Once upon a time, Instagram was known as the “ultimate photo sharing platform” but these days, in response to TikTok, the site has seen a massive growth in video content that now drives reach and engagement.
What this now means is that businesses and marketers have an amazing chance to connect with audiences in an entirely new way on the site. If we’re being precise, we may even say four new ways, all using the format of video! Stories, Reels, Video and Live!
The best way to go about beginning your video journey on Instagram is to decide which one of those four will work best for you – it’s important to understand that short and long-form videos will have different goals and engagement rates, and keeping in mind which type will serve your business or account the best is a necessity.
With 1.4billion users projected on the platform by next year (2025), it’s more important than ever to stand out on the platform – using video is an effective, nigh on vital part of your organic strategy now – so there’s no hiding behind the carousels or the pictures any longer. Video is here, and it’s here to stay.
So, read on to find out more about the different video formats Instagram has to offer, and which format will suit your brand the best!
The 4 Instagram Video Formats
First of all, it’s important to understand that when it comes to Instagram, platform specific content is important. As a business you may already be posting to TikTok, and you may be tempted to repost that content onto Instagram – whilst there is nothing stopping you from doing that, you see that pesky logo in thew corner? Instagram’s algorithm doesn’t like it. So, it’s important to change up your video content for each platform – whilst that means you may post less often, what you do post will do more. Quality not quantity.
So, when posting on Instagram, it’s important to know the four types of videos you can create and how each can promote your business in different ways.
Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories are short 15 to 60-second videos that disappear after 24 hours. This type of content has become a way to showcase “authentic content”, in a different way to the more polished grid videos. Stories feel more “real” to your audience, and they’re a great way to feature spur of the moment content!
The max length for a Story is 6 seconds but you can create a series of Stories in a slideshow narrative, if you like. You can post as many Stories as you like, though be aware, some are switched off by numerous stories in one go by one person and amy just flick through them if they feel spammy – so be mindful of how many you are posting in one go.
There are 5 types of Stories you can use:
Standard – The default option for a Story, it can be an image or video!
Create – You can add text or stickers, and this format is great for asking a question or telling a story! Why not use it to conduct a poll or a Q&A?
Boomerang – This format loops so the Story repeats constantly, though these are less common these days.
Dual – You can use front and back cameras to flip viewpoints to show an audience what you are doing. Great for a quick walkthrough or if you want to do a funny reaction video.
Layout – This can contain several images in a collage – a great way of showing off several products or showing options in a poll.
Remember that you can also enhance your Stories with stickers, text, filters, polls, and emojis! Make them stand out and fun to keep your audience engaged.
You can also organise your Stories into “Highlights” where you can keep Stories on your profile as a collection (e.g. testimonials or PSAs for example).
Instagram Reels
Reels are essentially Instagram’s answer to TikTok, and videos you upload are automatically posted as Reels. This means there is no option to create a standard video post, but the good news is that you can post longer and larger videos as a result.
Reels are multi-clip videos, between 15 seconds to 15 minutes, and they’re a great way of showing off creative content using effects and music as they offer AR filters, timed text and green screen mode.
Reels are very popular with Millennials and Gen Z users, so if you’re a business with those two generations as your target audience, not taking advantage is a massive pitfall. Even if they’re not, here are some other reasons:
Reels get an average engagement rate of 1.48%, that’s higher than any other form of content on Instagram. But it’s important to note that overall engagement has gone down by 20% in recent years, so the best way to hop on Reels now is to see what’s trending and work that into your strategy.
Also to reiterate, whilst it can be tempting to re-use your TikTok content for Reels, Instagram doesn’t favour it. It is also important to remember that your Instagram followers are likely to be older than your TikTok followers, so what applies on TikTok may not on Instagram.
Instagram Feed Videos
Before TikTok, Instagram videos combined IGTV and in-feed videos.
Now, Instagram feed videos are joining the list of obsolete features on Instagram as the platform prioritises Reels (although videos still feature in the grid unless you choose for them not to).
The only exception are videos that are included in Instagram carousels which can feature up to 10 photos and videos and will of course appear in the feed.
Live
Instagram Live lets you stream videos to your followers in real-time and is then uploaded as a story once the feed is ended.
Whilst going live can be a lot for some, especially if you have a lot of followers, it’s worth trying as live video is a highly engaging format and enables you to be more ‘authentic’ and ‘in the moment’.
Of course these are things everyone loves online.
A good way to use live is:
- Brand events
- Product or service demos
- ‘A Day in the Life’ series
- Live tours
- Behind the scenes videos
- Live classes (e.g. a weekly yoga class or cookery class)
- Live Q&As with experts, company leaders or employees
You can make live videos interactive by inviting viewers to comment on the video or submit questions! This will make them even more engaging and encourage your followers to stick around and keep watching!
Whilst you don’t want your live video to be too scripted, you do need to ensure you prepare for it a little so that you’re not left staring blankly with a hundred people watching or the feed cutting out unexpectedly. So, make some notes, ensure you have a good internet connection and you’re away!
If things DO go wrong on the day don’t panic (if it’s not too wrong!) just put it down to being authentic and go with it – your followers may even see the humour in it.
Going Forward
Something you’ll learn very quickly with TikTok and Reels is that everything is changing, all of the time. Keeping on top of trends will ensure that your reels perform well against the competition. Most importantly, you need to decide what format will work best for your business personally – perhaps going live will work better than posting reels, or maybe ensuring you find fun ways to use your stories will help you going forward?
