The use of video on Instagram is becoming increasingly popular for business users of the platform. There is a lot of ground to cover for using video on this platform so we will be breaking it down into several parts.

Upon its release back in 2010, Instagram was used to capture daily activities in a visual way, anything from lattes to sushi were ‘filtered’ and shared for the world to see. The growth of the platform since then has seen over a billion users worldwide making it one of the top social media networks. Not surprising that video marketers have turned to it for the distribution of their content.

Benefits of Instagram Video

If you haven’t started to share video content on Instagram then you risk missing the potential of   an audience that is hungry for the medium. Did you know that videos posted to the platform gain up to 40% more engagement than regular photo posts with double the comments? You can grow your audience by using the in-feed video sharing. This will immediately gain greater awareness of your service/product/brand. Both business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketers can benefit from using Instagram video in their marketing plans. 

In-Feed Instagram Video

Instagram has integrated the use of video since 2013 and users have been able to upload directly into their feed. Initially, the square video was considered to be the standard Instagram format but now it accepts 16:9 landscape orientation as well as vertical format in ‘Instagram Stories’. The restrictions of square format are no longer the only option. However, this format can also be effective in certain applications.

Tips for Instagram In-Feed Video

Video Length

There is a limit imposed by Instagram on the length of video that can be shared in your feed. Typically, they are anything from three seconds to a minute in duration. It is up to you to decide on the most suitable length for your videos. It all depends on the content you are sharing, for instance, animated videos usually perform better at around 10-15 seconds while product demos are closer to a minute.

Video Orientation

It’s always a good idea to consider your content before deciding on the orientation of your video for posting to Instagram. You can use the traditional square format or landscape orientation as well as the popular vertical format for Instagram stories. Select the best option that will feel more natural and display your video in the most optimum way.

Video Sound

By default, Instagram has the audio muted for its videos and will only play the sound if the users ringer has been turned on. With this in mind, it is a good idea to use captions for viewers who might be watching your video without headphones. Also, combining the use of animated text and graphics make an ideal way to create videos with no sound for the mobile viewer.

Some Video Ideas

To help get you started in sharing video content to Instagram here are some ideas for content you can consider:

Teaser: pull a short clip or clips from a longer video to create a teaser for the viewer to watch the full length video hosted on YouTube, Vimeo or other video hosting platform.

Case study: these can be up to a minute long and can be anything from an interview, product overview or service promotion.

Sales: create special offers and promotion videos for new products/services to generate awareness and recognition.

Animation: use short and snappy animated text and graphics to create a simple message or maybe add some life to a still photo or sequence/slideshow of static images.

We hope this has been a useful introduction into using video content for business promotion on Instagram. Next week we will cover Instagram Stories, a very popular feature that is gaining ground on Snapchat for instant vertical video content sharing.

We can work with you to create the best possible video content for your Instagram feed that bring the right results your way. For further information or to discuss your video production requirements give Andy Holt a call on 780-907-1445 and he will be happy to advise you.