In this article, we’ll look at how your business can make the most of Instagram’s IGTV platform to reach new and existing customers. Instagram offers three ways to post video content. You can make a regular post to your feed; create an Instagram story, or you can upload a longer format IGTV video.
Instagram video posts and stories are better suited to short-form content or ‘in-the-moment’ live video clips. Their format differs slightly—posts have the classic square format, whereas Stories display in a mobile-friendly vertical aspect ratio.
Both Instagram Posts and Stories have their place in promoting your company products or services, but if you’re looking for a platform with more flexibility around your video messaging—we recommend IGTV.
IGTV is better for business video
IGTV (Instagram TV) was launched in 2018 to compete with YouTube. You can watch IGTV through Instagram or their dedicated IGTV app. When the platform first launched, videos had to be vertical format, but as of May 2019, IGTV now supports both 19:6 and the more traditional 16:9 landscape format. This update is good news for organisations who have existing footage they would like to use. Unlike Stories, Instagram TV content remains on your ‘channel’, giving your videos a much longer life-span.
Vertical or Horizontal – what is the best format?
Before you start filming or editing new video content —you need to consider the subject, the audience and where you would like to use the finished video. Once you have established your video’s objectives, you can start creating content specifically for that format.
Vertical Format (9:16)
Vertical videos are mobile-friendly and don’t require the viewer to tilt their phone. This format is perfect for more personal messages from a single presenter and is the best choice for ‘influencer’ style content aimed at a younger audience. The main drawback of vertical video content is it can’t easily be re-purposed for other platforms.
Horizontal format (16:9)
IGTV provides an icon at the bottom of landscape videos which will make the video full-screen and prompt viewers to rotate their phone. The landscape video is better suited to scenes involving action, groups of people or scenic shots. This format is more comfortable and familiar for older audiences who have grown up with broadcast television content. Videos you produce in 16:9 landscape format can be quickly posted to YouTube or your company website.
IGTV allows you to upload videos of up to 60 minutes duration*. By contrast, a video post to your feed can be no longer than 60 seconds and a Story post only 15 seconds!
However, Instagram Stories do work well as a preview of your IGTV content—you can create a swipe up to a link on your Story post that takes the viewer to your IGTV channel. You can now upload video content in a ‘series’ format; a great feature that allows you to break up your content into smaller ‘bite-sized’ clips that build an audience over time.
Professional Instagram Video Production
Encouraging users to watch your video content is always a challenge when other videos are vying for their attention with a simple swipe. Three key actions can help you gain and keep that audience:
1. The cover image – get their attention.
The placeholder thumbnail image for your video on IGTV needs to be visually appealing and show the viewer exactly what the video is about.
2. The message – deliver it fast and well.
Viewers on Instagram TV are not looking for long-form content or documentaries—they want a compelling ‘short story’ that is entertaining and above all, gets to the point quickly.
3. Give your audience high-quality video production values.
As social media platforms mature – audiences are less tolerant of poor quality video with shaky camera work and fuzzy sound. Engaging a professional video production house to help you produce better video content is an investment in your business. You get video assets that are highly shareable and have a longer shelf-life as a result.
Offing Media are a full-service video production house in Singapore with all the resources required for professional media production, including 4k video cameras, motion control, lighting and sound equipment. We have full post-production facilities, including animation and motion graphics. We can help you produce superior video messaging for social media, TV, websites or internal communications.
* 60 Minute maximum is only available to Instagram accounts with 10,000 followers or verified accounts.