IGTV (Instagram Television set) lets brands create their own long-form video serial on Instagram.

It's a dandy opportunity to:

  • Build engagement
  • Interact with influencers
  • Meliorate your Instagram marketing strategy

… amidst many other things!

Merely how practice you create an IGTV aqueduct? And what are the best ways yous can utilize it for your business?

Permit's swoop into the answers, and observe out how you lot tin make IGTV work for your brand.

Note: In October 2021, Instagram combined IGTV and feed videos into a single video format: Instagram Video. The IGTV profile tab has been replaced past a Video tab. All Instagram videos can now be upwardly to threescore minutes long, and standard post editing features are available for long-form video content. Learn more than almost Instagram Video.

Bonus: Download a costless checklist that reveals the exact steps a fitness influencer used to grow from 0 to 600,000+ followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear.

What is IGTV ?

IGTV is a long-form video aqueduct accessible from Instagram and as a standalone app.

Instagram launched the feature in June 2018. It gives brands the opportunity to brand videos longer than typical Instagram Stories and posts.

In fact, verified users can post IGTV videos upwardly to an hour long. Regular users can upload 10 infinitesimal long videos—still much longer than normal videos!

In 2019, Instagram also allowed creators to post i-infinitesimal previews of their IGTV videos on their feeds to improve discoverability. That's perfect for getting your audience's attention without them having to download the app.

Instagram more than recently introduced the IGTV series feature. This allows creators to make a regular series of videos to be released on a consistent cadence (weekly, monthly, etc).

Think of information technology similar a series you'd meet on television or YouTube—just all on Instagram.

Brands have been relatively slow to prefer IGTV for a number of reasons. Master among them: the high costs and fourth dimension investment required to produce long-grade social videos.

Only if yous do it right, IGTV can actually exist a fantastic way to build engagement for your brand. Read on to find out how.

How to use IGTV

Watch this Hootsuite University video for a quick overview of how to use IGTV. Once you're done, read on to observe exact instructions (with visuals) below:

How to create an IGTV Channel

It used to be that if you wanted to upload a video onto IGTV you needed to create an IGTV Channel. However, Instagram has since washed abroad with that feature.

All yous need to create an IGTV account now is an Instagram account. Your account allows yous to upload videos onto IGTV via the Instagram app or the IGTV app.

If you lot're reading this, there'southward a adept gamble you already take an Instagram account. If you don't, that'south okay! Here's the directions straight from Instagram on how to create an business relationship.

How to upload an IGTV video

Uploading an IGTV video is very unproblematic—but there are a few ways to do it.

How to upload and IGTV video from Instagram

i. Tap the + button at the bottom of your newsfeed.

plus button on Instagram

2. Choose a video threescore seconds or longer and tap Adjacent.

choosing a video from your Instagram gallery

3. Select share as Long Video. This allows yous to post the full-length video on IGTV, while a shorter snippet of the video is shared to your Instagram feed. Tap Continue.

Long Video option for uplaoding an IGTV video

four. Choose your video's cover image from i of its frames. Alternatively, you may choose an image from your gallery. Tap Next.

selecting a cover image for your IGTV video

5. Fill up out the championship and clarification for your IGTV video. You lot also at present take the choice to Post a Preview of your video on your newsfeed and Make Visible on Facebook if you want to cross promote it.

"Post a preview" toggle option on IGTV video

You besides are able add the video to an IGTV series from hither. If you don't already have an IGTV series, don't worry. Nosotros're going to show you how down beneath.

Once you're done filling out your championship and description. Tap Postal service in the meridian right. Voila! You simply posted an IGTV video from your Instagram app!

How to upload an IGTV video from IGTV

1. Tap the + button in the top right.

Plus button on IGTV app

2. Choose a video 60 seconds or longer and tap Next.

choosing a long video from your gallery

iii. Cull your video's comprehend image from one of its frames. Alternatively, you lot may choose an prototype from your gallery. Tap Side by side.

choosing a cover image for your IGTV video from the app

4. Make full out the title and clarification for your IGTV video. You besides now have the choice to Postal service a Preview of your video on your newsfeed and Make Visible on Facebook if you want to cross promote information technology.

post a preview option on IGTV video before uploading

You also are able add together the video to an IGTV series from here. If y'all don't already have an IGTV serial, don't worry. We're going to show you how down beneath.

