Unique Vertical Video Marketing Strategies to Boost Engagement

If your videos are missing the mark, it’s time to flip the script by turning to vertical video marketing strategies. 

Vertical videos can be great for engaging social media audiences and amplifying your clients’ marketing strategies. 

The catch? 

It takes more than posting videos in a vertical format to get audiences to view, like, comment, and share your clients’ content.

Plus, social media is overflowing with vertical videos, from TikTok to YouTube Shorts, making it crucial for your clients’ content to stand out for a chance to engage audiences effectively. 

So, how do you ensure your clients’ vertical videos drive engagement? 

This guide can give you the answers by covering the strategic vertical video marketing tactics and reliable tools to boost audience engagement. 

What you will learn

• What is vertical video marketing? 
• Why vertical video marketing strategies are important
• Creative vertical video marketing strategies to drive engagement
• Use Vista Social to implement your vertical video marketing strategy 
• FAQs on vertical video marketing 
• Ready to boost engagement with winning vertical video marketing strategies?

What is vertical video marketing? 

Vertical video marketing is about creating content optimized for the vertical orientation of smartphones. 

It is designed to take advantage of how people naturally hold their devices, ensuring your videos fill the screen and grab attention. 

Focusing on vertical formats helps you create stories, tutorials, live streams, product showcases, and other marketing videos that look great and engage users on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook.

Why vertical video marketing strategies are important

Implementing vertical video marketing strategies is crucial for the following reasons. 

• Provide an optimal viewing experience. Most people hold their phones vertically, so using vertical video formats can give your clients’ audiences a seamless viewing experience.
• Increased engagement. Vertical videos are more likely to capture and hold your viewers’ attention, opening more opportunities to engage audiences
• Platform prioritization. Social media platforms and sites such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat prioritize vertical videos, making your clients’ content more likely to be featured at the top, boosting their visibility

Must read: Top 20+ Social Media Sites to Promote Your Clients [2025]

• Improved user experience. With vertical videos, viewers won’t need to rotate their screens, making it more convenient and user-friendly to watch your clients’ content
• Keep your videos modern and trendy. Incorporating vertical video trends into your client’s content can help them connect with their audiences better and remain relevant
• Enhanced storytelling. Vertical formats allow for creative and immersive storytelling that resonates with mobile viewers, making them more likely to engage with your clients’ content 

Creative vertical video marketing strategies to drive engagement

Leverage the unique and effective vertical video marketing strategies below to reach your clients’ audience engagement goals. 

Create high quality but not overly produced videos

With vertical videos, high-production quality doesn’t always guarantee more engagement. 

A more effective tactic is to create high-quality yet not overly produced videos that resonate with or speak to your audience’s needs, interests, and preferences. 

The key is to know what audiences want to see from your clients’ vertical videos and deliver them without overextending production and costs. 

Once you know your audiences’ needs, these quick tips can help you create engaging vertical social media videos.

• Use daylight to your advantage. Shoot near windows or outdoors to get that soft, flattering light in your clients’ videos
• Keep your shots steady by using a tripod or propping your phone against a stable surface
• Ensure your audio is clear by recording in a quiet space and using an external microphone if possible
• Keep your videos concise and to the point. Aim for one to two minutes to keep viewers interested and watching until the end

You can also consider experimenting with various topics, video styles, and trends to draw more eyeballs and encourage interactions with your clients’ content. 

Follow the recommended vertical video dimensions

One of the best ways to ensure you create visually appealing content is to create vertical videos with mobile in mind from the get-go. 

Must read: Updated Facebook Video Size Guide for Marketers & Agencies

Follow the recommended dimensions and sizes help ensure that your clients’ vertical videos, from Instagram Reels to TikTok content, display at their best quality, without awkward spaces or distortions. 

Below are the ideal specifications for vertical social media videos.

Aspect ratio
The most common aspect ratio for vertical videos on Snapchat, Instagram Stories, TikTok, and Facebook Stories is 9:16.

