Instagram for beginners video-cheat sheet: 5 ways to share video
Updated: 4 days ago
Video is an important part of social media marketing. Instagram video in particular is a great way to get your message out there and reach more people. In this blog post, we will discuss the 5 ways that you can use instagram video for maximum effect!
Instagram has grown rapidly in popularity over the last few years. With it's over billion active users, it is now one of the most widely used social media sites around today. It's tempting to just post a video of your product or service and hope that people will watch it. But that doesn't work very well. You need to create content that compels people to watch.
Reels
Instagram launched Reels in August of 2020, with the ability to create and post multi-edit 15 second clips. Since then, Instagram has allowed up to 60 second clips for Reels. Giving creatives even more ways to deliver compelling content.
Since Reels often get featured on the explore page, it is where you want to put your best foot forward. Keep Reels entertaining when possible, this is where you can attract people to your account so you want to stand out. Just make sure what you post to your Reels fits within your brand. That way when someone clicks on your profile or visits your other digital properties they get a consistent look and feel.
The remix feature built within Reels can be a great way to co-brand content with partners. For example, you may want to have your brand ambassadors post short clips on their own Reel and then re-mix those on your brand account.
In-feed Posts
In-feed video posts are a great way to keep your Instagram feed engaging and interesting. When considering what to post here, remember that the feed will be the first thing a potential follower will see when visiting your page. For that reason, it might be a good practice to give all your main images a cohesive look. When posting a video that will live on your feed long term, remember that you can upload your own cover image. So make sure you use that feature to keep the look of your feed consistent.
When considering what type of content to post on your feed, remember who is seeing the content. Keep the content relevant to your target audience. Think of this as your opportunity to keep the conversation going. Just like Reels, put your best foot forward to make sure the content you put on your feed is among the best you have.
Stories
Instagram Stories are a great way to reach new people and keep your instagram feed fresh. Stories disappear after 24 hours, so you only have one shot at getting the content right. When it comes to Instagram Stories, video is an even more powerful tool than photo or text content because of the nature of the format being able to tell a story through a given day.
You can keep your stories long term by using the highlights feature. Using this allows you to organize your stories into content buckets that fit a specific piece of your business.
One effective strategy is to post ads on your stories that have a call to action by including the scroll up feature. Be careful not to overdo this as it could feel spammy. Remember, people are viewing your stories to get a connection to the daily life of your brand. Think of Stories as Instagram's version of a micro-blogging platform so you can use it for behind the scene content or sneak peaks at what your brand has coming up.
IGTV
Instagram TV is a great place to put your longer videos. Just like Instagram Stories, IGTV is a great place to tell your brand's story. The difference is with IGTV you can tell your story in a more polished way. While stories should feel more "in the moment" IGTV allows you to post high quality pre-edited videos.
IGTV provides a great place to provide value to your fans and customers. The longer format allows for videos like product demos, training, new release promos, and corporate films. Brand videos, sizzle videos, storytelling campaigns are also great uses for IGTV.
LIVE
There may not be a better way to connect with your audience than interacting with them live. It might be tempting to just put your phone camera in selfie mode and start a live broadcast but having a plan going in can give you better results and build credibility for your brand.
Live Video Tip: Have someone that isn't in front of the camera moderate and comment for the brand so that the talent on screen can focus on keeping the show going. Make sure you have a simple way to get relevant questions passed onto the talent so they can answer them on camera and not just through the messenger.
You can also add a level of sophistication by creating slides that can be shared during the live broadcast to drive home points or to give context to what's being said. For example, let's say you're broadcasting from an event and your sponsored athlete is there. Before bringing on your guest to the live broadcast you could show off the athlete in a pre-made package of video or photos while the host introduces the guest.
Conclusion
Instagram video in particular is a great way to get your message out there and reach more people, but it can be hard knowing how best to use the platform. Instagram offers five different ways you can post video content which can give you many ways that instagram can be utilized within a brands' social media strategy.
Using the variety of posting options Instagram offers provides a great way to set a narrative that tells a story for your brand. Setting a cohesive story for your brand really is the best way to attract quality followers who will organically engage with your content.
Remember: You want to keep to your brand standards across all you platforms and Instagram is no exception.
Video is an important part of social media marketing. Instagram video in particular is a great way to get your message out there and reach more people. If all of this sounds intimidating and you want help enacting these principles, let us know. We would be happy to help.