Once you lot're done filling out your championship and clarification. Tap Post in the top right. Voila! You just posted an IGTV video from your IGTV app!

Bonus: Download a gratuitous checklist that reveals the exact steps a fitness influencer used to grow from 0 to 600,000+ followers on Instagram with no upkeep and no expensive gear.

Go the free guide right now!

How to track your IGTV performance

To run into your IGTV analytics in Instagram:

  1. Tap the video you want to clarify.
  2. Tap the three horizontal (iPhone) or vertical (Android) dots at the bottom of the video.
  3. Tap View Insights.

In the app, you can view:

  • Likes
  • Comments
  • Direct messages
  • Saves
  • Profile visits
  • Reach
  • Interactions
  • Discovery
  • Follows
  • Impressions

IGTV Insights in Instagram IGTV Insights in Instagram

While in-app Insights volition requite you a quick view of how a video is performing, it'south not easy to compare it to the rest of your Instagram content — or fifty-fifty the rest of your IGTV videos. To get a more holistic view of your IGTV performance, you lot may want to consider a third-party social media management tool like Hootsuite.

In Hootsuite Touch on, you lot can view your IGTV analytics alongside all your other Instagram content. You'll be able to see still IGTV performance metrics y'all would make it the app, plus a customizable ROI metric that allows you lot to determine which IGTV videos are giving y'all the all-time render-on-investment based on your business goals.

IGTV analytics in Hootsuite Impact

You can likewise customize the fashion your engagement rate is calculated, if you adopt to calculate it in a dissimilar way than Instagram (for example, you could cull to count only saves and comments as "engagement").

Hootsuite Impact is worth checking out if y'all're looking for a more holistic view of your business's Instagram performance, how it performs in comparison to your other social networks, and how it contributes to your business'south bottom line.

How to create an IGTV series

Whether you want to create an IGTV serial on your Instagram app or your IGTV app, the steps will be the aforementioned.

Hither's how to create an IGTV series:

1. Make sure you're at the window where you fill out your championship and description. Tap Add together to Serial.

"Add to series" button on IGTV video upload screen

two. Tap Create Your First Series.

"Create your first series" button on IGTV series screen

three. Fill out your series's title and description. And so tap the blue checkmark in the top right.

blue checkmark in top right corner of New Series screen

iv. Make sure the series you desire your video to be a part of is selected. Then tap Washed in the superlative right.

Screen showing a selected IGTV series called "My Series!"

That's information technology! You merely created a new IGTV series.

IGTV video specs

Hither is all the video spec information y'all need for your IGTV video:

  • File format: MP4
  • Video length: At least 1 minute long
  • Maximum video length when uploading on mobile: 15 minutes
  • Maximum video length when uploading on spider web: 1 hour
  • Vertical aspect ratio: 9:sixteen
  • Horizontal aspect ratio: 16:ix
  • Minimum frame rate: 30 FPS (frames per second)
  • Minimum resolution: 720 pixels
  • Maximum file size for videos that are 10 minutes or less: 650MB
  • Maximum file size for videos upwards to 60 minutes: 3.6GB.
  • Encompass photograph size: 420px past 654px (or 1:ane.55 ratio)

Pro tip: Yous can't edit your cover photo afterwards you've uploaded it, so make sure it's perfect before you do.

5 ways to use IGTV for business organisation

Below are 5 ideas for IGTV videos or even series you can create for your make.

Create tutorial videos

One corking way to build engagement is through handy tutorial videos.

These how-to videos can cover a variety of dissimilar topics in your industry. For case, say y'all had a fitness make. You could create a serial focused on workout tutorials, or mayhap i about good for you recipes.

If your organization sells a production, you can create a how-to video focused on how to utilize that product. There are a ton of possibilities for neat IGTV series for your brand!

Host a Q&A session

A question and answer (Q&A) session with your audition is a nifty way to respond any pressing questions your followers might accept.

Information technology's likewise a great opportunity to nowadays some solid thought leadership on your manufacture.

Pro tip: Make a mail service on your Instagram feed and Story promoting your Q&A session beforehand. Be sure to ask your followers for questions and then. You tin employ them during the IGTV recording!

Go behind the scenes

This is a bang-up manner to build transparency into your brand. By giving your audience a look at how your company works—whether that be by interviewing coworkers or simply touring your workspace—you humanize your brand to viewers.

