Instagram is here to stay, and more than 400 monthly active users confirm this.
Every day this platform publishes 40 million images and every second more than 8,500 likes and more than 1.000 comments are generated.
With numbers like these, you can´t forget about Instagram when you create a social media strategy and if you do it right you can create this platform in the best showcase for your business.
In order to do this you need to understand the following:
If you think that Instagram only serves to publish images and use the famous filters, you are VERY mistaken.
There is life after images and there is also money, sales and much success.
Instagram knows this and that is why they have opened the door to one of the most popular formats in the online business world: video marketing.
Just so, uploading videos on Instagram is essential and you should include videos on Instagram in your content marketing right NOW.
Want to know why Instagram videos are so important to be successful in your content strategy and how to take advantage of them so your audience falls in love with your brand and you can gain more clients for your business? Let´s take a look!
Uploading videos on Instagram is like eating pizza: once you start, you can´t stop.
Why should you go beyond images and start uploading videos on Instagram?
Instagram is a very visual social network and the star content has always been images. In fact, it was created for that purpose and its logo with the picture of a camera reflects it.
But times change and marketing evolves so companies have two options: renovate or die. And Instagram has opted for the first.
It did this in 2013 when it launched the feature that allowed uploading videos on Instagram with a maximum of 15 seconds, and has done this again in 2016 increasing the duration of videos up to 60 seconds and launched what many know as the Snapchat copy, meaning Instagram Stories.
The truth is that users on this platform have loved both features and brands are trying to get the most out of it.
And this only confirms that the present and the future of social networks has to do with video marketing in the social network strategy.
So you are probably asking yourself…
Is it really necessary to do video marketing? The answer is absolutely YES.
Why are videos liked, attract and sell. Because they are attractive and easy to use. And because they strengthen the emotional bond with your followers. And because they are reproduced automatically and this increases visualizations. And because thanks to them you can become a reference in your field if you do it right. And much, much more.
In addition, as a study by HighQ demonstrates:
78% of the users consume online videos each week and 55% of them view them every day.
And not just that but Instagram publications generate more participation than the rest of the networks. According to Forrester Research, Inc.:
Instagram posts generate a percentage of engagement per follower by 4,21%. That is 58 times more engagement per follower than Facebook and 120 times more engagement per follower than Twitter.
So, in addition to using the platform to upload images and interact with your audience, you can also take advantage of videos on Instagram and your results are better than the ones you have today.
Here are 8 uploading video advantages on Instagram:
Not bad, right?
Even though many companies use Instagram videos and publish all types of videos, it´s important to know that not everything works and even if you have great ideas, the key is to know how to execute them.
That is why we are going to share with you 8 tips to help you take advantage of your Instagram video strategy.
8 tips to stand out when uploading videos on Instagram (without investing money!)
1. Define your objectives
Before you upload videos, ask yourself the following question:
What do you want to accomplish by uploading videos on Instagram?
When you have the answer, you can then begin to define your video marketing strategy.
For example, you may want to attract more traffic to your website, reach more people, increase the number of followers, improve your brand´s image or get more views.
Whatever it may be, it’s vital to know where you want to go in order to create visual pieces that get results.
2. Make sure you know what type of videos fit in your strategy
There are many ways to be successful on Instagram but to get there you need to choose the types of videos that really work (and instead of limiting yourself to one, you can combine them).
Keep in mind that hundreds of videos are uploaded every day, so in order to stand out, you need to be very creative, and the 60 second limit videos are going to do this—even if you want to take advantage of every second of broadcast—.
These are some of the videos you must include in your video marketing strategy as soon as possible:
3. Take care of your brand´s appearance
Instagram is the network for visual content par excellence, and this implies you publish attractive content and take care of your appearance so it corresponds to what you want to transmit. And the best way to do this is by designing a style guide keeping in mind all the parameters.
For example, create a style guide with an editorial policy to follow the brand´s aesthetics, predominant colors and a theme to help you create the brand´s image.
