How to Do Video Marketing on Instagram
Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms.
As a visual-based platform, it's a solid place to start testing your video marketing efforts.
If you're looking for a quick and free way to do this, check out the above video.
Instagram used to only allows pictures and images to be posted. But now, it has a couple of video posting options that you can use for video marketing.
You can post videos on your newsfeed, your story, and use the Instagram TV community for your longer videos.
There is no denying that Instagram continues to grow as one of the best social media platforms worldwide. Using it for your video marketing efforts means you get access to many niche communities.
Your target market is just a few hashtags away!
The top video content for Instagram
Here is a list of some of the video marketing content that does well on Instagram:
Influencer videos
Collaborating with a social media influencer is one of the top video content ideas for Instagram. Instagram is filled with so many social media influencers, and their popularity can help give your business exposure.
The key is to pick an influencer that works in the same niche as you do. Their followers must be interested in the type of products or services that you have.
For instance, if your business is a restaurant, you should work with a food vlogger. If you are selling clothes, you should collaborate with an influencer who works in the fashion niche.
Fair warning, though, you should not pick your influencer just based on the number of followers they have. You should also check out how much they engage with their followers.
They also need to be qualified as a trusted source of information. This way, the influence rate is high when they recommend your business to their followers.
Animated videos
Instagram used to be a platform for photography, but now, the content has shifted to accommodate infographics, quotes, and memes. You can also see businesses doing animated text and graphic videos too.
The best thing about this video content idea is that this is cheaper to produce. This could save a lot of money for your video marketing budget.
Take a look at animated Instagram video examples to see what kind of graphics, colors, and styles could work for your marketing efforts.
Businesses usually use topic videos pictures for Instagram to promote discounts, flash sales, and deals. They then crosslink the video to a page on their website to find the product or services involved in the promo.
Handheld videos
This may seem to be unprofessional, but this type of video content actually works.
The best way to use this type of video content is when you have an event. It could be a seminar, a concert, a meet and greet, a bazaar, a sale, and many more.
This type of video content gives your followers a first-person perspective on what is taking place from the event floor.
Hook videos
These are short clips taken from a longer video. They aim to get the audience's attention, make them want to finish the video, or know more and lead them to your website.
This way, you do not have to make a separate video just for Instagram. You have to make sure that the clips you cut are very interesting and make the viewer want to see more.
The best video accounts on Instagram are those that are bale to hook viewers within just a few seconds.
Short tutorials
Some of the top videos on Instagram are actually helpful tutorials. These videos last for 30 to 60seconds, and most of them come in fast forward.
You can do tutorials on how a product can be used.
Suppose you are selling a photo editing app. In that case, you should show tutorials on how to produce excellent photos using the app.
Instagram users are more likely to watch a tutorial video until the end because they are intrigued. And since it's an Instagram post, they know that the video will not take much of their time anyway.
Educational videos
This type of video allows you to teach your audience something that involves your business services or product.
For instance, you are a business that sells survival gear. You can do clips on what to do when facing life-threatening or dangerous situations while you are outdoors. This can be very helpful for your target audience.
The best thing about educational videos is that you get to build your credibility and relationships with your audience by giving them information that they can actually use.
Branding videos
This is not a hard-sell video, but it is all about brand recognition. This is a way for your consumers to better understand your brand, services, or products.
A common approach used by the best branded Instagram videos is story telling, where you share how the business started. Another method is introducing a service or product without making a hard sale.
Live videos
Doing a live video on Instagram sends out a notification to your followers online and live. People will definitely notice it.
You can use live videos to do Q&As. You can even invite a celebrity or influencer to encourage more viewers and make the announcement a few days before.
Take note that Instagram live lasts for a maximum of 1 hour.
What are the dimensions for Instagram?
Instagram video and photo sizes have varying dimensions depending on the orientation of the photo and tool it’s being posted with. Here’s a quick list of the most common Instagram photo and video dimensions:
| Type of Instagram Post | Aspect Ratio | Instagram Post Size |
|---|---|---|
| Square Photo | 1:1 | 1080 x 1080px |
| Landscape Photo | 1.91:1 | 1080 x 608px |
| Portrait Photo | 4:5 | 1080 x 1350px |
| Instagram Stories | 9:16 | 1080 x 1920px |
| IGTV Cover Photo | 1:1.55 | 420 x 654px |
| Instagram Square Video | 1:1 | 1080 x 1080px |
| Instagram Landscape Video | 1.91:1 | 1080 x 608px |
| Instagram Portrait Video | 4:5 | 1080 x 1350px |
What you need to know when posting Instagram feed videos
Instagram feed videos can be as long as 1 minute. You may think this is not enough, but it is actually as long as most TV commercials are.
You can easily pack in a lot of creativity and information in just a minute.
One thing you should also know about Instagram feed videos is that they automatically play without a sound when Instagram users pass them on the feed. So, those first few seconds of your video are crucial for grabbing the attention of Instagram users.
You should also use the caption to explain why they should watch the video to grab their attention.
You can post a video along with pictures if you want to do multiple-image Instagram posts. Take note that the aspect ratios on Instagram are 1:1 and 1.9:1.
While you can post all types of video marketing content that are cited earlier, you should remember that the best Instagram videos that should be seen on your feed are brand building and relationship building videos. Audience-focused content is important, so you do not become spammy.
