On June 20, 2018, Instagram became an even bigger force to reckon with in light of its announcement of IGTV, a stand-alone application for users to upload long-form vertical videos. Unlike other video apps, IGTV starts playing content the second a user enters the platform, much like how you can immediately start watching television when you turn it on.
Not only is IGTV a potential hub for companies and brands to display advertisements, it also allows them to engage more deeply with their audience. Users are voluntarily choosing to watch longer, more elaborate videos; therefore, the message of your content is likely to be better received and understood.
Many brands are already taking advantage of Instagram’s newest platform, creating and publishing completely new content. Content built specifically for IGTV. For example, take Chipotle. In their IGTV debut, they released a one minute and 11 second video, featuring an individual pulling out what seemed like an endless amount of various Chipotle items. Before this video, Chipotle’s content could get anywhere from 15,000 to 50,000 likes and 30 to 50 comments. This new, longer and vertical video received well over 10,000 views and 30+ comments, making it a successful integration into the world of Instagram television.
Although Chipotle and other brands are creating new content for IGTV, others are transferring over videos that were originally posted on their stories. Warby Parker, for example, repurposed an interview for IGTV that was once published on their story. Although this technique is easy, many experts are warning Instagram. They fear this new feature will simply become another place for Instagram stories to live, leaving many people asking, “Will IGTV replace the story function?"
Only time will tell.
On the other hand, the app also has
countless perks and avantages. For starters, it is fairly easy to rack up views on the new video sharing platform simply because there is not much content posted on it yet. However, if brands plan to utilize this new feature, they should start encouraging users to download the stand-alone app ASAP. Instagram is also being praised for its ability to integrate the new platform with the one that already exists. Videos for Instagram stories already had to be vertical, making it easy for companies like Warby Parker to post their stories in a more permanent location.
Despite these advantages, there is a common complaint we are seeing. The search function. Its capabilities are limited. Right now, videos are organized by a user’s interests, who they follow and their most popular videos. Although you are allowed to search for a specific creator, you can’t search for content by specific genre or topic.
New technology always seems a bit scary at first, but it’s simply a new tool for brands to utilize.
What are your thoughts on Instagram’s newest feature?
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