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What is IGTV – Instagram takes on Youtube.
It’s been a while since I wrote anything and I have barely touched upon “Social Media” however I think Instagram certainly requires further attention by business owners, Youtube has long been considered the 2nd largest “Search Engine” by us boring online marketing geeks after the main Google search interfaces we all think of, but with the massive audience that Instagram commands this may no longer be the landscape. Instagram celebrated its milestone achievement of reaching one billion users by introducing Instagram TV, or IGTV, a video service that allows longer videos for up to one hour. In a San Francisco launch event, Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom suggested that this resource would enable Instagram users to watch videos without distractions. [1] Members can tune-in to their favorite influencers, companies and channels. You can change the channel just by swiping up on the screen. The videos are all in full-screen vertical format, so constant adjusting is unnecessary.
Instagram marketing gets a tremendous boost from this launch of IGTV, a sharing service that challenges YouTube for its domination of the market. IGTV provides commercial marketers with a forum for posting longer videos up to one hour. Regardless of whether you’re experienced with Instagram or producing videos, an Instagram marketing service can guide you through this awesome marketing opportunity to build followers, foster desire for your product and strengthen your online profile.
I love Instagram! I’m a keen photographer and living as an immigrant in another European country it’s an easy way for family and friends to keep track of the life I’m making for myself and my family here in wonderful Sweden! and I love keeping up with life back in the UK through the eyes of family, friends and colleagues. My Instagram account is here
How Does IGTV Work?
IGTV offers an entirely new way to post longer videos. The videos must be filmed in vertical format, which enables phone users to watch videos conveniently without changing their phone’s orientation. On Instagram accounts, members now find a TV icon at the of their feed’s home screen. Members can search for videos, play them easily and find your channel. As an Instagram marketing company, you get an extraordinary opportunity to tell Instagram long stories to increase customer engagement rates with the brand and business.
You can add links to your video’s description that actually take customers outside of the Instagram or IGTV app. You can also link to a landing page that sells the featured products shown in a video. Companies can design their own cover photos and write persuasive keyword descriptions to promote the video. A strong analytics feature allows you to assess audience retention rates, how many visitors watched the entire video, drop-off graphs and other key information.
How to Use IGTV
The first step is downloading the IGTV app on your phone. IGTV plays automatically on the Instagram app, but customers can also download the standalone IGTV app for both iOS and Android phones. You can only have one channel for your videos because, as the creator, you are considered a single entity, or channel, for customers to follow–regardless of whether you’re a commercial company. If someone follows your channel, they automatically follow any other Instagram content that you post.
Although there are currently no ads on IGTV, that will probably change soon. In the meantime, you can link with customers and connect to your Instagram landing page through content descriptions. You can post videos anywhere from 15 seconds up to one hour, but you must have a large or verified account for longer videos. Most members have a limit of 10 minutes.
You can search for your favourite authors, channels or companies to find their pages and video content. You can also hunt for your favourite channels by clicking on the TV icon.
Signature Benefits of Instagram Marketing
Visual content has become increasingly essential for attracting and retaining younger viewers. Instagram has always focused on visual content such as videos, photos, graphics and images. The platform has successfully capitalized on the visual trend to connect with customers across Internet channels. Instagram engagement rates are high, and marketers can use this to their advantage by offering instant purchases of any products displayed on the site. You can use Instagram’s powerful analytics to determine which trends are hot and which are not.
Like Twitter, you can use hashtags to organize and classify your posts. This makes your content more searchable. You can also review existing hashtags to connect with users in helpful ways. Marketers can also share their Instagram content on Facebook and Twitter and vice versa. The only problem is posting photos, images and videos that speak to Instagram members. An Instagram account–when managed by a professional Instagram marketing service–can deliver astonishing conversion rates on a secondary sales platform that expands any company’s reach.
Instagram Marketing Secrets
Instagram already offers a range of marketing options for attracting customers, building loyalty and generating excitement. Key Instagram marketing secrets include a host of ideas for signature promotions. You can enhance any Instagram promotion with IGTV videos. For example, the following Instagram promotion ideas can be strengthened with videos on IGTV:
- Schedule Content in Advance
You can build a posting calendar for Instagram marketing. You won’t have to worry about finding something fresh each day when you plan your posts in advance, and it’s easy to add IGTV videos to the mix. - Save Interesting Ideas as Drafts
If you come up with a great photo or marketing idea, you can save it as a draft. When you’re ready, you can schedule a post to coincide with a video presentation. - Partner with Internet Influencers
You can partner with key social influencers to show their latest designs or provide their thoughts on trends while promoting your own products. Video presentations can be very powerful influencers that attract other industry influencers. - Use the Instagram Carousel Feature
You can link your video, photos and content to your posting calendar to spice up your content by adding more visual material to your seasonal posts. - Promote a Q&A Section
People love Q&A sections that answer their questions. You can answer questions in video presentations or post how-to videos. - Give Customers a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Your Company
Behind-the-scenes content is very popular with customers, and you can tell a long story with IGTV. - Build a Dedicated Landing Page
Instagram allows companies to build dedicated landing pages that list content and display related images, photos and products for sale directly within the Instagram app or platform. This is already a valuable resource for marketers because customers don’t have to link to your website to find a product they just viewed. IGTV will certainly enhance the ability to promote more complex products.
Resources for Instagram Marketing
Instagram marketing for commercial clients allows them to use hashtag campaigns, social sharing with other platforms and a dedicated landing page to sell products. According to one Forrester study, Instagram leads the field in social engagement. [2] There are many marketing resources for Instagram marketing that include the following apps:
- Panoply
Panoply is an exterior app that allows you to plan, schedule and posts your content to Instagram. [3] - Pocket Video
This video editor is designed for iPhones and enables users to create stunning videos. [4] - Boomerang
This app allows you to make mini videos on iOS or Android phones. [5] - Buffer for Instagram
Buffer helps you repost Instagram content to other platforms. This is especially valuable for companies that want to leverage user-generated content for marketing purposes.[6]
Instagram has the chops with millennials to jumpstart your marketing campaign with the highest rates of engagement of any social platform. Instagram also extends your selling options with an in-house landing page where you can promote products and services and make direct sales. Enhancing your Instagram marketing with IGTV expands the marketing possibilities into exciting new territory. That’s why it makes sense to work with a specialized Instagram marketing service to take full advantage of this new resource. Editing in vertical format can be challenging, but an expert can help you create an intimate and engaging vertical story.
References:
[1] Wordstream.com: IGTV: How to Take Advantage of Instagram’s Bold New Format
https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2018/06/22/instagram-tv
[2] Medium.com: Top 10 Instagram Resources to Bring Your Instagram Game to The Next Level
https://medium.com/social-media-tips/top-10-instagram-resources-to-bring-your-instagram-game-to-the-next-level-d366b0828837
[3] Panoply.com: Home Page
https://www.planoly.com/
[4] [Itunes.apple.com: Home Page
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pocketvideo-video-editor/id655895351?mt=8
[5] Boomerang
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/boomerang-from-instagram/id1041596399?mt=8
[6] Blog.bofferapp.com: How User Generated Content (UGC) Grew Our Instagram Account by 400% in One Year
https://blog.bufferapp.com/user-generated-content
Stephen has been working with SEO and Digital Marketing since 1999 and has held a variety of senior roles in a wide range of companies both in the UK and Internationally.