Must read: 10 Snapchat Marketing Tips: How to Grow Your Following

The 4:5 aspect ratio is commonly used for Instagram posts and some ads

Dimensions 

The ideal dimensions for a vertical video is 1080 x 1920, which fills the screen of most smartphones when held upright.

With a 4:5 aspect ratio video with a width of 1080 pixels, the ideal dimension is 1080 x 1350. 

File size 

• Maximum file size for a feed video: Up to 4 GB
• Maximum file size for a story video: Up to 12 MB
• Maximum file size for a reel video: Up to 60 MB 

Video length 

• Maximum length for a feed video: Up to 240 minutes
• Maximum length for a story video: Up to 10 seconds 
• Maximum length for a reel video: Up to 90 seconds 

Using templates is one of the best ways to ensure that you get your vertical video dimensions right every time. 

For instance, Canva offers video templates that are optimized for vertical social media content formats such as TikTok videos and Instagram Reels. 

Must read: 31+ TikTok Content Ideas to Get More Followers this 2025

Choose and customize the templates accordingly and you’ll have a ready-to-publish video that meets the social media platform’s vertical video dimension requirements. 

Incorporate interactive elements

An effective way to encourage engagement with your clients’ vertical videos is to include interactive elements. 

Some interactive elements you can leverage include the following. 

Polls and questions

Add simple polls or questions within your clients’ videos to encourage viewers to participate and share their opinions. 

Use stickers or built-in tools on platforms like Instagram Stories or TikTok.

Keep the questions short and relevant to the content, such as “Which product color do you prefer? Vote below!“

Clickable links

Include clickable links in your clients’ Reels, videos, Stories, and other vertical videos that lead to more content, product pages, or special offers.

You can use Instagram Stories’ “swipe up” feature or add clickable links directly to your client’s content. 

You can also include clear and compelling Calls-to-Action (CTAs), like the one in Vista Social’s Instagram Story below.

Challenges and contests

Launch a challenge or contest encouraging your clients’ followers to create and share their own vertical videos.

It’s also a great way to encourage User-Generated Content (UGC) that you can share (with permission and proper attribution) with your clients’ other social media content.  

Consider offering attractive incentives such as discounts or prizes to encourage participation.

Also, create a unique hashtag to track entries.

For instance, add this description and hashtag to your Story or Reel: “Show us your best dance moves with our product and use #BrandDanceChallenge!“

Live interactions

Go live and interact with your clients’ followers in real time, answering their questions and responding to comments. 

You can announce the live session in advance to spark interest and anticipation.

Remember to engage with viewers by mentioning them by name and responding to their queries.  

Story stickers and emojis

Use interactive stickers and emojis to make your clients’ vertical videos more engaging and fun. 

Use platform-specific features such as Instagram Story stickers and keep the videos visually appealing but not cluttered. 

Swipe-up surveys

Use swipe-up features to direct your clients’ viewers to short surveys or feedback forms. 

Remember to keep surveys brief and easy to complete to encourage audiences to join in. 

You can also offer a small incentive for participation, such as a discount code. 

For instance, you can ask audiences to swipe up on your client’s Instagram Story, share what they think, and get 10% off their next purchase. 

Optimize your vertical videos for viewing with the sounds off 

Many viewers watch vertical videos without sounds. 

By adding captions, you can make your clients’ vertical videos enjoyable even with the sounds off to make the viewing experience positive and effective for them. 

Captions help your viewers understand what’s happening in your video even when it’s on mute. 

Captions can also make your clients’ vertical videos more accessible for people with disabilities. 

Additionally, accessible and engaging content can boost your clients’ visibility and reach across search engines, optimizing them for search engines.  

Consider watching your clients’ videos on mute to see if they make sense without audio to see how to create captions that will provide proper context.

Host live streams to connect with audiences in real time

Engage your clients’ audiences in real time with live-streamed vertical videos on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, etc. 

