With over 500 million daily users, Instagram is the sixth most popular social media platform, trailing just behind WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, even gaining on YouTube and Facebook. Marketers can guarantee their target audiences use Instagram now more than ever. Additionally, 80% of accounts follow at least one business. Therefore, it’s also a safe bet that your competitors implement the platform to successfully employ their social media marketing strategies. You should, too.
In June 2018, Instagram released its very own video-based app that allows users to create and upload videos. The IGTV app is linked to the user’s account and broadcasts each IGTV episode to the user’s followers. The advent of IGTV is revolutionizing the way advertisers and marketing strategists approach social media marketing. Let’s take a deeper look at how you can make IGTV work for you.
What is IGTV?
Instagram TV (IGTV) lets users create long-form videos, varying in lengths from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. Larger accounts can even create videos that are up to 60 minutes long. IGTV allows a marketing strategist to supplement regular posts and stories with high-quality, in-depth social media marketing videos that better communicate the brand’s product or service.
Why IGTV Is an Essential Tool for Marketers
60-second IGTV previews appear in the user’s main feed and on the Instagram Explore page. Your brand’s visibility is increased, casting a wider net to capture an audience that may not have otherwise known about your company. With its vertical formatting, ease of use, and personal feel, IGTV facilitates a deeper connection between the company and viewer.
The varying lengths of IGTV episodes allow brands to create compelling content that best fits their branding and message. Marketing strategists no longer have to limit a message to one photo or continually create content for a 24-hour cycling story. Instead, companies can continually add to their IGTV channel, creating a foundation of content that will consistently garner Instagram users’ attention.
One of our favorite things about IGTV is its ease of use. As a marketing strategist, you don’t have to schedule lengthy video shoots, hire a lighting specialist, camera operator, video editors, or even actors just to film a 30-second spot. IGTV allows you to shoot directly from your phone, revise the video through editing applications, and share directly with your audience.
Crafting A Powerful, Visual Presence
IGTV creators kept user interaction in mind when designing the straightforward interface. Videos are long-format, omitting any negative space on either side of the frame and creating an immersive, personal video experience for the viewer. Distractions are minimized so the viewer is more inclined to continue watching episode after episode.
In our modern, technology driven era, consumers are constantly exposed to creative, unique content and are more likely to consume information visually – devouring video content at an average rate of 1.5 hours a day. IGTV’s simplicity allows marketers to focus on the creative component of advertising, instead of wasting precious time and money on the technical process.
The Takeaway
With a plethora of options available to consumers, they want to believe in the brand behind the product or service they are considering. While in-depth, written content is great for search engine optimization, video content is vital to establishing a connection with the customer. Your company’s personalized IGTV station makes the consumer fall in love with your story and your message, convincing them, every time, to choose you.