How To Make The Most Of IGTV For Business In 2019

Instagram has been rapidly evolving since it was founded back in 2010. 

To expand its video-sharing abilities, it introduced Instagram TV(IGTV) just last year in 2018. 

Initially, it wasn’t a big hit as most of the viewers were too lazy to leave their Instagram feed and actually open up IGTV. 

But since Instagram announced the introduction of previews linking to IGTV videos on the regular feed, the number of views has gone through the roof. I mean the figures we are talking about are higher than 300%!!

This is a strong indication that IGTV is here to stay and is a major rival to YouTube.

If your company has a good follower count on Instagram, why don’t you start thinking about how to use IGTV for your business?

Unlike on the regular feed, on IGTV you can upload videos that are up to 10 minutes long, or even 60 minutes if you have a verified account. 

These long form-videos can be shot and uploaded vertically, making them more attractive for those who don’t like rotating their phones every time they have to watch a video.  

Now, if you do not want to upload vertical videos, that is fine too! Recently Instagram has given the option for uploading horizontal videos on IGTV. Your viewers can then watch it on full screen. It’s basically like watching a YouTube video inside your Instagram app. 

IGTV doesn’t have any ads yet, so if the billion Instagram users come over to watch your videos they wouldn’t be distracted.

If you are still not sure whether IGTV will be right for you, wait. There’s more cool stuff on the way.

In this article we’ll discuss how to use IGTV, the types of video content you can upload and the best practices to follow. 

So, read on!

How to upload videos to IGTV

Now that you know the benefits, you must be wondering how to use IGTV.

You could go about it in two ways. Either use your Instagram app or the standalone app designed just for IGTV.

Let us discuss how to upload videos in both separately.

Uploading videos from the Instagram App

The steps are pretty simple. Even a toddler could upload an IGTV video!

1. First, you tap the TV icon on the top right corner of the app.

2. Now click on the + symbol on the top right corner, next to the search bar icon. Choose the video you want to upload.

3. Once you click Next, it is time to choose a cover image either from your video or an external image from your gallery. (Cover images could make or break your video, so choose the most appropriate one!)

4. Click Next one last time and it asks you to add a title and description. 

In this page, you’ll also get an option to post a preview on your profile (ONLY if your video is longer than a minute). Since we already talked about its importance, make sure you click that.

You could also share it on your Facebook page directly from here. 

And that’s it. In no time, you’ll have a video up and running on IGTV!

Uploading videos on the IGTV App

The process here is slightly different when compared to that in the Instagram app.

The process here begins slightly differently since you must create a channel before you start uploading videos. 

1. Open the IGTV app and sign in to your Instagram account. 

2. In order to set up your channel, click on the small icon with your profile picture found towards the middle of the screen. 

3. Click Next till you reach the final page and once you click on “Create Channel”, Voila! You have an IGTV channel.

4. To start uploading videos, click the + icon. Your camera roll will open up. Select a video.

5. Choose or upload a cover image and click next. Just like on the Instagram app, you get options to add a title, description and share a preview. 

6. Just like on the Instagram app, you get options to add a title, description and share a preview. 

Finally, just click Post.

I hereby declare you an expert in uploading IGTV videos. 

Moving on. Let's now look at the different kinds of videos you can upload on IGTV to improve engagement and have more people talking about you.

Types of IGTV Videos

When it comes to Instagram, letting your creativity run wild and free is likely to get you better results. The crazier and more fun your videos are, the more people will love and share them.

But, just in case some of you need a little kickstart, we have compiled below the different types of IGTV content you can create along with some great examples.

Major inspo on the way!

1. Tutorials and product demonstrations

Is there a better way to make your viewers want your product? Demonstrating how your product will solve their problems could be a great source of motivation for them to use it. 

In these demos, you show people what they are missing out on by giving them the whole experience of using your product and the things it can do for them.

I mean, isn’t that a basic human desire? To be able to experience EVERYTHING!!

You can also upload tutorials on transforming and improving the users’ lives by showing them how to do something on their own using innovative ideas. 

For a twist, you can bring in celebrities or popular influencers to give the tutorial. More views! Woohoo!!

Nykaa Beauty, an online Indian cosmetic store, features an Indian actress Janhvi Kapoor in their IGTV video titled “Glam Eye Look”.  In this video, the actress demonstrates a makeup look using products from Nykaa. She also shows her enthusiasm and opinion on the products. 

They have another IGTV video titled “Get Ready with Janhvi Kapoor: Brunch Look” where the same actress demonstrates another makeup look.

The names of the products are shown on the screen right when they are being used, to make it easier for customers to find them online later.  Both the videos have acquired around 270k views.    

2. Behind the scenes

Why do people love blooper reels so much? They’re basically behind-the-scenes videos of movies that show actors in a very humane light. Your all-powerful superhero could be spilling coffee on their tights!

Behind-the-scenes videos have always been a favorite among the masses and you too can get on this trend!

In these videos, you can show your product in progress, employees being silly at work, go behind the scenes of an event or a photo shoot.

Choose anything that you feel will be interesting to your audience and remember to be authentic. 

Elle UK, in its IGTV section, has got several behind-the-scenes videos on the London Fashion Week.

