Instagram is a valuable tool for companies promoting products or people who want to build their brand and expand their reach. But, you can’t expect to be successful if you don’t have a plan for how you're going to utilize Instagram as a tool instead of a social media platform that you use for recreation. Randomly posting on your Instagram page will not bring the results that you’re looking for.
One of the most popular aspects of Instagram is videos. If you want to market your company or build your brand, you need to have an Instagram video strategy. Use the following tips to help you build an Instagram video strategy from scratch:
Understand the Video Options Available on Instagram
Instagram makes it possible to share videos in a number of different ways. You need to understand the different options if you want to create an effective video strategy.
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Instagram Stories: Instagram stories consist of 15-second clips that are automatically deleted from your account after 24 hours. This function can be used for polls, Q and A questions, and highlighting flash sales.
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In-feed Videos: In-feed Instagram videos are posted to your main page, just like any photo that you may post. They will always be available to viewers unless you delete them.
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Instagram TV (IGTV): IGTV can be used to post longer videos to your page. These videos must be longer than 60 seconds but can be up to 60 minutes long.
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Live Videos: When you have an Instagram account, you can opt to stream your videos live. This is an excellent way to interact and engage with your followers since they can comment in real-time during the video stream.
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Reels: Reels are similar to stories, but they remain on your Instagram feed instead of disappearing after 24 hours. They are short videos that are meant to be entertaining.
Determine the Purpose of a Video
It doesn’t make sense to create a video on a whim and post it to Instagram. If you want people to watch your video, it needs to have a purpose. Before you begin making videos for Instagram, ask yourself what viewers should get out of it. A video can be informative, educational, funny, etc.
Determining the purpose of a video can make it easier to organize the video creation process. When you know exactly what type of emotion you want to elicit, your videos will have more impact.
Learn How to Use Instagram Video Programs
One of the good things about Instagram is the fact that the videos posted do not need to be professionally filmed and edited. However, if you want your video to stand out, you will probably want to post more than just a standard cell phone video.
Luckily, there are a number of Instagram video programs available. These programs streamline the process of creating an Instagram video, so the result is visually appealing. The most popular Instagram video programs are simple to use.
Pay Attention to Hashtags and Captions
An Instagram video should speak for itself, but you need to compel people to find it and watch it. This means that using the right hashtags for your videos is important. Take the time to analyze popular hashtags that relate to your company or brand. There are numerous apps that will analyze trending hashtags for you.
Captions also play an important role in an Instagram video strategy. Instagram users are exposed to so much content, so captions can make a difference in whether someone presses play on a video or not. A caption on a video does not need to be long or drawn-out. You just need to make sure that the caption is catchy and gives information about what to expect from the video.
Utilize Instagram Live Videos Properly
When building an Instagram video strategy, live videos will most likely play a role. As mentioned, live videos are an excellent way to engage with people on Instagram. But, for the best results, live videos need to be utilized properly.
One of the keys to planning live videos is understanding when your followers and target demographic are on Instagram. There are analytical tools that can show when Instagram is used the most. Choose to stream your live videos when your followers are online. It is also helpful to promote your live videos in advance and let people know the time and date when the stream will be live.
Plan on Posting Videos Regularly
If you’re serious about building your company or brand, you need to be prepared to post videos regularly. Instagram users are more likely to engage with accounts that consistently add new video content. You don’t need to add content to Instagram multiple times a day, but it is useful to do so at least a few times a week.
It can be helpful to create a content schedule for your Instagram videos. Having a video content calendar completed by the first of the month will help ensure that you stay on task. It also makes it easier to schedule a time to create Instagram videos.
When creating a video content calendar, make sure that you outline what each video will be about. This works out much better than just determining dates when you will post videos. Spending a few hours creating a video content calendar for the following months will ensure you are never stuck and trying to figure out what type of video content to make.
Final Thoughts
Social media marketing has exploded over the last several years, and Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms. Knowing how to use Instagram properly can help you expand your business or brand in a meaningful way.
Videos are an important part of Instagram. Thus, having an Instagram video strategy should be a key part of your overall social media marketing plan. After you develop a comprehensive and effective video strategy, you will likely find that creating engaging video content for Instagram gets easier, and you will begin seeing meaningful results from your efforts.