RedBull is the best company to achieve this on their Instagram profile, the brand´s aesthetics is well defined and the publication follows a consistent pattern (as you can see, approximately one third of their publications are videos).
4. Create specific videos for Instagram
If you want to take advantage of the power of video marketing within your social network strategy, you should take a look at videos on YouTube, native videos on Facebook and even on Facebook Live and videos on Twitter.
You are probably thinking, “then, why not make one video and publish it all at once on all the networks? It´s not bad reasoning, but it´s also not the best option.
The reason is quite simple: while Facebook or Twitter can publish long videos, the limit is 60 second videos on Instagram and this requires you to create impactful content and visually attractive to get the reader´s attention from the beginning and add value.
If you decide to upload videos on Instagram specific for the platform, you will get better results.
In addition, think of videos on Instagram that are reproduced automatically and without sound by default, so take advantage of creating pieces that make sense without sound since many users check out the network while they travel on public transportation or while they are in class, at work or at a place where they cannot activate sound.
Nutella, for example, has a cared for image on their Instagram account and publishes specific videos for the platform (and if you take a look, the majority of their publications are tutorial videos!).
5. Create special campaigns
One of the greatest advantages of social networks is immediacy so, why not take advantage of a special date and launch campaigns that gain visibility and increase engagement in order to improve results?
You can take advantage of holidays such as Christmas, Halloween or Carnivals to create a video related with this theme or you can take advantage of important events such as a presidential election, the Olympics or the World Cup Soccer final.
For example, Burger King make an specific video to celebrate the 99th anniversary of National American Sign Language (ASL) Day. Obviously, the video doesn’t require sound. Through the hashtag #WhooperSign, The Burger King asks his deaf fans to submit ideas to define the official sign of their famous hamburger Wooper.
6. Take advantage of #hashtags
The use of hashtags can help others discover you, so look for and explore trends and try to use them on your videos as long as they are relevant.
Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per publication so decide which ones to use and which ones you want to relate with your content topics.
But, don´t make the mistake and overuse hashtags or you will tire your audience. As usual, balance is key.
Starbucks, for example, always uses hashtags in their videos. This helps to: 1) attract new followers, and 2) connect with your audience.
7. Use Instagram Stories to strengthen your strategy
Instagram Stories is another great update on the platform to help you connect with your audience.
It basically consists of uploading several images or videos so you can successfully edit with text, scribbles and drawings and are shown as a sequence or story.
It´s quite similar to Snapchat stories and the main characteristic is shown on the upper section of the app so your followers can see your stories when they enter Instagram.
But remember, the videos disappear after 24 hours and during that time you can edit and even see the statistics of those who view the story.
This is how stories on Instagram appear:
8. Measure the results and track your brand
When you upload videos on Instagram you can see their interaction as well as the amount of views or comments. So when you publish several videos, you can (and should) measure what your audience likes the most and continue on that path.
At the same time, measure and analyze the results to know what to improve upon.
It´s also very important to manage comments, direct messages and @comments since this can help increase engagement, generate confidence and improve your brand´s image.
So, are you ready for videos on Instagram? Please try it and let us know!
No matter how much we explain about video marketing on Instagram there are advantages that only you can appreciate once you work on them so start designing your strategy and get to work. As you can see, it´s not expensive or complicated.
So now that you know: take the plunge with Instagram videos and above all, remember to share this article with those who are interested in being successful on the platform. They will thank you for it! (And let´s not kid ourselves, we will too).
And if you want to become a real expert on Instagram then take a look at these articles:
- Boost your business with Instagram for companies
- How to program publications on Instagram (step by step)
- Instagram 2016: 3 news items you should know to update your strategies
- 10 simple ways to improve engagement on Instagram and get your audience to love you
- All you need to know about Instagram Stories to take advantage of this new feature
- How to advertise on Instagram and publish ads to convert in only 10 steps
- Interview with Jenn Herman: “Miss Instagram” shares her best social media tips for your business