Social Media Video Guidelines
Published: 12 August 2026
Video is powerful tool to engage our audiences and share the stories from UofG across our social media channels. This guide shares simple tips and best practice to help colleagues create engaging, accessible and on-brand video content for our channels.
1. Dimensions
It is important to format videos appropriately for each channel. For social-first content, vertical video is now the best default, particularly as much social media viewing takes place on mobile devices.
Where possible, create your main social version in 9:16 vertical format at 1080 × 1920 pixels. This allows the same video to be adapted or reused across most major social platforms.
Vertical 9:16 [1080 × 1920]: Recommended as the default for:
- Instagram Reels and Stories
- TikTok
- YouTube Shorts
- Chinese channels (WeChat,RedNote)
Square 1:1 [1080 × 1080] or vertical 9:16 [1080 × 1920]: Both suitable for:
- Bluesky
LinkedIn supports a broad range of aspect ratios, including both square and 9:16 vertical video, and now has a full-screen vertical video experience. Bluesky also supports video with varying aspect ratios rather than prescribing one fixed format.
Landscape (16:9) [1920x1080] – Still suitable for:
- Corporate or presentation-style videos
- YouTube/BiliBili videos over 3 mins (square also works). Landscape remains the standard viewing format for conventional YouTube videos. YouTube's player will also adapt to other aspect ratios
- Embedded videos in websites or events
- However, it is less effective for a social media–first approach.
As a general rule: if you are producing one version of a short social video, create it in 9:16 vertical format. Landscape versions should generally be produced where the content is intended primarily for longer-form viewing, websites, presentations or events.
2. Subtitles
All videos should be subtitled before sharing on the University of Glasgow and affiliated social media channels for accessibility purposes.
Please read our subtitling guide for the house style and subtitling templates: Subtitling Guidelines for Social Media Videos
Caption-less versions – Consider saving a version of your video both with and without captions. This makes it easier to create translated or alternative-language versions in future.
3. Branding
- Keep branding minimal. Audiences respond better to authentic/natural content
- For Instagram and TikTok, use only UofG-style subtitles and avoid unnecessary logos, title cards or end cards. Content that feels native to these platforms will generally be more engaging than heavily branded or corporate-looking content.
- For other platforms, you may add UofG thumbnails and end cards if desired, but they are not essential. Brand elements are available in video library - search for 'Brand Assets'
- Do not open with a standalone logo. Get straight into the story and aim to capture attention within the first few seconds.
4. Equipment
Filming on a smartphone with a high-quality camera is acceptable for social media content. For best results:
- Use an external microphone for clearer audio
- Use a tripod or gimbal for stability
The social media team use the following equipment:
- Smartphone: A recent iPhone or equivalent smartphone with a high-quality camera
- Gimbal or Tripod
- Almost any tripod is fine, you can find budget options for phones
- Microphone
- You could also consider purchasing a set of lights, but this isn’t essential if you use natural lighting or a well-lit room.
- If you are investing in one accessory, prioritise a microphone. Good audio usually matters more than additional camera equipment.
5. Video Editing Software
The University supports Microsoft Climpchamp as official editing software for students and colleagues. Clipchamp is an online video editor designed to make video creation easy for everyone, even for those with no prior editing experience. You have access to Clipchamp through your University of Glasgow Microsoft 365 subscription.
Climpchamp for Colleagues
Clipchamp for Students
Other options
If you'd like support with editing, we recommend using Clipchamp, as this is the platform supported by the Learning Innovation Support Unit.
However, if you're confident editing independently, you’re welcome to use other tools that suit your needs. Some popular options include:
Free:
- CapCut
- DaVinci Resolve
Paid (with more advanced features):
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- Final Cut
6.Tips for Creating Effective Videos
Length: Keep videos as short as the story allows. For most social-first content, aim for under 60 seconds, but longer videos can work where the subject warrants it. Prioritise keeping the audience's attention.
Music: Do not use music unless you have permission or an appropriate licence to use it. The University has a subscription to Audio Network, which provides licensed music for University content. For access, email socialmedia@glasgow.ac.uk. There are also free tracks available through the social media platforms themselves.
Safe zones: Keep important text, faces, logos and other key information away from the extreme top, bottom and sides of vertical videos, where platform interface elements may cover them. Use the safe zone templates to check.
Lighting:
- Ensure that your subjects are well lit and in focus
- Use natural day light (e.g film outside) or LED lights
- Ensure light sources are pointing towards your subject and not behind them
- Be aware that shadows aren’t too prominent on your subject’s face and check for glare if your subject is wearing glasses
Structure: Social media storytelling differs from traditional formats. You have to grab attention fast, you can‘t slowly build up to the main part like a film.
- Grab attention immediately and avoid slow build-ups.
- Open with your most engaging clip. Try and include a hook in the first 3 seconds.
- You can add cutaways and different angles to keep it visually interesting. You can find clips in the video library.
- When editing, notice your own attention when watching it back. If your attention dips, then your audience is probably getting bored too. This could be the point you cut the clip or add in a visual effect
- Be ruthless in cutting down your interview/voiceover audio; removing unnecessary pauses (ums & ahs) and needless details that don’t add to the information/story being told. Use cutaways to b-roll to disguise these cuts
Topic: Content that tends to perform well:
- Authentic, in-the-moment, and fast-paced clips
- Stories that inform, inspire, or entertain
- Human-led narratives, including personal achievements, heart-warming moments, or resilience stories
- Timely updates or announcements with a human angle
- Always try and find the heart in your story
You can learn more about the content and channel plan from the central social media team: UofG Central Social Media Channel Plans
First published: 12 August 2026