How Can Marketers Use IGTV For their Benefit In 2020?

Videos are dominating the social media space, and they are turning out to be a handy content marketing format. Instagram is the second most popular social media app in the world. It has evolved to match up with the video consumption patterns of the viewers.

Before making upgrades, Instagram barely allowed a 60-second video upload by its users on the platform. With the increase in demand for audio-visual storytelling, Instagram launched IGTV (Instagram TV).

It could accommodate longer duration videos on its channel. This made IGTV a big hit amongst marketers wanting to explore Instagram marketing.

Leveraging IGTV for Marketing

IGTV has a unique identity by itself and is unlike any other video sharing platform. The IGTV videos can be accessed via an independent IGTV-app or within the IGTV tab on the main Instagram app.

Brand managers get the opportunity to capture the undivided attention of the viewers for as long as 60 minutes if their brand accounts are verified. For non-verified brands, the maximum duration of video upload to IGTV is 10 minutes.

This blog aims to highlight how IGTV plays an integral part in your marketing campaigns.

Tips for IGTV Marketing

Here are some tips to help you get started with IGTV:

1. Create IGTV-worthy Content

Most businesses with a verified Instagram account prefer to share tutorials and how-to videos around their product or service offerings. Instructional content is always an excellent way to engage with the audience on Instagram and provide first-hand information about the brand.

The videos could be anything from DIY home repair tutorials to make-up tips and even cooking recipes. Your content depends upon the product or service you are showcasing. However, make sure that the content is fun to watch and presented appealingly.

2. Make a Good First Impression

Instagram users have limited time at hand to scroll through their feeds. Therefore, brands have to strategize their message to incorporate the most exciting information in the first 10 to 15 seconds of the video. I

f the first impression excites the viewer, they want to find out more by watching the full video on IGTV. The introduction needs to indicate what the video is all about and why one should keep watching it further.

3. Choose the Right Thumbnails

Like running any other social media marketing campaign via YouTube or Facebook, marketers need to ensure that the thumbnail chosen is appropriate for Insta videos. The thumbnails appear in vertical format on IGTV and are auto-cropped by the app to fit the frame. Marketers have the option of choosing a custom photo as the thumbnail or selecting a shot from the video itself.

This process needs to be done while the video is being uploaded, as there is no feature yet to add or edit the thumbnail image once the video has already been uploaded. The title, hashtags, and short descriptive text for your uploads should be well thought-through.

4. Start Your Own IGTV Series

IGTV Series revolves around the same concept as having a playlist on YouTube. The IGTV Series encourages marketers to group stories on a particular topic in one series, instead of uploading individual or disjointed videos. This keeps the audiences engaged for a longer time as the videos play one after the other.

Many brands have already noticed a positive spike in viewership post their attempt to host the IGTV series. Once the viewers form the habit of watching the brand’s series, they look forward to the upcoming series content and come back to your channel to view more every week. Hence, marketers can build a loyal viewership that they can count on.

5. Maintain a Consistent Aesthetic Theme

One must remember that IGTV is not separate from a brand’s Instagram channel feeds or stories. Therefore, it makes sense to continue the same thematic representation for the IGTV videos. One brand, one voice, means using the same color scheme, fonts, and graphics across all marketing materials.

The same applies to the brand’s presence on Instagram. This cohesive approach allows the follower to immediately identify with their favorite brand’s video and stream it fully.

6. Optimize Videos for Silent Viewing

If a viewer finds the video on the brand’s feed or story section, the chances are that the sound would be disabled. Others would do ready to capture a visual glimpse of the story. Even on the IGTV App, the sound is off for videos by default. Hence, marketers must present interesting soundless clips to get the audience interested in the video and continue watching it.

7. Promote Your Videos

The social media manager’s job does not end by just posting the video on the brand’s Instagram channel. The videos need to be cross-promoted to ensure that the efforts put into making the video are justified by reaching out to a higher audience. The best way to promote the IGTV video is by uploading it to the brand’s Instagram story.

The story stays visible for 24 hours and gives the followers a glimpse of the video. This provokes the audience to check the full message on IGTV. It needs to be shared on the brand’s feed and profiles. Marketers can even think of using Twitter and e-newsletters to promote IGTV videos further. They can also create product demo videos to share each new IGTV video on the platform.

8. Use the Platform to Stream Live

When brands go live on Instagram, all the followers get an instant notification. The brand logo appears in the story section encircled by a ring, with the words LIVE mentioned there.

This live feature is a perfect way to grab people’s attention and give them a virtual display of your brand’s presence. Examples of live videos include showcasing an exhibition or hosting a Q&A session with brand leaders. Once the live session is over, it can be saved to the Instagram channel and featured as an IGTV video.

Conclusion

IGTV is a relatively new platform, and brands who explore it now will get a first-mover advantage. Brands can attract more audiences, be heard, and outdo their competitors by using this simple, yet useful IGTV video tool for their marketing initiatives. The opportunities with IGTV are endless.

It is the most stylish way to attract new followers and keep the old ones engaged. So what are you waiting for? Begin recording and command your space on everyone’s favorite social networking platform.