By Holland Cooke
Consultant
70%+ of views are mobile, where the screen is small and attention spans are short.
— Aspect ratio: Use 9:16 (vertical) or 1:1 (square) so it fills the phone screen.
— The first 3 seconds are critical. Use a bold visual, a teaser question, or a surprising statement.
— Because many watch without sound, add text on-screen using auto-caption tools. Bold, color-coded, animated captions keep attention.
— Use close-up shots & big graphics. Tiny text or wide shots get lost. Zoom in on faces or products. Make graphics large and clear.
— Ideal length: 15 to 90 seconds for Shorts, or under 3 minutes for mobile-friendly standard videos. Cut filler, pauses, and tangents. Every second should count.
— Keep titles short and clear, i.e., “How To…” or “You Won’t Believe…” DON’T title it “Episode # ___.”
— Focus on One Idea Per Video. Mobile users are distracted and scrolling fast. Give them one clear takeaway, message, or call-to-action.
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn