If you’ve only paid for a horizontal listing video, don’t worry—there are three simple ways to optimize it for social media.
Many agents outsource listing videos to photographers or videographers, who often deliver a polished, horizontal videos designed for platforms like YouTube. While these videos can look great on larger screens, they may not be as effective on mobile-centric platforms like Instagram or other short-form video apps.
The good news? With a few quick adjustments, you can easily repurpose your horizontal video to perform well on social media, ensuring you get the most out of your investment.
#1: Post it Horizontally—with a Prompt to Rotate the Phone
One way to optimize your horizontal video on social media is to post it as-is and prompt viewers to rotate their phones. Instagram provides an easy-to-use graphic that suggests this to users, allowing you to share the video without needing to make any edits.
We’ve done this multiple times, and it doesn’t seem to affect engagement at all. So, give it a try; just post the video in its original format and prompt your audience to rotate their screens.
It requires zero additional work, and you can still get great results.
#2: Post it Horizontally—with Content in the Black Bars
When posting a horizontal video, you’ll often see black bars at the top and bottom on vertical platforms like Instagram. Instead of leaving them blank, use that space to your advantage.
On the top, you can include important property details like the number of bedrooms and bathrooms and the square footage. At the bottom, add captions to highlight key features or your call to action (CTA). This simple adjustment not only eliminates wasted space but also gives your viewer more information without altering the video itself.
#3: Post It as a Triple-Stack
For a more dynamic approach, consider using a “triple-stack” format, which is a creative way to repurpose your horizontal video. Tools like CapCut make this easy to do yourself. Or if you’d rather outsource this, too, your videographer can create one at low cost.
The idea is to divide the original video into three sections and stack them vertically within a 9×16 frame. Each layer features the same video but rearranged slightly to create the illusion of three different clips. The triple-stack fills the vertical frame completely and gives you the opportunity to post the same original video multiple times while creating the illusion of three different videos.
By using these techniques, you can get the most out of your horizontal listing videos across multiple platforms, making sure they engage viewers effectively no matter where they’re watching.
I’m curious—how are you leveraging horizontal video on social media? And if you found this helpful, make sure to share it with someone you know.
