Our clients are always looking for new and creative ways to use their social media accounts. And, with over 1 billion active users (and growing,) Instagram is quickly becoming one of the best platforms for community building through both paid and organic posts. Along with their incredulous 35% growth in the past year, Instagram continues to improve its capabilities.

IGTV was originally launched in the summer of 2018, but until recently, it wasn’t being used by many users of the app. Instagram rolled out IGTV to allow its users to share long-form videos (longer than 60 seconds) that couldn’t be shared in-feed. The tool is entertaining, engaging, and still offers a lot of opportunities for brands who use it; especially with so many events going virtual in light of social distancing.

For one of our largest real estate clients, IGTV has become an essential tool for quality face time with their community. We provided the client with guidance on capturing, editing and sharing IGTV videos that their Instagram followers would want to watch.

New to the IGTV space or video-sharing in general? Check out the following tips to start planning your big reveal:

What to know when planning your IGTV strategy:

  • You can only have one IGTV channel per account
  • Videos must be between 15 seconds and 10 minutes
  • Your video must include a title and description before its posted
  • Your videos can be either vertical or horizontal
    • Vertical is recommended for iPhone viewing as it fills the full screen
  • Videos can be previewed in-feed and link back to your full IGTV
  • The Explore Page features a section dedicated to IGTV videos

Tips for executing your IGTV videos:

  • Shoot with your native camera app, not the Instagram app
  • Consider using a smartphone mount/tripod to keep your footage steady
  • Add in an external microphone to capture high-quality audio
  • Make sure you have an ample amount of light when shooting to capture a clearer and high-quality picture
  • Keep subjects in focus to avoid accidental cropping
  • Avoid using built-in camera filters and instead opt for post-editing apps such as Filmmaker Pro, if necessary
  • Consider adding an introduction and closing slides in an app like IGTV Editor or InShot

Are you getting ready to roll out a winning IGTV strategy? We hope these tips are helpful while you plan and get ready to share your first (or improved!) video content.

Elevate Your PR Strategy

It is no secret that repurposing your client’s earned media coverage for social media content is a great way to keep their followers up to date and engaged on recent happenings. IGTV is a great way for our clients to speak directly to their followers, establishing a personal connection that goes beyond a news article.

Share Exclusive Content

Build a dedicated audience for your client’s IGTV channel by going beyond a press release and giving their audience appealing, insider content. This could be anything from behind the scenes videos, to company events, interviews, office tours, or even employee takeovers/spotlights.

Host Q&A Sessions/Webinars

If you are hosting a Q&A session, collect questions from their audience using the “Poll” or “Questions” sticker in an IG story. Collect the most popular questions and share an IGTV video answering them! Webinars have grown in popularity over the last few months. Have your client host one on IGTV directly from their living room, inviting other industry leaders and reporters to listen in.

Analyze their Insights

Discover what your client’s followers are interested in by analyzing which IGTV videos get the most likes and comments. This is a great way to see which reporters are tuning in and when helping better guide your pitching efforts.