Vertical video has become the primary format for advertisers, proving its value across multiple industries and categories.
Historically, video ads were adapted to the traditional 16:9 landscape format, primarily on television. However, the emergence of mobile social media and evolving user behaviors and engagement patterns have ushered in a new era of vertical video advertising.
This shift transforms storytelling from the long 60- and 120-second segments that captivated a sit-down, distraction-free audience to a dynamic, distraction-filled present where engagement in the first three seconds is critical, requiring organic content.
This article explores the rise of vertical videos and how to take advantage of them when advertising on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube Shorts.
The Rise of Vertical Video: From Snapchat to Instagram, TikTok to Shorts
Snapchat popularized the vertical video format when it launched its advertising platform in 2014. Combined with the power of social media, internet speed, and engaging full-screen ads, this innovation made a huge impact.
Vertical video’s initial success and widespread adoption had a massive influence on other platforms due to its effectiveness. The 100% share of voice (SOV) was crucial as it minimized distractions compared to traditional TV, news feeds, display ads and YouTube placements. The novelty of any new ad placement is unparalleled, which is why many social platforms and marketers move quickly to embrace the innovation.
Following in Snapchat’s footsteps, Meta’s Instagram Stories expanded vertically, introducing its ad placements in early 2017 after some initial testing in August 2016.
The explosion of Instagram Stories will go down in the digital advertising history books as one of Meta’s big moves to improve shareholder value by increasing engagement through time spent while enhancing its newly purchased Instagram.
The adoption of the 24-hour content strategy induced fear of missing out (FOMO), which led to an increase in impressions that skyrocketed annually and peaked during the pandemic when the costs of these sought-after spaces plummeted, generating significant profits for businesses, especially in e-commerce. as I have observed in my experience.
In 2017, vertical video gained momentum with the launch of Facebook Stories. However, TikTok stole the spotlight at its debut in September, offering a vertical-only channel and prioritizing trending content through its algorithm, which reshaped the dynamics of creator and user engagement.
From 2018 to 2020, we witnessed the quiet but explosive growth of TikTok and the dominance of its vertical video platform. TikTok watermark on shared videos it was a stroke of genius.
Meta, which had always considered its content creators as the core of its product and advertising base, did not anticipate TikTok’s accelerated growth through branded content shared on its platforms. Meta belatedly penalized watermarked videos in its algorithms, slowing the reach of the TikTok brand on Instagram and Facebook.
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Today, vertical video advertising will rise to the top of the creative hierarchy, forcing brands, agencies and media buyers to adopt a “vertical first” strategy on platforms like Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts.
Shorts is the latest launch of a vertical full-screen video ad placement, a unique opportunity for the YouTube platform to increase time spent on the platform, videos watched per visit and volume of impressions general
YouTube continues to expand and remains a unique offering for advertisers with skippable short and long placements, along with the addition of in-feed.
An interesting insight is the RPM (Revenue Per Thousand Impressions) among the placements highlighted by TubeBuddy.
“The average RPM for a long-form video is about $3, which means 100,000 views could earn you about $300 on average. Of course, some creators make a lot more, some make a lot less. But for on shorts, the average RPM is about 5 cents. So the same amount of views might only bring you $5.”
–“Real numbers: How much do YouTube shorts pay for 1 million views?“(TubeBuddy)
Showing a big difference between short and long raises questions for sellers:
If YouTube’s payouts for shorts are minimal, does that suggest a lower conversion or engagement rate compared to longer videos? Or are we witnessing the early stages of a mature format for those looking to master vertical video at a bargain?
Prioritize vertical video advertising with AI and content variation
I believe the most effective strategy for advertisers is to prioritize video, especially vertical video, in their campaigns to take advantage of the platform’s wider inventory and range of locations. I recommend combining vertical video with AI and content variation.
AI tools
Today, numerous AI video programs can condense long-form videos into bite-sized segments. I covered this in detail in my SMX Next presentation, “Grow Your YouTube Advertising by Combining AI and YouTube Data” (registration required). This can help you understand video AI, but also how to transition from long form to short form at vertical scale.
Additionally, software like CapCut is gaining traction with AI features that effortlessly convert standard 16:9 videos into a “TikTok-ready” vertical format through precise cropping and motion tracking.
Variation of content
One of the benefits or hidden features of vertical video is the mindset of the user viewing the ad. Vertical ads typically feature fast-moving UGC-style videos with quick cuts to engage users and convey action quickly.
Some variations that can be tested and evaluated in this vertical format as you become more native to the platform experience include:
green screen Top Regrets (reverse psychology). talking head Incoming Point Product demonstration. What I asked for vs. what i got The comment overlay response.
Adopt vertical video ads across platforms
In my early presentations, I was eager to talk about the value of skippable long-form ads as the most valuable impression on the web. But my perspective has evolved five years later.
Vertical video is now an absolute must for marketing and advertising strategies. It is crucial to fostering a harmonious relationship between organic and paid content, which often leads to better performance.
Paid media fuels the fire for a brand’s product or service, creative approach, messaging and overall content strategy.
It’s time to explore a vertical-focused approach, test across platforms, and bring variety to your video content. These emerging vertical placements can help you deeply understand your audience and achieve the most profitable results.
The views expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.
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