Social media teaches a hard truth: audiences scroll fast, decide faster, and rarely wait for a slow start. Most content fails in the first five seconds – your audience isn’t waiting, they’re deciding. Too often, videos never get a chance to breathe. They lie flat, horizontal and lifeless, while the world scrolls by without a second thought. 

So what does this mean for your next video? Simply put – it may never be seen. People don’t pause for logos or clever taglines. They care about what makes them stop. Attention is vertical – it climbs, it demands, it forces you to earn it. It rewards tight intros, bold visuals, and moments that hit instantly. That’s what I call vertical storytelling – learning from the most demanding format and applying those lessons to every video, no matter the screen.

When we think vertical, every frame has purpose. It guides the eye, lands the point, and refuses to let go. Take the lessons from social media, and suddenly every story can rise – tall or wide, it doesn’t matter. Attention stays where it belongs.

Don’t just rotate your phone. Rotate your approach – lean into the angles that command attention, and watch your stories stick. 

Thinking Vertical by Mark DiTondo