IGTV is Instagram’s long-form video option. The social app boasts over a billion global community users and aims to disrupt conventional TV. According to the Cisco Visual Networking Index, mobile video will account for 78% of total mobile data traffic in 2021. Instagram experts like Chalene Johnson are loving how you can create content once and it can be repurposed on your feed, in your stories, and even added to a ‘series’ of themed videos on your page called a channel where you can share episodes. We started our first series on video, check it out. Here are a few more reasons why you should consider adding content to your Instagram page via IGTV.
Customizable:
The opportunity to customize the look and feel of your content on IGTV through thumbnails and descriptions means you can drive home your brand. Sure, creating long-form content is more time consuming but if it’s well thought out you can create raving fans that keep your business top of mind. The long-form format keeps audiences engaged which helps build trust. IGTV was built to compete with YouTube, not Netflix, so you don’t have to worry about being super polished or creating a high tech studio to film your videos. The more authentic and relatable you are, the more likely you’ll convert those followers into customers.
Clickable Links:
As you probably already know, Instagram limits link sharing to your bio. LinkTree took advantage of this opportunity and creates a hub for you to house all of your links in your bio (see image below). But you can now add clickable links in the description of your IGTV creating a stronger call to action. The fewer steps your followers have to take to get where you want them to go, the better! Create a series of videos in one of your niches and for each episode, you can direct your audience to specific pages on your website, other social platforms you are active on, or a unique landing page to capture their information. The possibilities are endless.
Favorite Child:
IGTV is Instagram’s ‘favorite child’ right now which means content created on IGTV gets special treatment. Long-form videos are 4x larger on the Explore page making them more discoverable and are more likely to be featured in their Popular Videos section. Take advantage of this algorithm hack if you are looking to build a stronger following and want better performance from your ads ran on Instagram.
Sold? Here’s a great step by step guide on how to create your channel and start uploading videos yourself. Need some help? We’d love to put together a comprehensive social media strategy for your brand and business. Reach out to us today!
Check out our other Instagram blog posts
See: Using Instagram and Facebook Stories to Maximize User Engagement
See: Where Have All the Instagram Likes Gone?