KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Short, vertical video is now a standard format across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and other social feeds.
- Do not simply crop a television commercial and call it social creative.
- Show people experiencing the institution so viewers can picture themselves there.
- Several useful video variations are often more valuable than one expensive master video. Judge them by ticket sales and revenue, not just views and likes.
The format has moved beyond TikTok
TikTok helped establish a visual language built around vertical video, real people, quick pacing, direct language, and content designed for a phone.
That style now extends far beyond TikTok. People encounter it on Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Facebook, and throughout the broader social feed.
The individual platforms will continue to change. The expectation has already changed.
Design for the screen where the ad will run
Start with a vertical frame. Make text readable without requiring someone to squint. Earn attention quickly. Compose the shot for a phone rather than cropping important information out of a horizontal video later.
This does not mean every social ad needs to look amateur. It means the creative should be built for the media being purchased.
Show people experiencing the institution
Cultural attractions have no shortage of beautiful things to film. But scenery alone does not always answer the question a potential visitor is asking: what would this be like for me?
Show a child reacting to an animal. A couple walking through an evening event. Friends sharing food and drinks. A family exploring an exhibit. A visitor discovering a part of the garden they did not expect.
The institution establishes the place. People make the experience relatable.
Produce variation instead of one perfect video
One polished production may produce a handful of finished assets. A mix of staff footage, professional content, and creator video can produce many more.
Different openings. Different people. Different experiences. Different messages. Different reasons to visit.
That variation matters because social advertising gives marketers the ability to learn quickly.
Test the creative like advertising
Get the necessary rights to use the videos in paid media and run different creative approaches against each other.
Do not stop at views or engagement. When measurement allows, compare ticket purchases, revenue, memberships, registrations, or another meaningful business result.
Build the creative for where people will see it.
The point of adapting the creative is not simply to fit in on social media. It is to build advertising that works where people are actually seeing it.
