Facebook videos and found that vertical videos had:
- 55% higher completed view rate
- 20% longer watch time
Brands have also reported very strong engagement metrics after switching to vertical videos on Facebook. For example, clothing retailer Lucky Brand saw 55% higher completion rates and 31% longer watch times with vertical videos. Beauty brand Sephora found that vertical carousel posts drove a 17% increase in swipe rate compared to square posts.
3. Alignment with Facebook Ad Formats
Facebook’s mobile ad offerings like story ads and video feed ads are optimized for vertical content. Running vertical video ads on Facebook therefore makes sense from a continuity standpoint. Users see the vertical video ads in-stream, then can continue watching the videos in vertical when they click through.
There are also vertical video ad placements on Instagram Stories and Facebook Stories that brands can take advantage of. Using vertical videos allows brands to repurpose content easily across multiple ad units and platforms.
Best Practices for Vertical Video on Facebook
When creating vertical videos to use on Facebook, keep these best practices in mind:
- Produce high quality videos with adequate lighting and sharp visuals.
- Use vertical compositions and framing that are optimized for the 9:16 aspect ratio.
- Film videos holding your smartphone vertically to make the process easier.
- Add text overlays and graphics oriented for vertical viewing.
- Include captions or avoid overly text-heavy scripts.
- Trim videos to under 120 seconds to keep people engaged.
- Leverage built-in stabilization tools when filming vertically.
Video Specs
Facebook recommends uploading videos that are at least 600 pixels wide. But higher resolution 1080 x 1920 videos will display with better quality, especially on high resolution mobile screens.
The optimal video length is 30 to 90 seconds on Facebook. You can upload longer videos up to 120 minutes, but shorter videos tend to get more engagement.
The most important technical requirement is having videos with an aspect ratio of 9:16 or higher. Here are the recommended vertical video dimensions for Facebook:
| Resolution | Width | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 1080 x 1920 | 1080 pixels | 1920 pixels |
| 720 x 1280 | 720 pixels | 1280 pixels |
| 600 x 1066 | 600 pixels | 1066 pixels |
Creative Optimizations
Beyond just going vertical with your videos, there are a few other tips for optimizing videos to get better results on Facebook:
Preview Thumbnails
The preview thumbnail for your video can have a big impact on initial click-through rate. Make sure to select a compelling, high contrast frame from your video to showcase as the preview image.
Captions
Adding captions to your video helps increase viewership, especially for Facebook’s autoplay videos with no sound. Captions boost accessibility as well.
Call to Action Overlays
Using simple CTA overlays like “Shop Now” or “Learn More” can help direct viewers to take action after watching your video.
Spotlight Ads
Leverage Facebook’s Spotlight ad unit to promote your vertical videos to broader audiences beyond your Page followers.
Platform Considerations
While vertical video works very well on Facebook’s main app, there are a couple other platform-specific factors to consider as well:
Facebook Web Viewing
When viewing vertical videos on Facebook from a desktop browser, there will be black bars on the sides. So vertical videos may not be ideal for driving traffic to watch content on facebook.com. But the vast majority of Facebook usage is on mobile, so this is a minor issue.
Facebook Stories vs. Feed
Vertical videos excel in both Facebook Stories and the main news feed. But extremely long vertical videos (over 20 seconds) tend to underperform in Stories, where content needs to be ultra-snackable.
Instagram and Messenger
The Instagram and Messenger apps have even heavier mobile usage than Facebook, so vertical videos work perfectly there. And vertical is the required format for Instagram Stories and IGTV.
Key Takeaways
Here are some top tips to summarize best practices for vertical video success on Facebook:
- Shoot high-quality videos holding your phone vertically
- Edit videos to 9:16 aspect ratio at 1080 x 1920 resolution
- Optimize videos for sound-off viewing with captions
- Use compelling preview thumbnails and CTA overlays
- Keep videos short and engaging (30 to 90 seconds)
- Promote videos with Facebook’s mobile ad products
Given the heavy mobile usage on Facebook, vertical video is a must for brands wanting to maximize their video impact and engagement. The ideal video strategy likely involves producing both horizontal and vertical assets so content works seamlessly across multiple channels and platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of vertical video on Facebook?
The main benefits of using vertical video on Facebook are:
- Better mobile viewing experience
- Higher video completion rates
- Longer average watch times
- Easier one-handed shooting
- Consistent with Facebook’s mobile ad formats
What should the resolution be for Facebook vertical video?
The recommended vertical video resolution for Facebook is 1080 x 1920 pixels. Minimum resolution is 600 pixels wide, but higher resolutions like 1080p display better on high-end mobile devices.
What’s the ideal length for a Facebook video?
The ideal length for a Facebook video is 30 to 90 seconds. Videos up to 120 seconds tend to get the best engagement. Longer videos can be uploaded too but may see dropoff. For Facebook Stories, keep videos under 20 seconds.
Can you upload horizontal videos on Facebook?
Yes, you can still upload and share horizontal videos on Facebook. Horizontal videos work fine on desktop. On mobile there may be black bars on the sides since the horizontal video will not fill the entire screen.
Should all videos be vertical for Facebook?
Most video content shared natively to Facebook should now be vertical for optimal viewing. But that doesn’t mean you need to eliminate horizontal video entirely. Having a mix allows videos to adapt across different platforms and uses. Ultimately it depends on your goals for each specific video.