Video on Instagram is undoubtedly one of the best tools of the present (but also of the future) for the Community Manager. Sure, it’s easier to share photos, but Instagram has made video posting more accessible to small and medium businesses through Stories, Video Posts and IGTV.
Throughout this article, I will take stock of the uses & best practices of the different ways of posting videos on Instagram. You can also watch live streaming on FUBO channels with great content.
1) Why share Instagram videos?
Although photos are the most common format on Instagram, videos are generating more and more traction. According to a report by the company Emarketer, the growth in the engagement rate of videos is much greater than that of photos.
Beyond these numbers, there are plenty of reasons to start investing in video. First, video allows you to share more complete & complex stories than just pictures.
Whether you are looking to build brand awareness in a campaign, educate your audience or other goals, video provides more storytelling possibilities.
2) Optimize the production and sharing of Instagram video posts
Formerly limited to 15 seconds, videos can now be up to 1 minute long when posted to the News Feed.
And it is important to keep in mind that it is not necessarily necessary to have professional quality material to succeed in your content: very often, your smartphone camera combined with editing apps will do the trick.
A little reminder about the technical specifications of the feed videos on Instagram:
Video format : MP4
Duration: from 3 to 60 seconds
Maximum size: no limit (below 50MB is recommended)
Orientation: square, portrait or landscape
Ratio: a minimum of 1.91: 1 and a maximum of 4: 5
The easiest way to share your video as a post is as follows:
Click on the “+” button at the bottom middle of your screen to create a new post
Select your smartphone film and choose the video to upload.
Different uses of video posts on Instagram
There are a number of reasons why it’s great to share video posts on a branded Instagram account.
-> Use video posts to promote your products
Because videos have this ability to convey a lot of information in a short time, they are essential assets for companies marketing products & services. Think about how much more you can say about your products in a 60-second video rather than a single image.
Use video posts to reassure and inspire confidence
Sharing videos is a simple and effective way to be more authentic than with a photo that can be edited in Photoshop.
Tips for successful video posts on Instagram
After discussing how to operationally publish a video post, I would like to give you some tips to optimize the production of it.
-> Don’t underestimate the importance of the cover photo on Instagram
It often happens that when we post a video on Instagram, we are very proud of our production and excited by the prospect of generating likes and comments, until the moment we realize that our profile appears. a black square strongly detrimental to the aesthetics of our flow:
And here is the drama !
To avoid this, be sure to fill in a cover image when posting the video, or when editing, insert an image at the very beginning of the video.
-> Don’t rely on sound
The videos of the posts can play automatically, but not the soundtrack. Users must click to listen. And since you are looking to capture the attention of subscribers from the first seconds of your video, it is important that we understand what you are talking about without the sound!
-> Use complementary apps to edit your video
A plethora of apps are available free to let you produce more polished style videos. It would be a shame to deprive yourself of it (PicPlayPost, Splice, Spark video, Magisto …)
3) Produce Successful Video Stories for your Instagram
Beyond being particularly entertaining, Instagram Stories are a very high engagement generation potential for brands, but also provide the opportunity to generate traffic to the site and develop brand awareness.
And in addition, it is very easy to produce videos to broadcast in Stories. Here are the technical specifications to know:
Video format: MP4
Duration: 1 to 15 seconds
Orientation: square, portrait or landscape
Ratio: a minimum of 1.91: 1 and a maximum of 9:16 (ratios of 4: 5 and 9:16 recommended)
Option # 1: Record Video Instantly
Thanks to the easy-to-access interface, filming and recording a video in Stories is within everyone’s reach. All you need to do is open the Stories camera, and select the mode of your choice: normal, Boomerang, Superzoom, Portrait, Rewind or hands-free.
Option 2: send a video from your smartphone camera roll
The second way to stream a video as a Story is to draw it from your phone’s memory by simply dragging the Story production screen upward.
In case you want to upload a video longer than 15 seconds, Instagram will automatically cut it into several segments of 15 seconds or less.
Which videos to post in the Stories?
There’s no denying that Instagram Stories videos are getting more and more creative, engaging, and very aesthetically polished. That doesn’t mean you have to stop being spontaneous. It can be interesting to post a mix of light / entertaining content and more promotional content. With all the stickers & filters at your disposal, you have the tools you need to stand out from the crowd.
Some tips for producing impactful video stories
Certain techniques can allow you to fully exploit the potential of Stories: I provide an overview in this part.
-> Tell stories via slides of successive Stories
Because of the way we consume Stories, one slide at a time, a good strategy to get more engagement is to explain from the first piece of content that others will follow on the same topic.
-> Analyze Stories performance statistics
Often overlooked, the performance metrics of Stories are essential to observe in order to understand the way in which your followers consume your slides.
I discuss these statistics in detail in one of my articles available here: Instagram Stories Statistics: The Complete Guide.
-> Brand your Stories videos
It is very common for brands to make sure that the same colors or patterns are present on all the slides, in order to allow viewers to quickly understand whom the author is.
5) Instagram live videos
Unlike other video channels, lives can only be broadcast via a smartphone. Because of this, there are not so many possible changes that can be made to the shared video in real time.
Here are the technical specifications:
Video format: MP4
Duration: a few seconds to 60 minutes
Orientation: vertical
Ratio: 9:16
How to use Instagram Live?
As of this writing, there is only one-way to record and publish live video: through Stories.
All you need to do is launch the Story production screen, and then choose the right mode at the bottom of the screen. Then click on “Start Live Video”. Unless you turn off notifications, your subscribers will be notified when you start your live.
The number of spectators will be displayed at the top of the screen, and comments will appear at the bottom. You can click on “Comments” to add a comment yourself, and you can also pin a comment by typing and keeping pressed on it, in order to make it more visible to viewers.
Once your live is over, click on “Finish” at the top right then confirm. You can then choose to save the content to your Camera Roll, but also share it as a Story.
What to post in a live Instagram?
Like Stories, Directs allow you to be creative.
-> Use lives to launch a new product / service
A recent trend in Instagram direct is to use this channel as an instant announcement tool for new business proposals.
-> Use lives for clearance & promotions
Already the classic Stories are particularly ephemeral and that the subscribers know it, the direct ones are even more so! You could then decide during a live to announce exclusive promotions of extremely limited time.
Tips for a successful Instagram direct
If you want to be successful in your lives, it is important to have a good strategy in place. Here are some tips to apply in this context.
-> Prepare the broadcast beforehand
Treat your live as a real business presentation: write your script, questions, topics to discuss and practice!
-> Promote your direct future
Your goal by broadcasting a live broadcast is to reach as many Internet users as possible, so it is essential that they be informed of the next event. A good way is to let your followers know through Stories.
