Your Guide to Instagram Video

Why You Need to Incorporate Video Into Your Instagram Content

Guide for Instagram Video. Video sharing apps like Tik Tok are becoming increasingly popular. Users are starting to prefer video over photo, and Instagram has caught on. There are 5 different types of Instagram videos: Infeed, Stories, IGTV, Live, and Reels. If you want to keep your Instagram game strong you need to implement these into your social media strategy.

Infeed Video

Infeed videos are videos you post for users to see as they scroll through their main Instagram feed. These videos can be up to a minute long and tend to receive loads of engagement. Infeed videos should always have subtitles because users will commonly listen without audio. Lastly, according to Hubspot, you should keep your video under 30 seconds. Users are quick and easily lose interest.

IGTV

IGTV serves as the longest video type on Instagram. Users can post IGTV videos up to 60 minutes long and they cannot be filmed within the app. They have their own section on your profile and you can choose what each video’s clip/highlight will be. Users can still comment, like, and share your IGTV videos. They are useful for businesses because they can show off events, interviews, give tutorials, or start a consistent video series about your product or service.

Stories

Instagram stories are used by about 500 million users every day (bigcommerce.com). Stories can be up to 15 seconds long and are similar to Snapchat Stories, in that they disappear after 24 hours. However, they can be added to your profile and viewed indefinitely if you add them to a highlight. Stories are great because you can post them several times a day without annoying your followers. They have to click on your story to view it, yet even posting one reminds them of your brand. Although you can get away with posting several Stories a day, it is not recommended to post too many. Posting about 3-5 Stories a day is a proactive amount.

Reels

The newest addition to Instagram videos is Reels. Reels are 15-second multiple-clip videos featured on your feed between explore and shopping. They can be shared on both your feed and explore page. This allows users to find your business on each section of Instagram. Since reels are short, users are most likely to watch them all the way through. Reels are becoming increasingly popular because they enable users to post Tik Toks on their accounts.

Instagram Live

Instagram Live is one of the best ways to engage your followers. Similar to Facebook Live, Instagram Live is a live stream that any of your followers can join. While you stream content, your viewers can leave comments, and you can respond, making it a more personal experience. This is a great way to promote a campaign, do a Q&A, or give your viewers some insight. On Cinco de Mayo, Chipotle did an Instagram Live of their chef doing a step-by-step margarita recipe tutorial. It got over 10,000 views and promoted Chipotle’s food.

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