How Your Brand Should Be Using IGTV

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Video is one of the most effective formats of social media marketing – so much so that a recent survey found that 49% of people watch more than five videos per day, and 74% prefer to learn about a product or service through video.

And of all of the social media platforms, Instagram is the only one genuinely listening to the navigation of its users. So when they debuted IGTV, there was a lot of excitement around it. While initial buzz quickly fizzled due to interface and navigation issues, it remains a highly viable platform offering a huge opportunity for content creators and marketers. Haven’t explored this feature yet? Read on to learn how to unlock the potential of IGTV for your business and boost your brand awareness.

What is IGTV? 

IGTV is an Instagram feature that caters to posting long-form videos that wouldn’t fit into 15-second Stories. While similar to how YouTube works, IGTV allows for a more mobile-friendly viewing approach, allowing users to flip through different Instagram handles and watch videos in a tap of a screen. In addition, it is a great platform for short tutorials, interviews, and even webinars, as videos can be up to an hour long.

The IGTV plugin on Instagram has its interface with tabs including “Following,” “For You,” and “Popular,” allowing viewers to explore IGTV and find videos that suit their interests according to their algorithm and see trending videos.

“But I already have a YouTube Channel.” 

Since YouTube and IGTV have their fair share of similarities, you might be wondering if it’s still necessary to set up an IGTV channel even if you already have an existing YouTube channel for your brand.

Well, you should. IGTV has its pros, including an uninterrupted, ad-free viewing experience. It is also optimized specifically for mobile uploading and viewing. When it comes to dimensions and layout, they tend to differ drastically. Vertical videos thrive on IGTV (same size as the Instagram Story 9:16 aspect ratio).

IGTV is also ahead of the curve when it comes to social selling. YouTube does not have shoppable features as it is, first and foremost, a video-sharing platform. In addition, while it provides ads for brands, it lacks a social commerce interface. Like Facebook, IGTV has shoppable tags that brands can use when uploading videos.

Using IGTV for marketing campaigns 

Instagram just surpassed its 1 billion global user mark in 2020, and although only a fraction is engaging on the stand-alone IGTV app, it still offers a huge potential for sharing your content and marketing your brand. Interest in binge-watching videos boomed during the pandemic, with 70% of marketers upping their investment in video, coming hot on the heels of Instagram Reels and looming competition from TikTok.

SETTING UP YOUR CHANNEL AND UPLOADING CONTENT

On your Instagram account’s profile page, you should see a “+” icon in the upper right-hand corner. On the pop-up, click on “IGTV Video.” You will be redirected to the videos stored on your device and the video you select will be shared and ready to view almost instantly. Only videos at least a minute long are allowed to be uploaded on IGTV.

Your followers will see it in their feeds even if they’re not on IGTV – Instagram automatically plays the first few seconds of IGTV videos on the newsfeed and will ask viewers if they want to watch the full version on IGTV.

IGTV BEST PRACTICES

While IGTV allows videos up to an hour long, users are less likely to stay and watch the entire video. The ideal video length, as with other platforms, is about 3 to 5 minutes. You can also cross-post your IGTV videos to Facebook to expand your reach.

Another cool thing about IGTV is its own explore interface, allowing hashtag searches. Using hashtags will increase your chances of showing up on users’ Explore tabs. Use hashtags related to your video to improve your search engine traction.

Like any other marketing campaign, you want to make sure you are tracking the performance of your videos. IGTV has built-in insights, providing you data that can help you improve your campaign and realign campaigns to your marketing goals.

IGTV holds an array of untapped potential, especially if you already have an existing Instagram following. With a newfound ability to post long-form videos on a high-traffic social media platform, you are opening the gateway to an exponential increase in traffic (and sales)!