The Ins and Outs of Instagram TV
According to Instagram, today’s youth is spending 40% less time watching TV. Instead, they’re watching more creators online. Instagram recognized this shift in behavior and decided to do develop a presence in long-form video platforms such as YouTube. In June 2018, the Facebook-owned company launched an exciting new service and app called Instagram TV or IGTV.
What is IGTV?
Instagram TV is a new app for watching long-form, vertical video. Unlike Instagram Stories where the videos are capped at 15 seconds, or feed videos that can be up to 1 minute in length, IGTV is taking on-app videos to the next level with hour long limits. And while there is a stand-alone IGTV app, you can also watch the videos from within the original Instagram app that we all know and love. This means that your videos will be accessible to its entire one billion users as well. A great feature in IGTV is that you can add multiple links in the description to drive traffic to your website. This differs from the original posts on the original Instagram app where links in the description are unclickable.
How can you use IGTV for your business?
At the moment, monetization is not offered through IGTV. However, CEO Kevin Systrom left this possibility open for the future. “There’s no ads in IGTV today. Right now we're focused on building engagement,” says Systrom, but he says it’s “obviously a very reasonable place [for ads] to end up. There will be a way for creators to make a living.” For now, IGTV, in its purest form, will be all about content and growing your audience; but that’s not to say there’s no way you can use IGTV for your business.
1. Product demos
A business’s sales team is one department that can really benefit from Instagram TV. IGTV is a great medium for product demonstration. For example, a company selling SaaS products can showcase how their product is superior to others by demonstrating its unique features. These IGTV product demos are a great addition to your inbound sales and marketing strategy. In fact, 90% of social media users say that product videos are helpful in the decision process. So don’t be shy and show off your products!
2. Behind-the-scenes
Forming a lasting relationship with your customers involves getting to know each other. IGTV can help with just that! Use the platform to show your audience behind-the-scenes footage of your everyday operations. Create a content calendar that includes office tours, introduction of team members, company events, or a rundown of products/services you offer.
3. User Support Videos
Get creative with answering frequently asked questions or product/service queries by using IGTV to answer them! For example, installation instructions, troubleshooting, or highlighting special features on your company website lets your customers know that you are always finding ways to make it easy for them.
4. Testimonials or Reviews
When researching a company, testimonials and reviews are definitely something that potential customers look into. Using IGTV to storytell your customer satisfaction in a creative and well thought of way creates a bigger impact on your audience. Remember, hearing and watching actual people give a review of your product or service is much more relatable than reading it on your website.
Now that we know some ways you can use IGTV for your business, here is a crucial tip: add a call-to-action. You wouldn’t be getting the most of IGTV if your video didn’t end with a CTA. As stated earlier, IGTV allows you to directly link any part your website to the description of the video. That said, it would be wise to include a CTA to encourage your audience to take the next step and click that link.
Instagram has evolved into the “content hub” of social media. The variety on their app ranges from still images, videos, stories, and now long-form videos as well. IGTV is a great opportunity to show longer, more engaging content and is a worthy addition to your business’s marketing strategy.
If you'd like to find out more information about Instagram TV and how to utilize it for your business, or if you'd just like to speak with an expert, feel free to contact me.