That results in more trust between the audience and your organization. And brand trust is a crucial thing for everything from marketing to sales.

Stream an effect

Hosting an event similar a convention or a seminar? Share that with your viewers on your IGTV aqueduct!

This is a neat opportunity to allow those who couldn't attend a run a risk to "attend" virtually. Your viewers will capeesh it, and y'all tin can requite them content they can engage with.

Host a talk prove

Ever dream of seeing your name nether the "Tonight Prove" imprint? Now you can (kind of)!

You can host a talk show on your IGTV that's centered on your brand. Accept guests on who are influencers and thought leaders in your industry. Monologue well-nigh manufacture news. If you're really ambitious, you lot can become your coworkers together and create an in-house band.

(Okay, maybe don't practise that last i.)

IGTV tips and best practices

Cantankerous promote your video

Whenever you lot start posting to a new aqueduct, it's best practice to inform your followers on other channels what you're upward to, in case they want to follow y'all there too.

This is especially truthful for IGTV, as some people will have to download a new app to view your content.

IGTV offers a few dissimilar cross-promotion options:

  • Preview and link to an IGTV video from your Instagram Stories (verified or business users only)
  • Share ane infinitesimal previews of your IGTV videos to your Instagram feed and profile (users will be prompted to Proceed Watching on IGTV)
  • Share IGTV videos to a continued Facebook page

Outside of Instagram, consider including callouts to your IGTV channel from:

  • Twitter
  • An email newsletter
  • Your Facebook Page

Optimize for silent viewing

Chances are if people are watching your video in the IGTV app, they'll turn their audio on. But even the videos that play automatically in the app default to "audio off".

And if you're sharing your video in your Instagram Stories or on your feed, nigh people will not take their sound on.

So make sure your video is optimized to play without sound—i.east., it either makes sense without sound, or has easily visible subtitles. Clipomatic tin help with this.

Include the nearly important info upwardly front

People scroll through their feeds quickly. Yous but have a small window of time to grab their attention—upwardly to a minute if you're lucky, but fifteen seconds is probably a more realistic target.

And then make sure your IGTV video hooks your viewers as before long every bit possible. Don't let their attending slip or give them a reason to swipe through to the next affair.

This is especially true if you're sharing a preview to your Instagram feed, where viewers will be prompted to "keep watching" on IGTV afterward one minute.

Think of the beginning minute of your video as an introduction to a weblog post. No matter how flashy and engaging your video is, you'll need to respond the following questions:

  • What is this video about?
  • Why should you go along watching?
  • Optional: Who is this video for?
  • Optional: How long will it be?

Answering these questions equally presently every bit possible will guarantee longer and higher quality views.

Use relevant hashtags in your clarification

Search functionality on IGTV has received some criticism. As of April 2020, you tin only search for profiles rather than videos on a specific topic (think: how y'all search for a YouTube video).

Just Instagram is said to be working on changing that

.IGTV video called "Art timelapse: This is the extended version of my #coverpage for March" from @thegraytergood

In the meantime, ensure your videos are too seen by non-followers by including relevant hashtags in your description. Your videos will show up on the corresponding hashtag folio on Instagram, where people following that hashtag tin can find your content.

hashtag page for photos with #bulletjournal, including the video from the previous screenshot

Only post content that warrants a longer format

IGTV isn't just a place to be cross posting your Instagram Stories. If you desire people to follow you on both channels, you need to brand sure they take a proficient reason to do so.

This means developing new content that fits a longer format. While your Instagram Stories are designed to fit within snappy 15-2nd clips, what would you exercise with more than xv seconds? Lean into that space and brainstorm.

Like YouTube, long-class tutorial content is popular on IGTV. Merely some brands take even developed unabridged TV series for the app.

Obviously what you cull to do depends on your budget and your make, but here are some long-course video content ideas to get you started.

Utilize your brand colors, fonts, themes, etc.

Just because it'south a different app doesn't hateful you're presenting a different brand. It can already be a jarring experience to exit one app to spotter content some other, so make the experience as smooth as possible for your followers. Allow them know you're the same old you, only on a unlike channel.

That means sticking to the same colors, tone, and vibe as usual. Bonus: this will help your IGTV content fit into your feed likewise.

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