Social video content or ‘reels’ are without doubt one of the most important considerations for any company’s video production. Whether it’s for LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or everywhere all at once, scroll-stopping content to keep your brand in people’s minds has never been more important.
But just putting out anything is not the way to go. Social should never be an afterthought, or only done as and when it’s remembered, but instead should form part of a coherent plan and release schedule. Today it is often first on the list when our clients ask for their deliverables, and this translates to things such as framing decisions (e.g. vertical) in advance for when we come to shoot.
Vertical video (giving a ratio of 9×16 rather than ‘landscape’ or 16×9) has now become the dominant medium for all major social platforms, streamlining the needs of companies for multiple shapes and sizes, which is great news for editing time and cost. Why? Because social video is optimised for mobile, and vertical performs better because viewers don’t need to rotate their screen to see the big picture. Landscape still has a place for websites, but often companies require both so we will regularly be asked to frame subjects a little wider than usual, allowing cropping for both vertical and horizontal.
You don’t always need to be constantly filming and editing social content to have an effective ongoing release strategy. Big calendar dates like company events should be seen as a great opportunity to grab a huge amount of social material in one easy shoot, and this can then be drip-fed onto the channels thoughout the following months.
The best social videos are short and pack a lot in. Yes, this means there is a lot going on, and parts can be missed, but you are also wanting people to ideally watch a good social video several times, so this can actually help.
Today companies need to focus on authenticity, innovation, and community-driven content to stand out on social media. One of the most effective strategies is short-form, behind-the-scenes (BTS) photos and videos that showcase the people, processes, and personality behind a brand. Audiences crave transparency and relatability, and raw, unscripted moments perform exceptionally well.
While grabbing behind-the-scenes during a social shoot might seem like overkill, it’s all more good material that you will wish you had got if you don’t. BTS content offers transparency, and in a digital age where consumers and clients seek authenticity, showing the effort, creativity, and collaboration that goes into producing a piece of corporate media builds credibility. You can read our full blog article about the power of BTS here
Personalisation is also key. Brands can tailor content to specific audience segments —delivering more relevant, higher-converting posts. This is why it’s often a good idea to shoot several segment in one day for totally different purposes and audiences.
User-generated content (UGC) continues to dominate. Encouraging customers to share their experiences and tagging the brand adds authenticity and trust, especially when combined with influencer collaborations at the micro or nano level. Never forget the power of testimonials form happy customers, and the less polished and more authentic these appear the better.
Another rising trend is social responsibility storytelling—sharing a company’s impact through real stories, not just stats. This helps align with the values of socially conscious audiences.
Lastly, companies should embrace ephemeral content (like Instagram Stories or TikTok Trends) to stay timely and relevant, and pair it with strong community interaction—replying to comments, resharing fan content, and fostering genuine conversations. Nowadays human connection is still the ultimate algorithm hack.
Good social video content can live hand-in-hand with a ‘hero film’ or homepage banner, and can often be filmed at the same time– check out our work in this area too:
https://www.unexploredfilms.com/hero-films/
Check out some of our favourite social video content examples below:
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