Social media has evolved greatly since its inception. It all started with basic (at the time) functionalities and slowly it transitioned towards what we use today: feature-rich platforms with plenty of options to satisfy even the most demanding user.
You can check the video we made about this topic below or continue reading. But one thing is certain, if you want to partake in the social media game, you have to mind that format!
Creating content is no easy task, as you have to juggle between having an idea, seeing that you can make a piece of content and then pushing it out. What’s more, you need to remember that since we are exposed to so many inputs, it is very likely we ignore the content you created. So one must ask themselves, how do I do it to avoid that?
An element that plays a vital role in this, is the subject of this post. We are talking about the format you use for your content.
We are going to focus in three elements some people tend to make mistakes about:
- The aspect ratio
- The Length
- Other
The aspect ratio
It determines the width and the height of an image or a video. Every platform has its preferred aspect ratio, so make sure to know it before you push any content.
For example the image below shows a piece of content thatr has been adapted to fit with the aspect ratio requirements set by Faceboo when posting on newsfeed. The pink square represents the aspect ratio, which in this case is 1:1.
Make sure to frame your subject so that you can tell the story you want.
However, if I want to run an Instagram story or a Snapchat ad, the story changes, as the following image shows. In this case the aspect ratio is vertical or 9:16, so framing becomes ever more key to convey the message I want.
A vertical aspect ratio has to focus more on the subject, otherwise you're missing information.
What you need to remember is that regardless of the aspect ratio, you need to be able to tell the story you want. The stor needs to be understood, so forget the one-size-fits-all solution.
Length
Video content is by far the most clever way to reach your audience. This is true organically but especially when it comes to advertising. However, due to the constant bombardment we suffer, our brain chooses only what is relevant, so in order to maximise your chances of success, your videos have to be concise.
We are talking about 6 to 10 seconds, so you have not time to beat around the bush. Remember that you have to catch your audience's attention within the first second, so go straight to the point, you have no time to waste.
Other
In this category we'll cover a couple of elements that can help the content you produce.
Subtitles
Whenever you’re running anything where there’s a voiceover or a person speaking, add subtitles even if it is a bit more work on your end. The reason? It's quite simple, we tend to mindlesly scroll through our feeds with our phones silenced. If you stumble upon a piece of content where a person speaks but there are no subtitles, you'll probaly continue scrolling.
However, adding subtitles can make the difference as you may read something that compels you to keep watching.
File types
When creating content play it safe when it comes to the file format. There are plenty of different video and image formats but we'd recommend you to stick to what is proven.
Whenever you deal with images, try to stick to a JPEG or a PNG. When dealing with videos, we've never had any issue working with MPEG-4.
Platforms like Facebook support plenty of formats, but we suggest you stick to the same and you won't have any issues!
So this is it! Obviously making content is more than what we've described, but these elements can be the cornerstone for you. When you don't have to worry about all those technicalities, you can unleash your creativity.
Thanks for reading!