Many months ago Instagram announced a new platform that would “change the social video landscape” forever - IGTV.
The team at Instagram believed it was “time for video to move forward and evolve.” Vertical video was the future and it was time for everyone to get on board with IGTV, the next big thing and the expected rival to YouTube. But the IGTV hype did not last long, and low views combined with the extra effort of creating vertical video led many creators and brands to abandon ship and write off the channel entirely.
Despite its initial lackluster stats, some brands have excelled and invested heavily in IGTV production. Those that have taken ownership of this IG feature are racking up the views. Here are some winning tips we give our clients when thinking about entering the IGTV space.
TIP #1 - Sound & Captions: Optimize IGTV for a ‘sound-off’ experience – text-on-screen and music works best for our more visually driven content.\n\nTIP #2 - The Story Matters: Focus on the story you’re telling vs. manufacturing content to a certain length.
TIP #3 – Content Context: When creating content, focus on shareable, engaging and culturally relevant content.
TIP #4 - Organic Amplification: Take advantage of the organic exposure IGTV is giving your content as they continue to promote this feature.
TIP #5- Less is More: Although IGTV videos can be up to 10 minutes long (and up to a full hour for verified accounts) you should keep your content short and sweet. It’s best to upload footage between 2-5 minutes in length so viewers don’t lose interest.
-Sarah Alexander
Project Manager