Playbook · YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, TikTok, LinkedIn and Medium
How to make product review videos for Shorts, Reels and TikTok
Short answer
Review one product honestly enough that the viewer knows whether to buy it. Deliver 9:16 on YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and TikTok and 1:1 on LinkedIn and Medium. Burn captions in on YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and TikTok; the others take plain text.
Start from: unboxing footage, hands-on demo and comparison B-roll.
The steps
- Pick the product: One product per clip.
- Test it on camera: Show the real use case, not the unboxing. (Workflow)
- Verdict-first script: Conclusion first, evidence second.
- Export pack: 9:16 short + 1:1 pros/cons. (Content Pack)
What to produce: 90s product review (9:16, 90 s); Pros / cons carousel (1:1).
Platform by platform
| Platform | Aspect | Length | Captions | Reframe from 16:9 | Safe zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube Shorts | 9:16 | up to 60 s | Burned in | Yes | Apply before upload |
| Instagram Reels | 9:16 | up to 60 s | Burned in | Yes | Apply before upload |
| TikTok | 9:16 | up to 60 s | Burned in | Yes | Apply before upload |
| 1:1 | up to 90 s | Plain text | No | Not required | |
| Medium | 1:1 | up to 90 s | Plain text | No | Not required |
Product review videos on YouTube Shorts
- Hook
- First 3 seconds decide Shorts retention - open on the strongest beat.
- Captions
- Burned-in captions; Shorts allow heavier caption styling.
- Deliver
- 90s product review (9:16); Pros / cons carousel (1:1)
Extra steps for YouTube Shorts
- Reframe for YouTube Shorts: 16:9 to 9:16 reframe; subject tracking. (Reframe)
- Apply platform safe-zone overlay: Use the YouTube Shorts safe-zone overlay so subjects stay visible. (Safe-zone)
YouTube Shorts export preset · YouTube Shorts safe-zone overlay
Product review videos on Instagram Reels
- Hook
- Lead with motion; Reels favours strong visual hooks.
- Captions
- Burned-in lower-thirds; Reels tolerates heavy captions.
- Deliver
- 90s product review (9:16); Pros / cons carousel (1:1)
Extra steps for Instagram Reels
- Reframe for Instagram Reels: 16:9 to 9:16 reframe; subject tracking. (Reframe)
- Apply platform safe-zone overlay: Use the Instagram Reels safe-zone overlay so subjects stay visible. (Safe-zone)
Instagram Reels export preset · Instagram Reels safe-zone overlay
Product review videos on TikTok
- Hook
- Lead with the surprising beat; TikTok rewards pattern interrupts.
- Captions
- Burned-in captions; place inside the platform safe-zone.
- Deliver
- 90s product review (9:16); Pros / cons carousel (1:1)
Extra steps for TikTok
Product review videos on LinkedIn
- Hook
- Lead with the contrarian or non-obvious point; LinkedIn rewards dialogue.
- Captions
- Burned-in captions are essential; LinkedIn feeds are predominantly muted.
- Deliver
- Pros / cons carousel (1:1)
Product review videos on Medium
- Hook
- Lead with the verdict, then justify it.
- Captions
- Spec-on-screen captions for key facts.
- Deliver
- Pros / cons carousel (1:1)
Pitfalls to avoid
- Sponsored disclosure missing
- Reviewing without showing the product in use
Turn one source into the clips
Koldflux turns one long video into ready-to-post vertical clips with captions.
Questions people ask
What aspect ratio should product review videos use?
9:16 on YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and TikTok and 1:1 on LinkedIn and Medium.
How long should product review videos be?
YouTube Shorts: up to 60 s, Instagram Reels: up to 60 s, TikTok: up to 60 s, LinkedIn: up to 90 s and Medium: up to 90 s.
Do product review videos need burned-in captions?
YouTube Shorts: burned-in recommended, Instagram Reels: burned-in recommended, TikTok: burned-in recommended, LinkedIn: plain text is enough and Medium: plain text is enough.
Related playbooks and guides
Sources
- HubSpot content types overview, verified September 18, 2026.
- Wistia Learn creator playbook, verified September 18, 2026.