How to Use Instagram Video Features and Apps to Enhance Brand Awareness
Of all the various social media platforms to grow a brand, Instagram tends to be cited as the most straightforward and useful social media site for a person to use. Instagram has all of the right tools; it's widespread, elementary, and is a perfect way for any brand to grow.
Part of the reason Instagram is such a useful tool for a brand is its ability to implement both video and photos into its platform. As a result, many brands begin to understand the importance of Instagram views with growing their brand and its promotional campaign success. In fact, many will utilize social media market resources as a way to skyrocket their brand in popularity and likability.
There are plenty of tips and apps every brand owner should know to help grow their brand. Considering Instagram is a never-ending growing platform, down below will take an in-depth look at using Instagram video features and apps to enhance brand awareness.
Instagram Video Examples
Before understanding how to implement the best practices for Instagram video features, it’s worthwhile to fully know all of the video examples on Instagram. After all, Instagram has four different ways to make and post videos, more so than most other platforms.
The four main ways to create videos for Instagram include Instagram stories, Instagram TV, Instagram reels, and the traditional way of making an Instagram post. Every single option is worth highlighting for a brand, but since they all vary a bit, there are rules to aware of with each.
Instagram Stories
Instagram stories are made available for people to click on a brand’s photo and see something more engaging with them than a traditional post. They’re a massive success, causing most other platforms to copy the story features with Facebook and Twitter’s recent introduction of fleets.
Instagram Stories can be 15 seconds long, but brands shouldn't be afraid to clip longer segments into their stories. Brands should also realize stories are mostly read on mobile devices, meaning the video should be tailored for the 9:16 ratio. Usually, announcements and behind the scene looks are best tailored for stories.
Instagram TV
Instagram TV plays a similar role to a standard Instagram post but with much longer videos. The minimum requirement is 60 seconds, with the maximum video length being 15 minutes from a mobile phone and 60 minutes from a computer. As most can imagine, Instagram TV is excellent for long segments, interviews, etc.
Instagram TV is meant for creative videos that are too long for the traditional Instagram post style. There is plenty to consider in the Instagram TV world. Still, the possibilities are endless with the longer format. Still, it’s best to be mindful of quality when it comes to longer formats.
Instagram Reels
Think of Instagram Reels as Instagram’s version of Tik Tok. Reels are short 15 to 30-second clips that act terribly similar to traditional Tik Tok videos. Many TikTokers utilize Instagram Reels to double-up their content, which can be done by brands as well.
Most Reels tend to be done on the funnier side of things, making it more necessary to figure out a Reel humoristic approach. Still, more straightforward content can be done, such as showing off how something is done or a quick tour behind the scenes, etc.
Instagram Posts
Instagram posts are the most straightforward concept to grasp as they're traditional posts but are videos instead of photos. Since their inception, posts have allowed users to upload video content first before anything else on the list. Post videos have to be at least three seconds long and shorter than 60 seconds.
Unlike stories, posts can be done horizontally or vertically, allowing more flexibility than traditional posts. Most brands choose posts for 60-second content, with Reels meant for humorous 15 to 30-second videos, stories for quick announcements, and IGTV for longer formatted videos.
Instagram Live
Last up is Instagram Live, a way for users to go live on their story for as long as they want. Internet connection is the most significant component of Instagram Live as slow internet can generate a jittery live stream, causing people to be annoyed when they tune into the live stream.
Instagram Live is best suited for Q&As and relaxed talk, allowing people to get an inside scoop on a brand while chatting it up. Just about every Instagram Live is very relaxed and doesn’t need to be overly professional like everything else. Thus, going live is reasonably easy to do as long as the internet connection isn’t bad.
Understanding Quality Over Quantity
When it comes to Instagram and video content, the number one rule to follow is understanding quality over quantity. Frequently, brands think they have to make consistent content every day; that is what will slowly build them a following. Although content consistency is vital, so is the quality.
If a brand were to upload low-quality videos every day, that’d only hurt their brand instead of helping it. Thus, videos should have a purpose, be in focus, and have a high-quality nature to them. If videos aren’t done correctly, it’s best to avoid it altogether until the brand can figure it out.
Content Consistency
Whether it's a video or not, the idea of posting content is for it to grow a following. The primary purpose of social media for a brand is to help build a following that’ll hopefully purchase a product or service as a result. Thus, content becomes a consistent notion of building that following.
Many debates over content consistency and how much is too much or too little. In reality, all of it depends on what the content is and the purpose of it. With videos, stories can be done every few hours, posts and reels can be done once a day at most, with IGTV being more of a weekly segment.
What’s the Goal?
The leading issue brands have with gaining traction on Instagram is their inability to highlight their purpose and goal. After all, social media is there for a business or brand to achieve something. Whether that something is to grow a following, sell more products, or create brand awareness, all of it is relevant.
Knowing what the specific goal is will help understand what should be done content-wise. There should also be multiple levels of goals relating to the short-term and long-term. Once brands get the hang of it, they’ll soon realize how they can help themselves sooner than later.
Mobile Experience
Most brands need to realize that Instagram video content revolves around a mobile experience. Hardly anyone ventures on Instagram through a desktop; that's not reality. Thus, all video content should be made with the mobile experience in mind.
Beginning with a Hook
Similar to a movie trailer, Instagram video content needs to begin with a hook as a way to pull the user in. Although Instagram stories don’t always need to begin with a bang, practically every other video variation needs a strong hook. It can be something simple or complicated as long as it draws the viewer in.
It can be challenging to give tips on drawing the viewer in without knowing what the brand is, but realize it all has to do with making the viewer's life better. So, utilize it to create the best content geared at drawing a broader audience base from it.
Is It Valuable?
Going back to the notion of videos and their goal, brands should always ask themselves if what they're making is valuable. Not only does it need to be valuable to the brand itself, but for the user who is watching it. Taking a glance and looking at both perspectives can go a long way for everyone involved.
No one will waste their time watching something if they think it’s useless. Now, the video doesn’t need to be overly complicated. Still, it should have enough value for anyone who watches it that it doesn’t make them feel like they wasted their time.
Sound and Captions
The sound needs to be right for an Instagram video; otherwise, people won’t bother wasting their time. Sound is arguably more important than the video, as videos with lousy sound infuriate people more than bad camera work.
Promoting Videos
The point of video content is not merely making it, throwing it up, and hoping for the best. Promotion goes a long way, meaning people should implement collaborations and various other methods to help promote their brand and content.
Instagram Apps and Their Use
As great as Instagram is for so many different reasons, the truth is there are plenty of other apps that’ll allow a brand to make better content. It’d be impossible to discuss every app, but down below is a quick list of five of the best apps for Instagram video content:
- InShot (Video Editor)
- Hyperlapse
- Boomerang
- Quik
- Crop Square Video
