Instagram – the networking app designed for sharing photos and videos from your mobile device – has come a very long way since its launch in 2010. So much so that Instagram’s CEO Kevin Systrom has recently announced that there is now a global community of over 1 billion Instagram users, more than double that of rival network Twitter, who rake in 336 million monthly active users. Read more here.
Riding the wave of their success, Instagram’s most recent venture was introduced last week. Instagram TV – or IGTV – is the next step forward for the Insta Empire, and after the success of their 2016 update, Instagram stories, we can only see big things happening for Instagram in the future.
So, what is Instagram TV and how can you use it for your business?
IGTV has been described by Instagram as ‘a new app for watching long-form, vertical video from your favourite Instagram creators.’ As Social Media evolves, we are seeing marketers and consumers alike progressively favouring video content, and with over half of videos being watching on mobile devices, having a specialised platform to suit this is a great step forward.
Accessing IGTV is simple: use it through the official Instagram application, or download the new IGTV app, designed specifically for all your video watching needs.
Something that had previously limited video usage for marketers on Instagram was the 60 second time allowance, however with IGTV this has been overturned and smaller businesses and accounts can now upload content between 15 seconds and 10 minutes long. If you’re a larger account or have been verified, you can upload videos that are up to a whopping one hour in length! Viewers will still have the final say though, as the likes, comments and share buttons are staying put. You can also find new accounts recommended for you under the ‘For You’ tab, or you can explore the ‘Popular’, ‘Following’ or ‘Continue Watching’ tabs to find what’s best for you!
If you’re wondering how to set up a channel, no worries – your profile is your channel, simply visit the app to launch it. A link to your channel will appear next to the highlights on your profile page, meaning anyone can access it at any time. If your page is set to private, only your approved followers will be able to see your video content, but this is easily changed if you feel like making your international debut. Make sure to check your insights regularly as this will give you a clear view of what content is performing well and what content flopped. You can see the number of likes, comments, views, the average percentage of the video watched and the audience retention graph. So, you can keep giving your viewers exactly what they want.
Here is how businesses are already using IGTV and some great ideas for you to consider when setting up your channel:
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