Instagram is the most engaging social media app, and it actually listens to its users. Instagram videos used to have a limit of 60 seconds, but users wanted more. So, in 2018 Instagram brought in an app to meet it’s users desires — IGTV. 

It was originally created as a standalone app, but due to engagement issues, Instagram decided to incorporate IGTV into the main feed. This allowed users to preview 60 seconds of the video on their main feed, and then simply click the ‘Watch full IGTV video’ option to be redirected to IGTV. 

Building a library of videos formatted specifically for IGTV opens doors to getting viewership, providing more value to viewers and allowing brands to go deeper with an audience. 

Instagram’s added investment to this video platform means that brands have a chance to stand out and set themselves apart from competitors. It also gives the brands a better chance of being discovered by new audiences or clients In addition to the previews shown in the main feed, IGTV content is displayed in the ‘Discover’ section, as Instagram notifications and are presented as recommended videos on related content. 

IGTV can still be found as a standalone app, but it can also be accessed in the IGTV tab on Instagram.

Why IGTV should matter to marketers

Get ahead of your competitors
As IGTV is still fairly new, it has not yet been flooded with content and chances are that your competitors will not be on the video platform yet. Therefore, you can gain visibility and get a leg up on you competitors by being the first to engage audiences using IGTV content. 

Optimise click-through rates
It can be difficult to incorporate links on an organic Instagram post. Getting people to click on these links has been a difficult task for many marketers for a long time. It is also a struggle for marketers as only users with 10k followers get the option to use the function that allows the audience to swipe up and be redirected to their website or product pages. IGTV allows you to easily add clickable links into the video descriptions. 

Get audiences’ attention with long-form content
Utilising long-form content opens up new opportunities for deeper brand storytelling. Brands should capitalise on this opportunity by creating content that connects with their audiences on a more meaningful level. 

Stay up to date with the vertical video trend 
The 2018 MOVR Mobile Overview Report says that smartphone users hold their phones vertically for 94% of the time. IGTV only uses full-screen, vertical videos, so marketers should embrace this information and create video content strategies to suit this trend.

Connect with Millennials and Gen Z
Instagram is designed to appeal to the younger generations who favour social media over traditional media channels. This means that marketers need to have Millenials and Gen Z members in mind when creating content. IGTV offers marketers an opportunity to engage with this particular audience in a creative, and at the same time, in-depth way.

How to use IGTV for marketing

When using IGTV for marketing your brand, there are certain elements you need to always have in the back of your mind to ensure your strategy is successful.

When creating content for IGTV, remember to: 

Film your videos vertically
Remember, IGTV only uses full-screen vertical videos. Filming your content vertically will ensure that your videos are displayed on the full-screen, making it easier for your audience to view your content without having to flip their phones. 

Create content in episodes
It can be useful to think of IGTV like a real TV channel. By creating content in an episodic format, people will be more likely to keep coming back to consume your content. ‘How-to’ and ‘A Day in the Life’ episodes have proven to keep consumers on IGTV coming back for more.

Make your content binge-worthy
Before launching your IGTV channel, try building up a library of high-quality, engaging content that you will be able to publish from the get-go. This will you play into your audience’s craving to binge watch your videos.

Think about paid advertising
IGTV does not yet have advertising capabilities. However, it is useful for marketers to get a head start and begin thinking about strategies for paid advertising on IGTV, as Instagram’s CEO believes that ads will find their way onto the platform in the near future. Therefore, marketers should start thinking about how to incorporate IGTV into your brand’s digital marketing strategy. 

What do you think about the introduction of IGTV’s long-form videos into a brand’s marketing strategy? Let us know in the comment section below. 

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While many brands focus on paid content on social media, organic social media marketing is what they should be focusing on. Check out Four reasons why brands need to focus on organic social media marketing. 

*Image courtesy of Vecteezy