It’s no secret that Instagram is a powerhouse for marketers. In a recent study conducted by Social Media Examiner, it was found that 76% of marketers are using Instagram and many plan to increase their usage of the platform over the next year. The only downfall? The limitations placed on video content. But for that, let us introduce you to IGTV.
IGTV, short for Instagram TV, is a stand-alone app that has content which can also be accessed on Instagram. By clicking on the IGTV tab on a user’s profile, you can see the videos they’ve created on their IGTV. Also, IGTV videos will be placed in a user’s Instagram feed along with the images and videos they’ve shared with their account.
IGTV Features
Let’s dive into the features of this platform and how businesses can use it to their advantage when outlining their social media strategy.
Vertical Video
The IGTV video platform differs from other social media video standards in a few ways. For starters, the video is in a vertical format that is unique to the platform. While most videos can be either square or 1920x1080, IGTV utilizes the vertical format that oftentimes doesn’t fit well in these other video sizes. It capitalizes on the way smartphones film vertically.
Long-Form Video Content
Finally, long-form content for Instagram! Another key feature of IGTV is the length associated with the content. Videos on this platform can be one minute to 10 minutes long. If the user has a larger audience, videos can be up to 60 minutes! This is an excellent opportunity to share more lengthy video content for users, but we’ll get into that a little later in this blog.
Desktop Uploading Capabilities
Videos can be uploaded to the platform directly from your phone or they can be shared from your desktop. This feature is important to note for those looking to edit their videos for branding purposes or to add visual interest. Although Instagram is still working on its compatibility with desktop, IGTV makes it easy to film a video, edit it, and then upload the mp4 straight from your computer onto the platform.
Thumbnails
As with other video platforms, you can choose your video thumbnail for your IGTV video. If uploading the video on a desktop, you have the option to upload your thumbnail while uploading the video. This thumbnail will also be shown on the Instagram feed, so it’s important to make sure that when it crops to a square, the important text and images are still visible.
IGTV for Businesses
Knowing all about IGTV means nothing if you’re unsure about how to apply this knowledge to your own strategy. For businesses, IGTV presents a chance to experiment with how they create content, share, and repurpose video.
The simplicity of IGTV allows your team to set up their phones and film from anywhere. Whether it’s a how-to explaining the features of a new product, a walk-through of an event, or a “Get to Know Us” creative video, the options are endless. Depending on the industry, consider what makes the most sense and start to get more content out there. You don’t have to start from scratch, either.
Repurposing content is even easier with IGTV. If you’ve created an Instagram Live, you can reuse the video and upload it to your IGTV for those who missed it. The option to share the recorded video after the Live is complete is available for some accounts, but not all. It’s important to be prepared to share the content by screen recording when you go live. This will ensure that, given you aren’t able to share directly after the Instagram Live, you still have a recording of the content.
IGTV is also great for promoting content. For example, if you have a large following on Youtube where you do long-form content, you can use IGTV to promote a video on your Youtube. Think of it as a teaser to your regular cadence of video. Similarly, many podcasters will use IGTV to capture some of the most hard-hitting, hilarious, or interesting points of their podcast as a teaser for a new episode.
It’s important to also use Instagram for promotion when using IGTV. For example, if you have a new IGTV video, share it on your Instagram stories for users to easily access the content. As the platform is fairly new, and most users probably aren’t familiar with the IGTV stand-alone platform, the best thing businesses can do is get the content in the hands of their followers by being where they already are, whether that’s in your stories or on your feed.
Keep your content on IGTV consistent and promote properly through the channels available to you to get started. Before you know it, your audience will be looking forward to seeing more of what you do on this platform.
Using IGTV in your Strategy
A relatively new platform, IGTV presents marketers with a chance to really put their video skills to the test. With features not available on Instagram, IGTV adds more fire to the flame of Instagram. A new platform also means more opportunities for advertising, but experimenting with content organically is a great segway to see what will work in terms of advertising.
For more guidance on how to add IGTV into your organic or paid social media marketing, reach out to our team.
.png?width=1080&height=1080&name=Untitled%20design%20(46).png)
