What is it?
Now boasting 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram has decided to celebrate this monumental achievement by releasing its long form video content platform, IGTV. The mobile-first feature allows anyone and everyone to become a creator by giving them the freedom of producing easily discoverable, hour long videos. With all content displayed as vertical video, IGTV has been “built for how you use your phone,” reinforcing the idea that you should be optimising your strategy for mobile.
How does it work?
IGTV is featured on the Instagram app but can now be downloaded through iOS and will soon be available on Android too. The platform allows users to upload videos up to an hour long, opening new opportunities which were once inhibited by the 60 second limit on the original platform. Although users have the freedom of a full hour, developers at Instagram have said that the sweet spot for engagement is around 10 minutes and attention will tend to drop off after that. You won’t be able to create video through the platform but, once uploaded, the swipe up feature will enable you to push engaged viewers to designated landing pages or you can embed the link in the description.
For audiences, the Browse tab will recommend videos based on their past views, show trending or popular videos and creator channels which they’ve subscribed to. There is also an option to continue watching previously started videos, making it all the more important to create amazing content which gives viewers a reason to come back to your uploads whenever life gets in the way.
What is the opportunity for brands?
It may seem counter intuitive for the platform not to contain features for video creation however this only emphasises the attitude of quality over quantity. In order for brands to be successful on IGTV, they need to create beautiful and well-thought out videos, crafted to suit the vertical format, whilst keeping viewers engaged from start to finish. This approach opens the door for brands to really flex their creative muscles through storytelling, art direction and production, culminating in content that will showcase brand identity, personality and core values.
If you want to take your Instagram offering to the next level and show the world your creative prowess, don’t hesitate to get in touch today.