Get your video content into summer shape

The beach is open, the runners are out and sleeveless tees are abundant. I know what you’re thinking:

“I need to get buff, shredded, ripped.”

And unless you’re talking about wings, cheese and pulled pork (OK, fine, that last one’s a stretch, but you try finding a food that’s technically “ripped” and fits into this absurd joke format), you’re probably looking to get in shape, physically speaking.

Well, this blog ain’t about that!

*cue hard pivot*

This blog is about getting your VIDEOS into shape! Because Lord knows we’ve seen vertical videos on horizontal screens, horizontal videos on vertical screens and 45-minute videos on Instagram. (Seriously, what's that all about?) It’s time to right your wrongs, and we have just what you need to succeed.

Our studio team at DS has been pumping, cutting, lifting and stretching to get all our videos where they need to be, and now we want to share our secrets with you.

Follow these guidelines, crank out the goodness and ride the high of right-sized videos like a 20-foot wave off the North Shore of Oahu.

A few years ago, Facebook updated its newsfeed rankings to favor video that “people seek out and return to regularly … inspire interaction and conversation.” It's also been favoring videos over 3 minutes, but any video is better than no video.

While the 3+ minute length isn’t always necessary, it’s important to keep in mind when thinking about any video going on Facebook, especially if it’s going to be for Facebook only. It’s a platform with high shareability and incredible reach if you do it right.

SHARED POST
Aspect ratio:
16:9
9:16
1:1
4:5

Size:
1920 x 1080
1080 x 1920
1080 x 1080
1080 x 1350

Max length:
4 hours

STORIES
Aspect ratio:
1.91:1 to 9:16

Size:
1080x1920 (or anything from your phone)

Max length:
15 seconds

Variety is the spice of life … and video on Instagram. Between in-feed posts, Stories, Reels and or IGTV, Instagram does it all. The key? Knowing what type of video to put where. A long-form interview isn’t going to work on a Reel; that’s IGTV. A quick-hitting highlight might be perfect for a Story, while a 30-60-second recap is an ideal post for your regular feed. And other than IGTV (sometimes), vertical video is almost always better than horizontal for this app.

IN FEED
Aspect ratio:
16:9
1:1
4:5

Size:
1920 x 1080
1080 x 1080
1080 x 1350

Max length:
1 minute

STORIES
Aspect ratio:
9:16

Size:
1080 x 1920

Max length:
15 seconds

REELS
Aspect ratio:
9:16

Size:
1080 x 1920

Max length:
30 seconds

IGTV
Aspect ratio:
16:9
9:16

Size:
1920 x 1080
1080 x 1920

Length:
60 minutes

Videos on Twitter can come fast and furious. The nature of the platform is brevity and timeliness. Anything goes on Twitter. Vertical, horizontal, square—if it’s under 2:20, it’ll work.

Pro tip: Make a catchy first frame because unlike most other social media channels, Twitter doesn’t let you choose the thumbnail for your video.

TWEET
Aspect ratio:
16:9
9:16
1:1

Size:
1920 x 1080
1080 x 1920
1080 x 1080

Max length:
140 seconds

Unlike the other platforms, LinkedIn is all business. Sure, there’s always room for entertainment, but this audience is looking to learn, grow, maximize potential and anything else that means progress. Videos that encompass thought leadership, finding efficiencies, productivity, case studies or trending topics have the potential to do well here. And to get the most bang for your buck, upload videos natively so you can gather the analytics on the backend to inform your video approach going forward.

SHARED POST
Aspect ratio:
16:9
9:16
1:1

Size:
1920 x 1080
1080 x 1920
1080 x 1080

Max length:
30 minutes

The trendy new kid on the block has been growing up (and blowing up) at a rapid pace. Google it and you’ll see the company boast of more than 1 billion active monthly users. That makes for A LOT of content.

If you’re jumping into the TikTok game, there’s one lesson to rule them all: Be true to the platform. Here, fancy edits and slick cuts feel out of place among the DIY-style viral videos of TikTok past and present. Even if you have all the tools for a full-blown theatrical production, a lo-fi approach to this shiny platform is often your best bet.

ps The TikTok algorithm is the best in the game when it comes to discovering new content, making it a hotbed for anyone looking for a massive following.

POST
Aspect ratio:
9:16

Size:
1080 x 1920

Max length:
1 minute

Much like TikTok, creators and brands stand to benefit from Snapchat's in-app look and feel for videos. If you don’t know that you should be all vertical for videos on this platform, well, it might already be too late. But the fleeting nature of Snapchat creates a blink-and-you-miss-it cycle of content creation. Think about ways to repurpose videos on Snapchat for other platforms or for more Snapchat content.

SNAP
Aspect ratio:
9:16

Size:
1080 x 1920

Max length:
1 minute

The commander-in-chief of internet video, this Google company is the second most popular search engine on the internet after Google itself. Want to try something fun? Google how many hours of YouTube are watched a day. Here’s a hint: It’s incomprehensible. There’s a lot that goes into a YouTube channel, but keeping a consistent brand narrative (series, segments, topics) and picking interesting titles and thumbnails are YouTube 101.

If you can build an audience here, you’re ready for the big time.

VIDEO
Aspect ratio:
16:9

Size:
1920 x 1080

Max length:
12 hours

Kicking your videos into summer shape can look daunting. What seems simple in word becomes a bit more difficult in execution. But picking your perfect platforms for distribution will give you all the details you need for a pristine posting experience.

And if this task feels like one massive bite of “Ohh nooo,” drop us a line. Our studio team loves this stuff. A quick note to connor@dixonschwabl.com is all you need to get this workout rocking.