IGTV sits right in between the limitless long-form videos on YouTube and instant Snapchat clips. By 2021, mobile video will account for 78% of total mobile data traffic, and Instagram is betting big on mobile video with the launch of IGTV. This form of video can make you go viral with the possibility of engagement around it, but the real question is, how do you shoot it? It’s not the same as shooting for YouTube or another medium, it’s different, and this is what you should know.
Vertical over horizontal
IGTV screen is made for vertically shot videos. Yes, you can upload videos in a horizontal format, but you can only do that at the cost of a not-so-professional video edit. If your video is shot in a horizontal format, you can scale it to a 9:16 ratio and use it for IGTV, while it won’t be perfect, it will be okay to watch.
Work on a clock
Fifteen minutes is all you get with the IGTV; when you try to exceed the time limit, your video gets cut, so watch out! Some try to split up the videos into multiple IGTV videos, which is once again a very unprofessional move. If your account is verified, it can go for an hour-long, and the good news is IG is working on removing the cap on timing.
Cross-promote everything left, right, and center!
Let’s say you have an audience on IG, every time you shoot a YouTube video, make sure to have a BTS clip or the same thing shot in a vertical formal. Ask why? So, you could upload that extraction on IGTV so that your audience on Instagram gets a glimpse of what’s on YouTube. It could be even an article on a site for which releasing a quick 5–10 minute long IGTV video explaining the blog post will be a brilliant ice-breaker for your IG audience to ease into your website. No pressure, think about it!
Select an on-brand aesthetic
Let’s say your blog is about food, it’s only fair to have your video shot in the kitchen or somewhere quite culinary-like without having random things popping up. Even if you need a basic clean look and feel for your video, it’s best to pay attention to details like the lamp in the corner of your room and make sure it’s not in the frame. It’s these tiny details that distract your audience from the subject of the video. You have a few minutes to communicate to your people on IG, are you going to let a lamp get in your way?
Don’t forget your subtitles
It is crucial for a few reasons, one being it makes your video accessible to those with hearing impairment. Secondly, 85 percent of people watch videos on Facebook or Instagram with the sound off, and what about those stuck at a public gathering and consuming content on mute, you’d be missing out on those views too!
Be wise about your cover photo
Instagram IGTV lets you choose cover images for your video, and the image you select will appear in the IG feed. This image acts as one of the deciding factors on whether the user will click on it or scroll past it. Here, people are going to judge the video by its cover, so what you need is an engaging photo that gets people to stop, wonder, be curious, and click.
Keep an eye on the insights
While insights alone don’t determine the quality of your video, it’s what is going to get your clients or the brands you partner to believe in you. Listen to what it says and translate it into directions that would guide your blog to better places. IG provides in-app analytics to help you measure the views and demographics of the audience, who watch your IGTV content. So, for instance, if you see a specific demographic of people showing real-time interest in your blog, maybe you could design content that will make them feel included in your community.