In shortEach platform shows video in its own shape: 9:16 for Reels, Stories and TikTok, 4:5 for the Facebook feed, 16:9 for YouTube on a computer. And the first three seconds of an ad, the hook, decide whether people watch. So a serious video ad is not one file: it is the same ad in 3 formats, with 2 different hooks to test, which makes 6 files.
Many businesses order “a video”, get one file, and post it everywhere. On some screens it fills the phone; on others it shows up small, cropped or framed by empty bars. And if the opening does not stop the scroll, nobody sees the rest. Here are the video ad formats each platform recommends, what a hook is, and why we deliver every ad as six files.
Which video format does each platform recommend?
From the platforms’ own guides, read on 25 October 2026:
| Where it plays | Recommended shape | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram Reels and Stories | 9:16 vertical, 1440 × 2560 pixels | Meta Ads Guide |
| Facebook feed | 4:5, 1440 × 1800 pixels | Meta Ads Guide |
| TikTok | 9:16 vertical, at least 720p, with sound | TikTok creative best practices |
| YouTube on a computer | 16:9 | YouTube Help |
| YouTube Shorts | Vertical or square, up to 3 minutes | YouTube Help |
A WhatsApp status is watched full screen on a phone, so the vertical 9:16 file fits it too. That gives three files that cover almost every place your customers watch: 9:16, 4:5 and 16:9.
Is a format just a crop?
No. If you simply cut a wide video into a vertical one, you lose the product, the faces or the text on the sides. Each format has to be laid out again:
- Keep text away from the edges. For Instagram Reels, Meta advises leaving at least 14% at the top, 35% at the bottom and 6% on each side free of text and logos, because the profile name, the caption and the buttons cover those areas.
- Put the product in the middle. In 9:16 the eye looks at the centre of the screen; in 16:9 there is room for the product and a message side by side.
- Resize the captions. Text that is easy to read on a wide screen can be too small on a phone, and the other way round.
What is a hook, and why make two?
Motion, which studied 578,750 Meta ads in 2026, defines the hook as “what the ad says to earn the first three seconds”. TikTok gives the same advice: introduce your offer in the first 3 seconds, and place your hook in the first 6.
In Motion’s data, the hook tactics with the best hit rates are, in rough order: newness, sale announcement, price anchor, urgency, announcement, offer only and fear of missing out. Motion puts the top tactics at about 6 to 11% of ads becoming winners, above the 4 to 8% averages of the whole dataset.
Even with a good hook, most ads never become winners (we explain the numbers in our article on the video ads that sell). You cannot know in advance which opening your customers will prefer. So instead of betting on one, make two:
- Hook A, for example the news: “New: pay by Mobile Money on your site.”
- Hook B, for example the problem: “Still losing sales at checkout?”
Same product, same offer, same ending. Only the first seconds change.
How do you test two hooks?
- Change only the opening. If the two versions differ everywhere, you will not know what made the difference.
- Give them the same audience and the same budget. Meta Ads Manager has a built-in A/B test for this; on any platform you can also run the two ads side by side.
- Wait for enough results before deciding. A few dozen views prove nothing.
- Keep the winner, then challenge it. Next time, test a new hook against the one that won.
What do you receive with an AfrikCru ad?
Every ad we make is delivered ready for this, and the number of files is written on the pricing page:
- Spark, 15 second ad: 6 files, 2 hooks in 3 formats.
- Pulse, 30 second ad with voice: 14 files, 2 hooks in 3 formats and 2 languages, plus 15 second cuts.
- Promo Pack: 9 files, 3 offer-first ads in 3 formats.
- Mini, a 15 second template video: 2 files, 9:16 and 4:5.
To get your own, send us your product.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best format for a video ad?
There is no single one. Meta recommends 9:16 for Instagram Reels and Stories and 4:5 for the Facebook feed, TikTok recommends 9:16, and YouTube on a computer uses 16:9. Delivering those three covers most places.
Can I post a 16:9 video on Instagram Reels?
You can, but it will not fill the screen. A version laid out in 9:16 shows the product bigger and keeps your text out of the areas covered by the app.
What is a hook in a video ad?
The opening that earns the first three seconds: a piece of news, an offer, a price, a question or a problem. It decides whether people keep watching.
How many hooks should I test?
At least two for each ad. Change only the opening, give both the same audience and budget, and keep the one that performs better.
Does the WhatsApp status need its own format?
A status plays full screen on a phone, so the 9:16 vertical version fits it.
Sources (read on 25 October 2026)
- Meta Ads Guide: Instagram Reels, Instagram Stories, Facebook Feed.
- Meta Business Help Center, About A/B testing.
- YouTube Help, aspect ratios and uploading Shorts.
- TikTok for Business, Creative best practices.
- Motion, Creative Benchmarks 2026: top hook tactics.