Vertical Video: The Ultimate Breakthrough for SMEs and Retail

A paradigm shift, not a passing fad

For years, 16:9 horizontal video has represented the benchmark format for any digital production. It was the television standard, then YouTube's standard, and finally that of online advertising campaigns. However, something has changed irreversibly.

How has it documented The Verge in a recent in-depth analysis, initially, each social platform had a distinct identity. YouTube was the territory of creators. Instagram was photographic. Netflix aspired to be HBO on demand. Facebook was relational. Today, however, they are all converging towards a single format: 9:16 vertical video.

This is not a cosmetic phenomenon. It is a deep restructuring of media consumption behaviors. Therefore, digital marketers must update their conceptual maps before even updating their content.

The numbers that are reshaping the market

The data available for 2026 paint an unequivocal picture. According to research from Pew Research, more than 70% of mobile video consumption takes place in portrait mode. In addition, YouTube Shorts has surpassed 70 billion daily views globally.

In Italy, the picture is consistent with the global trend. TikTok maintains high penetration among the 18-44 age group. Instagram Reels generates the highest organic engagement rate among all formats available on the platform. Consequently, companies that continue to produce only horizontal content are operating with a significant algorithmic disadvantage.

The advertising data is also relevant. Vertical video campaigns consistently show lower CPMs and higher CTRs compared to horizontal formats on mobile. Therefore, it's not just about organic visibility: the impact directly concerns the efficiency of advertising spend.

According to Gartner, by 2027, vertical video will account for more than 60% of digital video advertising investments among European mid-market companies. This figure projects the trend well beyond the realm of social media, extending it to structured brand awareness and lead generation strategies as well.

Why did platforms choose vertical?

The convergence towards the 9:16 format is not random. It responds to a precise economic logic. Smartphones are the primary screen for most Italian users. Holding them vertically is natural and spontaneous behavior. Therefore, platforms have simply followed the user's anatomy.

TikTok normalized this format starting in 2019-2020. Subsequently, Instagram launched Reels as a direct response. YouTube integrated Shorts. Even streaming platforms are introducing vertical sections for short-form content. Thus, what seemed like a niche innovation has become infrastructure.

Beyond this, there is an algorithmic dimension to consider. Platforms reward native content. A horizontal video cropped and adapted to a vertical format is recognized as non-native by distribution algorithms. Consequently, organic reach is measurably affected.

The concrete implications for Italian B2B and retail SMEs

The shift to vertical video is not operationally neutral. For a small Italian company with limited resources, it implies concrete decisions on budget, workflow, and internal skills. Let's analyze the two main segments separately.

Retail: immediate opportunity

For retail companies, vertical video represents a direct conversion tool. Formats like TikTok Shopping and Instagram Reels with product tags allow for significant shortening of the funnel. In particular, the fashion, food, home decor, and beauty categories register the highest conversion rates on these formats.

However, the production must be genuine. Overly polished content performs worse than authentic videos, even with lower technical quality. This is a real competitive advantage for SMEs compared to large brands, which often struggle to produce content perceived as spontaneous.

I digital marketing services At SHM Studio, we handle editorial planning for vertical formats, with a specific focus on consistency between organic content and paid campaigns. Furthermore, the team supports defining the most suitable visual and narrative tone for the retail segment.

B2B: The Territory Still to Conquer

In the B2B space, vertical video is still underutilized. Many companies perceive TikTok and Reels as consumer channels, unsuitable for professional communication. On the contrary, data shows that business decision-makers consume vertical content in their private lives and transfer these habits to their professional research.

LinkedIn itself has introduced vertical videos into the feed. Therefore, the format is also entering the quintessential B2B ecosystem. Companies that start producing vertical content for LinkedIn today gain a significant first-mover advantage.

To further explore advertising opportunities on LinkedIn, it is useful to explore the LinkedIn campaign managed by SHM Studio, which increasingly integrate the vertical video format into B2B lead generation strategies.

What nobody tells you about the cost of transition

There's an aspect that is rarely openly discussed: the transition to vertical video comes with a real cost. It's not just about turning the phone. It involves a rethinking of the creative pipeline, briefs, approval processes, and editing tools.

First of all, it must be considered that many existing video assets are not reusable. Cropping from 16:9 to 9:16 often produces unsatisfactory results, both aesthetically and algorithmically. Therefore, investment in new production is almost inevitable.

Secondly, internal skills need to be updated. A social media manager trained in static photography and graphics is not automatically capable of managing effective vertical video production. Therefore, training or external support become budget items to plan.

Finally, there's the issue of cross-channel consistency. An effective vertical video strategy must be integrated with the SEO strategy, with the Google Ads campaigns and with the overall web presence. Otherwise, the risk is to create vertical content that does not interact with the rest of the company's digital ecosystem.

Strategic reading: Where does the vertical format stand in 2026-2028

Vertical video is no longer an experimental channel. It has become distribution infrastructure. Similar to what happened with mobile-first in web design between 2012 and 2016, those who adapt first build a lasting competitive advantage.

Projections for 2027-2028 indicate further expansion. Mobile video streaming will continue to grow. Platforms will invest further in native vertical creation tools. Additionally, integration with generative artificial intelligence will make vertical video production increasingly accessible even for small teams.

We of SHM Studio We observe that the most advanced Italian SMEs are already building hybrid workflows: vertical content produced natively for social, adapted horizontally only when strictly necessary for specific contexts such as company presentations or traditional display campaigns.

For those who want to delve deeper into how to integrate these formats into a structured content strategy, the team at copywriting and content di SHM Studio can support the definition of a video editorial plan consistent with business objectives.

Metrics to monitor and errors to avoid

Adopting vertical video without an adequate measurement system means operating blindly. There are specific metrics to monitor to evaluate the real effectiveness of vertical content.

The main ones are: completion rate (percentage of users who watch the video until the end), swipe-away rate (drop-off in the first 3 seconds), save and share rate, and — for shoppable formats — click-to-product rate. These metrics are more predictive than simply counting views.

Among the most common errors we observe in Italian SMEs:

• Adapt existing horizontal content instead of producing vertical native content.
• Ignore the first 2-3 seconds, which are crucial for algorithmic retention.
• Do not optimize subtitles, essential because most vertical videos are consumed without audio.
• Treat all vertical channels as identical, ignoring the tone-of-voice differences between TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
• Do not integrate the vertical video with the strategy AI and of digital marketing overall.

To further explore these aspects or request an evaluation of your video strategy, you can Contact the SHM Studio team for an initial consultation.

Towards an Integrated Vertical Video Strategy

Vertical video has won. It's no longer a question of whether to adopt it, but how to do so effectively and strategically. For Italian SMEs and mid-market companies, this means undertaking a transformation that simultaneously touches creativity, technology, processes, and measurement.

However, complexity should not be paralyzing. A gradual approach—starting with one or two priority channels, progressively building internal expertise, and rigorously measuring results—is more effective than a total and sudden transformation.

Explore the full offering of web development, SEO e digital marketing SHM Studio can help build a digital ecosystem where vertical video isn't an isolated add-on, but an integrated element of a cohesive strategy. All in-depth articles on these topics are available in the SHM Studio Blog.