Making the most of vertical video on social

Mark Gaisford, Founder at Brand Sprouts; Nana Crawford, CEO at JiggleFiiT; and Oyinkro Kagbala, Founder at K.OS Visuals
Takeaways from the session: 1. Creating a Strategy for Vertical Video 2. Achieving Business Impact through Video 3. Practical Tips for Recording Videos 4. Content Framing and Editing Tips 5. The Benefits of Vertical Video Final Advice This session showcased vertical video’s versatility, encouraging brands to leverage the format across industries to connect with mobile-focused […]

Takeaways from the session:

1. Creating a Strategy for Vertical Video

  • Purpose-Driven Content: Each panellist emphasised the importance of distinct objectives, whether for awareness, trust-building, or direct conversions. O Kagbala introduced a three-tier approach: awareness, authority building, and niche-specific content for conversions.
  • Mix of Strategic and Ad Hoc Content: While a strategic plan is helpful, successful content often emerges from testing ideas and capturing “real” moments. Nana Crawford shared her journey from posting random content to understanding audience preferences, enabling her to build a strategy that engages followers effectively.

2. Achieving Business Impact through Video

  • Personal Connection: Mark Gaisford highlighted video’s unique ability to create trust and connection in a way that written content can’t, especially for personal branding. Allowing glimpses into his life has built stronger connections with his audience.
  • Authenticity as a Differentiator: Mark’s videos on personal topics exemplify how genuine storytelling can have a profound impact, especially in B2B contexts where authentic narratives can help brands stand out.
  • Audience Behaviour Insights: Nana mentioned her success using video on platforms like Eventbrite, where including videos alongside event descriptions has led to increased bookings. This underscores how video content provides an immersive experience that helps potential attendees better visualise and connect with an event.

3. Practical Tips for Recording Videos

  • Equipment & Setup:
    • Start Simple: Use a smartphone and natural lighting. Small tools like a ring light or mic can significantly improve quality on a budget.
    • For Enhanced Quality: O recommended the Osmo Pocket 3 for compact, high-quality recording, and CapCut as an easy-to-use editing tool.
  • Efficient Workflow:
    • Documentation over Creation: O advised documenting snippets throughout the day rather than scripting every moment, making regular content creation more manageable and natural.
    • Bulk Creation: Streamlining content creation into bulk sessions (e.g., recording multiple videos at once) helps keep content production consistent and manageable.

4. Content Framing and Editing Tips

  • Use a Teleprompter: Mark suggested using a teleprompter app for scripted content to keep messaging concise and professional.
  • Lighting for Quality: Place a key light in front of you, avoid backlighting, and consider accent lights in the background for depth.
  • Audience Feedback via Comments: Nana highlighted comments as an essential feedback tool, particularly for gauging “vibe” on her dance fitness content, which captures emotional responses beyond just views.

5. The Benefits of Vertical Video

  • Enhanced Engagement: Nana explained that vertical video helps capture viewer attention and keep them engaged, especially on mobile platforms where audiences are most active.
  • B2B Opportunities on LinkedIn: Mark highlighted LinkedIn’s new video feed, optimised for vertical video, as a significant opportunity for B2B brands to reach larger audiences with short-form, authentic content.

Final Advice

  • Enjoy the Process: All panellists encouraged creators to find joy in video creation rather than focusing too much on algorithms or rigid schedules. Creating something you enjoy is likely to resonate with audiences.
  • Reframe Content as Business Development: Mark noted that viewing video creation as part of business development helps integrate it into daily operations, particularly for B2B creators.

This session showcased vertical video’s versatility, encouraging brands to leverage the format across industries to connect with mobile-focused audiences authentically and effectively.

Transcript (AI generated so may contain errors)

0:00 Today we have three absolute legends joining us, and I’ll introduce each in turn quite quickly so this intro doesn’t go on for the duration of the hour. We have Mark Gaisford from BR Sprouts, Nana Crawford from Jiggle Fit, and O Kagbala from Chaos Visuals—three people who bring all the right vibes, so I think we’re going to have a lot of fun today.