Live streaming videos can be great for:

• Interacting directly and connecting better with your clients’ followers via Q&As
• Creating urgency or sparking excitement for specific campaigns or marketing initiatives, such as product launches and flash sales
• Showcasing the authenticity of your clients’ brands through real, human interactions
• Showing off your clients’ brand personalities 

Leverage storytelling

Vertical videos can be excellent formats for sharing compelling and engaging stories with your clients’ viewers. 

Follow the quick tips below to weave storytelling into your vertical video marketing strategies. 

• Develop a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. The structure can keep viewers engaged and invested in your clients’ content. Start with a hook to grab attention, build tension or excitement in the middle, and end with a satisfying conclusion or CTA. For instance, you can share a customer success story, showing how your client’s product solved their problem from start to finish
• Introduce relatable characters and evoke emotions to create a connection with your audience. You can highlight real people, such as customers or team members. Remember to focus on emotional touchpoints such as challenges, achievements, and transformations. For example, you can feature a team member sharing their journey and passion for the company’s mission
• Use visuals to demonstrate your story instead of just narrating it. Doing so can make your content more immersive and engaging. Use dynamic shots and transitions to keep your video visually interesting. You can also include visual cues that complement the narrative. For instance, create vertical videos that show the behind-the-scenes process of creating a new product, with close-ups of each step

Must read: Visual Content Creation Tips & Tools for Agencies this 2025

Capture attention instantly

The first few seconds of your clients’ videos are crucial because viewers will quickly swipe away if they’re not engaging enough. 

So, ensure the first few seconds hook viewers in to boost the chances of them watching until the end and engaging with the content. 

Create an effective hook for your clients’ videos with the quick tips below. 

• Start with a bold visual. Use an eye-catching image or animation that grabs attention immediately, such as flashing a vibrant product image or dynamic logo animation
• Pose a provocative question. Ask a question that piques curiosity and makes viewers want to know more. For example, you can ask, “Ever wondered how to double your Instagram followers overnight?” within the first five seconds of the video
• Use captivating text overlays. Add bold, concise text that highlights key points or benefits such as an exclusive offer or early access pass
• Show an unusual or surprising scene. Start your client’s video with something unexpected to intrigue viewers, such as a quick clip of an unusual BTS moment
• Introduce a relatable character or face. People connect with faces, so start with a team member or happy customer. For instance, your client’s video can start with a smiling team member saying, “Let me show you something amazing!“
• Kick off with action. Action scenes draw viewers in quickly, so start with movement or activity, such as a fast-paced montage of your client’s product in use
• Highlight a problem. Address a common problem your client’s audience faces and hint at the solution. For example, your video’s opening line can be “Struggling to keep up with social media trends? We’ve got you covered“
• Use relevant or trending music or sound effects. Incorporate catchy music or sound clips that grab attention, such as a brief, upbeat tune or an intriguing sound effect

Tailor content to each social media platform 

Creating and sharing one vertical video across platforms doesn’t always drive your expected engagement and results. 

Must read: Social Media Engagement Strategies, Tips, Examples and Tools

After all, audiences, user interests, content style preferences, video dimension requirements, and more can vary depending on the specific social media platform. 

That is why it’s crucial to tailor and optimize your clients’ vertical videos for each social network to ensure engagement. 

For instance, your client’s TikTok Stories can be more spontaneous and fun while their Instagram Reels should be more polished and in-depth since they can be longer. 

Use reliable tools to create engaging vertical videos

Choose the right tools to simplify and streamline creating engaging vertical videos for your clients’ social media marketing efforts.

Must read: Top 20 Social Media Engagement Tools to Boost Brand Visibility

Depending on your budget and unique needs, your team can use the following video creation and editing apps. 

