How to Optimise Your Content for Social Media
You've filmed the content, you've edited it, and now it's time to post. But before you hit upload, there are two things that will make or break how your content actually looks on someone's feed, and most people skip both of them.
These aren't complicated. They're just the kind of details that separate content that looks polished and professional from content that looks like it's been squeezed through a blender by Instagram's compression algorithm.
Size Does Matter
The first thing to get right is your aspect ratio, and no, you can't just use one size for everything.
For Reels or TikToks, you want to be shooting and exporting in 9:16. This is full vertical, filling the entire screen. Anything else and you're leaving dead space, which instantly makes your content feel less intentional.
For Instagram feed posts, the magic ratio is 3:4. You might have heard of 4:5, and yes, it works, but 3:4 actually takes up more vertical space on someone's screen as they're scrolling. More screen real estate means more attention, and more attention means more engagement. It's a small detail that makes a real difference.
Getting your ratios right when shooting (or adjusting when editing) will save you a headache later and make sure your content is being delivered the way it was meant to be seen.
Export Settings
If you've read my previous blog, My Top 3 Tips for Filming Aesthetic iPhone Content, you'll know I recommend filming in 4K at 60fps. That's still the best filming settings as you want to capture as much quality as possible in camera. But here's where a lot of people go wrong: they export at those same settings, and Instagram absolutely destroys the file.
When Instagram receives a video or photo that's too large or too high a bitrate, it compresses it down automatically and that compression is what makes your crisp, beautiful footage look pixelated and blurry on someone's feed. The fix is to compress it yourself, on your own terms, before you upload.
Here are the export settings I use and recommend:
For Reels & TikToks (exporting from CapCut):
Resolution: 1080p
Frame rate: 30fps
Bitrate: 10
For Posts & Photos (exporting from Lightroom):
Format: JPEG
Long edge: 2048px
Quality: 85–100%
Sharpen: For Screen
These settings give Instagram a file that's already optimised, so instead of the platform compressing your footage, it's receiving exactly what you want it to show.
One thing worth noting: these settings are specifically for social media. If you're exporting for your website, an online portfolio, or a client deliverable, you'll want to use different settings. But for Instagram? This is the sweet spot.
The Takeaway
Two tweaks. That's it. Getting your aspect ratio right and nailing your export settings are a few of the simplest, most impactful things you can do to make your content look better on social, without changing a single thing about how you film or edit.
I hope this was helpful and if you have any questions or just want to chat all things digital content, message me via Instagram — @kenne.co_
Want content that's created with all of this already taken care of? At Kenne Co, we handle the filming, editing, and delivery. Fast turnaround and social-ready, every time. Enquire here!