I asked each of them to join today because, A, I like them, and, B, I think each brings a slightly different perspective on making the most of vertical video. Mark is sort of a personal branding expert; Nana is a marketer-turned-business-owner, and O is a videographer. So, hopefully, we’ll get those different perspectives brought out over the course of this session. Let’s say hello to Laura and Karen in the chat as well—thank you so much for being here.

1:09 Before we get going, I just want to say a big thank you to our featured sponsor this week, Frontify. If you’re a brand with lots of employees—or even fewer employees—and you struggle with brand consistency, Frontify can help. They are a DAM solution, which means they bring together all your digital assets into one place, making it super easy for the team to collaborate. They’ve even got a code for a report where they asked 450 CMOs about the impact of investing in brand marketing. Also, a huge thank you to Exclaimer, Cambridge Marketing College, Redgate, and ScoreApp. They all help us keep doing what we’re doing.

2:13 Let’s start introducing our panel for today so you can get a bit more context on them. Mark, let’s start with you, if that’s okay. Could we just have a bit of context on how you use video day-to-day in your world, so people understand your perspective?

Mark Gaisford: Sure! I’m crazy about video. It’s the one medium I always turn to for getting my point across, telling my story, or doing anything else. I think video allows people to get to know you in a way that other mediums just don’t. Like, you can instantly see from how I’m expressing myself now that I’m full of energy and passion. I find video lets you use language differently—you don’t always write the way you speak. In personal branding, what you’re trying to do is build trust, and I think video is great for letting people into your life. Plus, video serves as a sales qualifier—if people don’t like me, they won’t want to work with me, so we jump a step ahead.

Joe: I love that! It definitely allows the nuance of personalities to show through in a way the written word can’t. Nana, how about you? You’ve transitioned from working with large organisations like the Red Cross and Marie Curie to being a business owner. How do you think about vertical video?

4:19 Nana Crawford: For me, video content was really important for education back at Red Cross and Marie Curie. It was a way to get people engaged in the content we needed them to absorb because website bounce rates were high, and we knew they weren’t reading. Moving to Jiggle Fit, my dance fitness brand, video is key because it’s hard to explain dance. Saying “the vibes are immaculate” isn’t enough; video lets people see that energy and feel like they know what to expect, which encourages them to book.

Joe: That’s brilliant. O, let’s hear your thoughts. You’ve invested heavily in video, too, for your business.

6:08 O Kagbala: Absolutely. I agree with what Mark and Nana said about video creating a more intimate, personal connection with the audience. For us, as an agency, we focus on three types of videos: awareness, authority-building, and niche-specific videos targeted at our ideal clients. Awareness videos are just for reach, authority videos build trust, and niche-specific ones, though they get less engagement, actually drive sales. This structure gives purpose to the content we create.

Joe: That’s a great framework. Quick question: do you literally plan out each video as “awareness,” “authority,” or “sales” before creating it?

O Kagbala: Mostly, yes. Sometimes it’s just vibes-based, but 80% of our growth has come from consistently posting these purposeful videos. Middle-of-funnel content often drives the trust that leads to sales.

Joe: Excellent answer, mate. Nana, picking up on O’s approach, how do you go about starting your content strategy? Is it as purposeful, or a bit more ad hoc?

11:09 Nana Crawford: When I first started, I just posted lots of different types of content to see what resonated. I began to understand user behaviour and what worked. If I want people to book a class, I’ll post content that shows the vibe, location, and what they can expect. If it’s for awareness, I might post a fun tutorial or something lighthearted. Now that I understand my audience, I don’t always follow a strict strategy, but I know what type of content works for different goals.

Joe: I love that balance of strategy and spontaneity. Mark, how about you?