Besides, if an Instagram user checks out your page and sees that it is filled with hard sale posts, they would not want to follow you. They will think you would just end up spamming their feed.
Instead, use Instagram as the platform to build brand recognition and customer loyalty. This will increase the likelihood that they will keep on making purchases.
As of now, Instagram does not allow you to place tags on your video posts. But they are currently testing this feature out, so it will not be long till this feature will be available.
The engagement rate is essential for Instagram algorithms and will help you dominate the Instagram feed. To increase your overall engagement rate, make it a point to reply to every comment on your posts.
What you need to know when posting Instagram stories videos
The videos you can post for your Instagram story are shorter than what you can post on your feed. Stories only have a maximum duration of 15 seconds and stay up for only 24 hours.
So, if you want to post a longer video, you will have to cut the video into smaller parts, then post these parts one after the next.
This works if the first parts of the video are interesting enough to reel them in and want to know more. You can tell if the storytelling tactic works when most of your followers end up finishing your stories until the end.
Instagram stories are also mobile-oriented and fill up the screen. You might want to think of margins when doing your videos, so all of your text or graphics can be visible once Instagram converts it.
Instagram has many stickers, GIFs, emojis, and engagement stickers like poll stickers, hashtag stickers, and mention stickers that you can use to add some life to your Instagram stories. You can use them in your videos too.
Instagram stories are not yet affected by the algorithm, so you can use that advantage and see your organic reach.
Most businesses use Instagram stories to post behind the scenes and user-generated content. It is a chance to show your followers the "human" and "unscripted" side of your business.
If you have more than 10,000 followers on Instagram, the platform will allow you to do a link attached to your Instagram stories. When this happens, there will be a "swipe up to learn more" sign on your story, and if the viewer does so, they can be led to your website.
You should also use Instagram Story Highlights on your feed so that users can still revisit your stories on your Instagram home page. Highlights allow you to sort your Instagram stories into categories and feature them on your profile-giving them an extended life.
What you need to know when using Instagram TV
Instagram TV (IGTV) is Instagram's long-form video channel. Verified users can post an hour-long video on IGTV while regular users can post up to 10 minutes.
Verified users are also allowed to post a 1-minute video preview of their IGTV video on their feed. So, when their followers access the video, they have the option to continue watching the longer video on IGTV.
To be honest, businesses and brands have not been using IGTV as much as they do feed videos, Instagram stories, and paid ads. For one, a long-form video means more production costs.
But, if you do it right or you actually do a vlog series, IGTV can be used to your advantage when it comes to building your engagement rate.
Anyone can have their own IGTV channel-the only requirement is that you own an Instagram account. Instagram uses MP4 format for videos, and the video should be at least a minute long.
What you need to know when using paid Instagram video ads
If you have the budget, you should think of doing a paid ad on Instagram. This way, if an Instagram user is not following you but fits the demographics of your target audience, they will still be able to see your video on their Instagram feed.
This will extend your reach beyond just your followers. It is also beneficial if you are still new and lack Instagram followers.
An Instagram video ad gives you a maximum of one minute. Just like Instagram feed videos, the ad will automatically play in mute mode when a user sees it in the newsfeed.
Take note that Facebook owns Instagram, and Facebook marketing tools are also used on Instagram. However, since Instagram is a more popular platform with over a billion subscribers and millions of them active every hour, Instagram ads will be more expensive than its Facebook counterpart.
Video marketing tips and best practices for Instagram
Cross-promote
Businesses have multiple social media accounts these days. You should do the same too!
Every time you post something, be sure to do cross-promotions. Tell your Instagram followers where they can follow you on other platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.
You can also learn how to post vines on Instagram and other content from other platforms like YouTube, Tiktok, or Snapchat.
Adjust for silent viewing
As mentioned earlier, videos on Instagram automatically play in mute mode. So, you should optimize your video content for this condition.
You can place visible subtitles for your video so that the video still makes sense without audio. It helps if the content itself can be understood without the help of audio and subtitles as well.
Share the details upfront
People these days have a short attention span. This makes the first 10 to 15 seconds of your video a crucial time for you to hook them. Otherwise, they will just swipe up to the next post.
The first minute of your video should answer what the video is about and why the viewer should keep watching. Think of it as an introduction section where the words you would say could make or break your first impression.
Of course, hashtags are very important on Instagram. Always use relevant hashtags in your posts.
Many people follow hashtags to see posts that they are interested in-even from people they do not follow. You should use that to your advantage and extend the reach of your posts.
Plan ahead
Suppose you want to be on top of your Instagram video marketing game. In that case, you need to been gaging by replying to your comments and leaving comments on other pages. You also have to be active by posting regularly.
It helps to have a calendar for your Instagram posts. Mix up your content and schedule them, so you do not end up posting the same type of content all over again.
If you are not that much of a planner, there are apps available to help you organize and schedule your Instagram posts.
Last Thoughts
Instagram gives you an excellent opportunity to attract audiences, engage with your followers, nurture a relationship with your customers, and entertain and inform your consumers. As a business owner, you should learn how to post a video on Instagram so that you should not miss out on these opportunities!
You can even combine two or more of the video content ideas for Instagram cited earlier .As you can see, for video marketing to work in Instagram, the best Instagram video ads are not actually ads.
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