Elle’s Digital Writer Daisy Murray takes us around various fashion shows while also giving her opinions and information about the stylists, the crowd, etc. She even interviews a few spectators and designers.

These videos have a vlog-like vibe and are a great way to engage with the audience. 

Lush Cosmetics uses IGTV to demonstrate how their various products are manufactured. The videos are well made and professional. Instead of narration, they are given captions which prompts a larger viewership.

3. Question and answer sessions

These videos are pretty easy to create and directly involve your viewers. 

All you gotta do is, put up an Instagram story or a regular post encouraging viewers to send in their questions.

Once you receive a sufficient number of replies or comments, choose the ones you feel are relevant and get about answering them.

Mentioning the names of the ones who had asked the questions would make it even more interesting. Your viewers will keenly watch the video to see if their questions had made it to the list.

H&M brought in the singer Tiffany Young for a Q&A session on their page. Viewers were previously asked to send in the questions which Young answers in the video.

Apart from Young, they have also teamed up with another singer called Izzy Bizu to make another Q&A video. These Q&A videos are a great means to get your followers involved and build a relationship with them.

4. Testimonials

Authenticity is key. Having another consumer vouch for your product would look more convincing and even encourage them to try it out. Testimonial videos are also one of the best ways to build up your customers’ trust in your brand.

You can learn more about making great testimonial videos that will move your audiences here. 

Warby Parker brought in one of their customers, a photographer cum artist, to give a testimonial. She talks of the issues she faced before she started wearing glasses and why she loves Warby Parker glasses. She also describes events and major turning points in her life and links to wearing glasses.

5. Interviews

You can create a wide variety of interviews for IGTV. They can be funny and quirky or matter-of-fact and straight to the point. 

You could bring in anyone from an employee to your CEO, a celebrity or an expert in your industry. 

Seen those BuzzFeed videos were celebrities play with puppies and kittens while answering questions?

Yeah! No idea is too crazy. You can go all out or you can stay on the safe side. The choice is yours! 

Louis Vuitton has a great collection of IGTV videos. One of those videos features Grace Coddington, a designer, answering questions. They begin by asking questions regarding other designers and move on to questions about her cats.

This is a very cute video that is sure to entertain the viewers. The other videos include interviews with famous celebrities such as Sophie Turner, Chloë Grace Moretz, etc. 

6. Educational Videos

IGTV is one of the best platforms if you want to put out educational videos. 

These videos could convey information about your product, issues or trends in your industry, or even give some good advice. 

The best part is- there are a multiplicity of ways you can produce these educational videos. 

You can make it a small live-action skit or even use cool animations.

Headspace, an app that helps promote wellness, has uploaded numerous educational videos on IGTV. These 2D animation videos are cute, engaging, humorous and sure to hold the viewers’ attention. They explain things like the occurrence of dark thoughts, changing perspectives, etc. 

DO NOT limit yourself to the kinds of videos mentioned above. These are just sources of inspiration for you to create videos that can blow everyone’s minds away.

But, you do have to keep in mind the dimensions when you are filming and editing videos on IGTV. Let us take a look at that.

IGTV video specifications

Here are a few important requirements to keep in mind when you upload an IGTV video.

• The video length must be at least 15 seconds. The video could either be a maximum of 10 minutes (<650 MB) if your account is unverified or an hour long (<3.6GB) if you have a verified account.
• The aspect ratio of vertical videos is 9:16 while that of horizontal videos is 16:9.
• Upload the videos in an MP4 format at minimum 30FPS.
• 720p is the minimum resolution required.
• The required aspects of your cover image are 420px by 654px and make sure you are utterly content with how it looks before you upload it. 
  

The real question is- how do you make great IGTV videos? Read on to find out some of the best practices you can follow.

Best practices for uploading videos on IGTV

No, I’m not here to rain on your parade. I’ll just put forth a few suggestions and recommendations regarding your IGTV videos.

1. Make your videos interesting from the beginning.

1. Get the viewer hooked as soon as the video starts, give them a good reason to keep watching it. Go a bit over the top, add some flourishes if necessary!

Whatever you do, make sure that you grab your viewers’ attention in the first few seconds.

2. Add closed captions

Captions are important! Just look at the statistics! It was seen that 80% more people watched an entire video when they were provided subtitles. A significant number of people are not likely to switch on the audio while watching videos.

So, add subtitles. Make your videos accessible to everyone!

3. Transform your old blogs into video blogs

Dust up your old content and create videos out of them. You might have some very interesting blogs buried away in your websites. You could repurpose them into interesting vlogs! 

Don’t limit yourself to live-action videos. If you have the time and effort to spare, add some motion graphics and spice them up!

4. Post regularly

Don’t post an IGTV video once in a blue moon and then completely disappear out of your viewers’ minds. Make sure that you upload a variety of content often. 

It is important that you remain consistent in order to keep your audience engaged and leave an impression.

5. Analyze your results

IGTV gives you insights regarding your viewership and engagement. Make sure to check those out and improve your videos accordingly. Constructive criticism, right? 

Conclusion:

Cheers on making it to the end! You are just one step away from creating AMAZING IGTV videos. So go ahead- let us know about some great IGTV videos that you have come across or get to make. 

If you have any queries about creating video content, do contact our resident video expert.

Godspeed!