Video on Instagram is skyrocketing.
Between IGTV, Stories, Live, and Feed, Instagram video content is everywhere you look when you open your account – And there are good reasons for it!
On Instagram, video is the type of marketing content that performs best! Video posts generate twice the engagement of other post types.
So, whether we are talking live-action pieces or animated content – like animated ads or explainer videos– brands are already aware that, when they use video on the platform, they’re going to get noticed.
However, video content is not magic! If you want to reap the benefits, you really need to make effective choices to create pieces that leverage the platform to engage its audience.
And that’s what we are going to talk about today!
1. IGTV, Stories, Live, Feed… Use Them Wisely!
Instagram has been focusing a lot on video content over the past few years, and they’re betting hard on the fact that the future of social content is video. Because of that shift, brands have a lot more options to include video on their Instagram marketing strategies.
Feed and Instagram Stories are essential. In fact, your brand should consider Instagram Stories as a channel in itself – requiring individual attention and constant updates, because it’s what Instagram users are watching the most.
Stories also give you a space to safely upload unpolished video content that wouldn’t quite fit your Feed —people gravitate to spontaneous interactions in Stories, not perfectly polished content. On your Feed, though, things get much more permanent, and it’s much more important to maintain a high-quality standard.
Lastly, do not neglect IGTV or Instagram Live!
As their counterparts Feed and Stories, IGTV requires a more solid and polished kind of content, and Instagram Live is as raw and real as it can get! However, both channels allow for longer-form content that can really be leveraged heavily for marketing purposes.
As a general rule: Be everywhere, but put your effort (and your budget!) on permanent content, like IGTV and Feed. And before you ask, is it worth it? Know that sponsored Instagram videos generate three times more comments than their image versions!
So, use Instagram Live and Stories as tools to remain closer to your audience, with more frequent uploads and candid videos.
2. Length? Keep Them Short!
Instagram says that a video uploaded on their platform’s feed can be anywhere from three seconds to one minute long. But that doesn’t mean that a 3-second-long video (or a 60-second one, for that matter) is always the best way to go!
You should aim for a length that lets you communicate your message freely, but without taking up the full 60 seconds.
On Feed, people tend to watch anywhere from 3 to 15 seconds, and depending on how hooked they are to the content, some of them might stay longer… But don’t bet on it! People’s attention spans on the Internet are veeeery short!
IGTV and Instagram Stories are a bit different in this regard. With stories, you should use the full 15 seconds… but no longer than that — and don’t try to upload a longer video by breaking it into smaller chunks; instead, think about making sets of two or three 15-seconds long videos.
If you need more time, use IGTV! There you’ll be able to upload videos up to 15-minutes long (when uploading from a cellphone) or 60-minutes long (when uploading from the website).
Still, when it comes to marketing pieces, the golden rule is to keep it short and watchable! It’s best to have small bite-sized content that your audience can watch in one sitting than a single 60-minute long video that no one will watch all the way through.
3. Choose the Right Type of Video
On Instagram, audiences are used to consuming immediate content. Selfies, photos of someone’s latte, instant pics of friends using their favorite filter…etc.
For brands, content should be as equally fresh, but with a touch of professionalism. Also, it should be content that can be produced frequently – consistency is key!
So, what are the types of video posts that are both fresh and professionally-made?
Simple animations like this one are engaging and easy to make. Using simple animated text and graphics, you can illustrate your message dynamically without breaking the bank!
Also, you can repurpose longer-form content to better fit the platform. Skilled video companies advice extracting some snack videos from things like explainer videos, to make short snippets that show sections and get more bang for your buck.
If your vibe is more live-action, you can use short clips to make engaging content like tutorials, testimonials, or short vlogs that tell stories by themselves.
4. Optimize for Better Reach and Engagement
Video has the highest engagement rate for Instagram posts. But don’t be lazy about it — it’s not enough to create a video and then go to sleep!
Your Insta video needs to be optimized from its creation. One common mistake is, for example, to keep the first frame of a video blank, instead of putting important, eye catching frames on it.
I can’t stress this enough: optimizing the first frame of a video is vital — a lot of times that’s the only thing that the average viewer will see before deciding whether to watch more or keep scrolling down to the next post.
So, add crucial information in the first frame (especially useful if your video freezes because of a poor internet connection, for example), and fill the first few first seconds of the video with the most important parts of your message. That way, the average audience member won’t miss anything!
You also need to make sure your video is surrounded by the data that makes it shine. This means adding good captions that help set the message from the start. Also, adding the appropriate geotags, hashtags and mentions can make a huge difference as far as reach goes.
5. For Better Performance: Measure, Improve, Repeat!
For your video strategy to be effective, you need to be aware of what your audience on Instagram is expecting from you. For this, you can use the Instagram analytics tool of your choice, and find out things like the perfect time of day to upload your videos!
You can also study where your audiences are located, to make content specifically targeted to their demographics when relevant, and get your brand closer to these larger portions of your audience.
Lastly, reaching out to influencers in your niche can also expose your content to a bigger audience in a short amount of time. That said, measuring becomes even more important during these period so you can be aware of the actual success of such strategies.
Video content can boost interactions and overall performance on Instagram, but only if you’re paying attention and are ready to improve your strategies.
Time to Make Some Instagram Videos!
Ready to start?
If you’ve read this far, you are now better equipped to start making Instagram Videos that actually help your branding efforts on the platform! Whether you’re creating content on your own or partnering with a company to help you make awesome content, the important thing is to get out there and start creating right away!
The more you do it, the better you’ll get at it, and the bigger your audience will be. Have fun!