14:27 Mark Gaisford: Funny enough, I finally have a process now! I use a document called “Captivating Content” with sections for storytelling, inspiring behaviour, setting challenges, etc. I have content ideas stored there to pull from. Still, I like to leave room for the more personal, off-script stuff—letting people into my life. Recently, I posted a six-minute video about my dad’s experience with dementia. It was sensitive, but it resonated deeply because it was real and allowed viewers into my life.

Joe: That’s incredibly powerful, Mark. There’s a question from Eileen asking what the purpose of the video about your dad was.

18:23 Mark Gaisford: Honestly, there wasn’t one—it was just something my dad wanted to do, and I wanted to give him that voice. It’s so important to avoid faking authenticity. Sometimes, the best videos are the ones made purely for the joy of it.

Joe: That reframes video for a lot of people, especially those scared to produce it. Thanks for sharing. Nana, a question for you: what’s the benefit of vertical videos specifically?

21:23 Nana Crawford: For me, vertical videos create a focused point of view and direct people’s attention. If I want people to see the diversity in my classes, I can walk around and give that “you-are-there” feeling. It’s less distracting than other formats and lets me guide viewers’ experience.

Joe: Brilliant answer. Let’s shift to practical tips for getting started with video, especially with limited resources. O, could you kick us off?

24:01 O Kagbala: Sure! For beginners, start by creating without expectations. Practise just to see how you look on camera, your mannerisms, etc. Lighting is crucial, so use natural light if you can. Good lighting improves video quality immensely. Also, bulk creation helps save time, and documenting daily life is a great hack—just capture moments throughout the day without worrying about scripting.

Joe: Lighting can be tricky for beginners. Any quick tips?

O Kagbala: Absolutely. Sit facing a light source, like a window, and avoid backlighting. If possible, use a big key light in front and maybe accent lights in the background for depth.

29:00 Joe: Nana, could you share how you decide when to record your classes?

Nana Crawford: Absolutely. First, consent is key. I let people know in advance when I plan to record, and I set up my tripod in the same spot so people can avoid it if they don’t want to be filmed. It’s all about respecting comfort levels. Sometimes I’ll bring in a videographer so I can focus on leading the class while they capture it.

32:52 Joe: Mark, this question might resonate with your past work in recruitment: is there a place for serious B2B brands in vertical video, or is it always going to feel “cringe”?

Mark Gaisford: Oh, absolutely, there’s a place for B2B brands! In fact, B2B needs more humour and personality. Bring that element, even if it’s subtle. On LinkedIn, content can go viral because it’s engaging, entertaining, and relatable.

O Kagbala: Completely agree. Many of our clients are B2B, and brands like Slack or Monzo have shown how fun, memorable content can work in B2B spaces. Creating content for different stages of the funnel—awareness, engagement, and conversion—is critical.

42:48 Joe: All three of you mentioned that you create content with a purpose. Are you actively tracking metrics?

Mark Gaisford: I’m not big on metrics, but I’ve found that consistency in video content leads to long-term trust and eventual business opportunities. I’ve had clients approach me after years of following my videos.

Nana Crawford: I measure engagement by asking new attendees how they found me. Often, they say they watched a video on TikTok or Eventbrite. On Eventbrite, having video on the listing page increased bookings significantly. Comments are also a great feedback tool for gauging if people resonate with the vibe I’m trying to create.

50:55 Joe: Fantastic insights, Nana. We’re running out of time, but let’s wrap up with one final thought from each of you. O, do you have a tool recommendation?

O Kagbala: Sure! CapCut is a great free editing app. For filming, use your phone or, if you can, invest in an Osmo Pocket 3—it’s fantastic for vlogs and BTS content.

Mark Gaisford: For beginners, a teleprompter app can help reduce filler words and make videos more concise. Just write like you speak.

Nana Crawford: My biggest tip is to avoid pressure. If you need a break from video, take it. Enjoy the process because people can tell when you’re having fun, and that energy shows in your content.

Joe: Brilliant. Thanks, everyone!