Reels, TikTok, Stories: the rules of vertical video that holds attention

Win the first few seconds

From the very first frame, viewers must understand what it is about and why it matters to them. Cut the intros: no animated logo, no “Hi everyone, today I’m going to talk to you about…”. Go straight into the subject.

The image, the on-screen text and the voice should all say the same thing at the same moment. For a business, a few hooks work well:

• Show the result first, then how to get there
• Ask the client’s question: “Why does my wooden floor creak?”
• Flag a common mistake: “Never clean leather with this”
• Say exactly what the video is going to show

Always add subtitles

Assume that some of your viewers will watch with the sound off: on public transport, at the office, late at night. Without subtitles, they drop off before they have grasped your point. Subtitles also make the video accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and they help everyone follow along, even with the sound on.

Keep lines short, the font legible and the contrast strong. Make the text appear in time with the speech, and highlight one keyword per sentence rather than the whole line. For Stories, which are read at a glance, stick to one idea per screen.

Respect the 9:16 format and its safe zones

Shoot and export vertically, in 9:16, at 1080 × 1920 pixels. A landscape video cropped after the fact loses quality or cuts off important elements. On the shoot, leave a little room around your subject so you can reframe.

Each app’s interface covers part of the image: the account name and tabs at the top, the caption and music at the bottom, the like and share buttons on the right. Keep faces, text and subtitles in the central zone. Margins vary from one platform to another: check how it looks in the app before you post.

Keep the pace tight in the edit

Vertical video runs at a tighter pace than landscape. Cut the silences, the hesitations and the linking phrases. Change shot, framing or on-screen element as soon as attention is at risk of dipping: a close-up of a gesture, a line of text appearing, an example shown rather than described.

Watch out for the opposite excess. Cuts on every word and constant effects tire the eye, and the video looks cheap. Good video editing follows the message: quick when you are showing, calmer when you are explaining something important. Before exporting, check that:

• Nothing comes before the hook
• Breaths, hesitations and repetitions are cut
• Every claim is backed by an image
• The ending is clean, with no long wrap-up

Treat sound as seriously as the image

Viewers forgive an average image, far less sound that crackles or echoes. A lavalier mic or a wireless mic connected to your phone makes a clear difference to anyone speaking on camera, for a modest outlay. Film in a furnished room with little echo, away from background noise.

For music, use the platforms’ own libraries or licensed tracks. On a business account, some popular songs are not cleared for commercial use: check before you post. And always keep the music well below the voice.

For more ambitious shoots, LaBoîte works with a network of videographers. For everyday content, a recent phone, a good mic and light from a window are often all you need.

Post consistently

A one-off video, however good, rarely builds an audience. Consistency creates a regular appointment and a recognisable format. Choose a rhythm that fits your business and stick to it, like the rest of your content calendar (in French). Your account insights also show the days and times when your followers are active: post at those moments.

Series make production easier: “This week’s client question”, “A project from start to finish”, “Tool of the day”. The format is fixed, only the subject changes. You film several episodes in one go, and viewers know what to expect.

Read retention to improve

Every platform’s analytics show the moment viewers leave the video. To improve, this retention curve is far more useful than the view count. A sharp drop at the start signals a weak hook. A dip in the middle points to a slow patch, or a badly placed transition.

Compare your videos with each other rather than with other accounts. Look at completed views, shares and saves too: they tell you whether people found the content useful. Then change one thing at a time, the hook, the length or the format, to find out what really makes the difference.