• InShot is a user-friendly video editing app for trimming, merging, and adding effects to your vertical social media videos. You can use InShot to add music, text, and filters to make your clients’ videos pop. For instance, you can create a polished product demo with engaging text overlays and background music
• Adobe Premiere Rush is a powerful yet accessible video editing tool that supports vertical video formats. Use the tool’s built-in effects and transitions to enhance your clients’ videos. You can edit a professional-looking promo video with smooth transitions and color correction using the tool
• TikTok is not just a social media platform, but also a great tool for creating and editing engaging vertical videos. Use the platform’s effects, filters, and trending sounds to create content that resonates with your clients’ audiences. For instance, you can create videos that participate in a trending challenge or create a fun tutorial using TikTok’s editing features

Must read: Top Content Creator Tools Used By Elite Marketing Agencies

Use Vista Social to implement your vertical video marketing strategy 

Rolling out your vertical video marketing strategies can be a lot of work but Vista Social can streamline your efforts. 

The social media management platform offers all the essential features, from vertical video scheduling and publishing to performance tracking. 

Vista Social’s Publisher lets you upload your client’s video and customize the post with captions, emojis, hashtags, links, and more.

The feature includes an AI Assistant powered by ChatGPT that you can use to generate or refine your post’s description and taglines instantly. 

You can enable settings such as comments and automatically adding recommended music to your TikTok video. 

You can also boost your clients’ posts to increase their visibility and reach, opening more opportunities for their content to engage audiences.

After creating and customizing your post, you can set an auto-publishing schedule or choose from the optimal posting time suggestions for maximum engagement. 

Must read: How to Automate Social Media Posts: w/ Tools & Tips

With the platform’s unified Social Inbox, managing interactions on your clients’ published videos and other social media content is quick and easy. 

You can view all the mentions, comments, and messages (when available) and respond to Facebook and Instagram DM’s right from Vista Social.

To track the performance of your published posts, you can generate and schedule reports to share with other users via direct links or exported CSV and PDF files.

Other Vista Social features you can use to manage your clients’ social media profiles, content, and campaigns seamlessly include the following. 

Must read: Social Media Plan: Steps, Strategies, & Templates [2025]

• A content calendar for efficient social media content planning, development, and management
• Approval workflows that automate sending content for review and approval by managers and your clients
• Social listening tool
• Bulk scheduling
• Media library with your uploaded assets and royalty-free stock images, video clips, and sounds
• AI-powered hashtag tools 
• Canva integration
• Content finder to simplify finding UGCs and other content to supplement your clients’ social media posts
• Team collaboration tools such as Notes and a shared calendar 
• Custom report templates
• Sentiment analysis feature and reports
• Link in bio tool with customizable landing pages 

Must read: 15 Best Link in Bio Tools for Agencies & Brands for 2025

Vertical video marketing tips and insights from experts

Get expert tips and insights on vertical video marketing from the social media leaders and influencers below. 

• Gary Vaynerchuk: My 2024 TikTok and Content Strategy l The VeeCap Ep. 1
• Mark Schaefer: How to gracefully repurpose content between horizontal and vertical video formats
• Jeff Bullas: 5 Mistakes You Are Making With Your Instagram Videos

FAQs on vertical video marketing 

How can you measure the success of your vertical video marketing efforts? 

Measure success by tracking metrics such as views, engagement rates, shares, and conversions. 

Use analytics tools from social media platforms or solutions like Vista Social to gain key viewer behavior insights and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Must read: 20+ Social Analytics Tools in 2025: Free And Paid

Can you use vertical videos for all types of content? 

While vertical videos are great for Instagram Stories, TikTok, and Snapchat, they may not be suitable for all content types and viewers. 

Consider your audience and platform when deciding if vertical videos are the right choice.

How can I convert horizontal videos to vertical format? 

You can use video editing tools such as InShot or Adobe Premiere Rush to crop and adjust your horizontal videos to fit the vertical format. 

These tools often have features that make the conversion process straightforward.

However, your videos may have slight differences depending on the original format used when shooting the raw video. 

Ready to boost engagement with winning vertical video marketing strategies?

Your strategies and how you implement them can be your ticket to your vertical video marketing efforts’ success. 

So, know the best strategies to deploy your approach and use reliable tools to drive their audience engagement efforts to a whole new level. 

Use platforms such as Vista Social to implement your vertical video marketing strategies more efficiently and effectively.

Start your Vista Social account now.