Here at Crowd, we consider ourselves as digital experts therefore, we are always on the lookout for the next big thing! So it was no surprise that we were pretty excited when Instagram announced they were releasing a new feature.
IGTV allows users to post up to hour-long clips, that can be accessed through a separate app or an updated version of Instagram. Everyone who has an account will get their own channel, similar to YouTube, where all of their videos will be stored.
Instead of disappearing after 24 hours, this offers brands with a more permanent way to communicate with their consumers. Instagram’s CEO, Kevin Systrom said the long-form videos are aimed at "bringing audiences closer to the creators they love."
Love or hate it, you can’t deny Instagram is pro at improving current social media trends!
Crowd’s 5 reasons why IGTV will be good for brands…
Wait…what is TV again?
In a world where Alexa is doing our food shopping for us, people are watching less and less TV. With IGTV, brands can advertise their newest products without having to pay an average of £4,000 for a 30 second slot on ITV breakfast. As your current followers will automatically get notified when you post a new IGTV video, you can rest assured that everyone who needs to know about your message, will!
Impact of Influencers
It is no secret that YouTube influencers have had huge impacts on brands and consumer behaviour over the last few years. With IGTV, users can follow their favourite influencers all in one place, which only means more visibility for those brands who use influencers!
The need for videography skills
Visual content is engaging more people, for example Instagram has 813 million active users, compared to 330 million active Twitter users. Compared to other social media platforms, IGTV seems to be the most advanced social media platform. As Instagram is predominantly used on phones, IGTV is designed for vertical videos only. This means more editing, and because they are permanent, we recommend you take slightly more care before you post a IGTV video! Although this is more time consuming, it will filter out the average Instagram user clogging up the feed with endless videos of updates on their lives…so more room for your business to shine!
On the other hand…
IGTV is not a Netflix replacement, therefore you don't have to spend hours editing and making the content perfect. It is permanent so take care; a good quality video which shows engaging content for your audience will keep your viewers coming back! Think of it like an upgrade of an Instagram story.
Insights
As marketers, it is crucial to have accurate ROI statistics to ensure the content you are sharing is relevant. Instagram has made it easy to view the interaction rates on your IGTV videos.. Crowd loves anything that makes the measurement of our efforts easier, so this feature is one of our personal favourites.
