IGTV (Instagram TV) lets brands create their own long-form video series on Instagram.

Information technology'southward a great opportunity to:

  • Build date
  • Collaborate with influencers
  • Meliorate your Instagram marketing strategy

… among many other things!

Merely how practice you create an IGTV channel? And what are the best ways y'all tin use it for your concern?

Let's dive into the answers, and discover out how you lot tin can make IGTV work for your brand.

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 The IGTV profile tab has been replaced by a Video tab.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

Bonus: Download a gratis checklist that reveals the verbal 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-grade video channel accessible from Instagram and as a standalone app.

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

In fact, verified users can post IGTV videos upward to an hr long. Regular users can upload 10 minute long videos—all the same much longer than normal videos!

In 2019, Instagram as well allowed creators to postal service i-minute previews of their IGTV videos on their feeds to better discoverability. That's perfect for getting your audience'southward 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).

Recollect of it like a series you'd see on television or YouTube—simply all on Instagram.

Brands have been relatively slow to prefer IGTV for a number of reasons. Main amidst them: the high costs and time investment required to produce long-form social videos.

Only if you do it right, IGTV can really exist a fantastic way to build engagement for your make. Read on to observe out how.

How to use IGTV

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

How to create an IGTV Aqueduct

Information technology used to be that if you wanted to upload a video onto IGTV you needed to create an IGTV Aqueduct. However, Instagram has since washed away with that feature.

All you need to create an IGTV account now is an Instagram business relationship. Your account allows y'all to upload videos onto IGTV via the Instagram app or the IGTV app.

If you're reading this, at that place'southward a adept chance you already accept an Instagram account. If you don't, that'due south okay! Here'due south the directions straight from Instagram on how to create an account.

How to upload an IGTV video

Uploading an IGTV video is very simple—just there are a few means to do it.

How to upload and IGTV video from Instagram

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

plus button on Instagram

2. Cull a video lx seconds or longer and tap Next.

choosing a video from your Instagram gallery

three. Select share equally Long Video. This allows you 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

4. Choose your video's comprehend image from i of its frames. Alternatively, you may choose an prototype from your gallery. Tap Adjacent.

selecting a cover image for your IGTV video

5. Fill up out the title and clarification for your IGTV video. You also now have the option to Post a Preview of your video on your newsfeed and Make Visible on Facebook if you desire to cantankerous promote information technology.

"Post a preview" toggle option on IGTV video

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

One time you lot're done filling out your title and description. Tap Mail service in the top right. Voila! You lot just 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 lx seconds or longer and tap Next.

choosing a long video from your gallery

3. Choose your video's comprehend image from one of its frames. Alternatively, y'all may choose an paradigm from your gallery. Tap Adjacent.

choosing a cover image for your IGTV video from the app

4. Fill out the title and description for your IGTV video. You lot likewise now take the choice to Postal service a Preview of your video on your newsfeed and Make Visible on Facebook if yous desire to cross promote it.

post a preview option on IGTV video before uploading

You lot as well are able add the video to an IGTV series from here. If you don't already accept an IGTV series, don't worry. We're going to prove you how down below.

In one case you lot're done filling out your title and description. Tap Post in the top right. Voila! You just posted an IGTV video from your IGTV app!

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

Become the gratis guide right now!

How to rails your IGTV performance

To see your IGTV analytics in Instagram:

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

In the app, you lot can view:

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

IGTV Insights in Instagram IGTV Insights in Instagram

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

In Hootsuite Bear on, you lot can view your IGTV analytics alongside all your other Instagram content. Yous'll be able to run into however IGTV performance metrics you would arrive the app, plus a customizable ROI metric that allows yous to make up one's mind which IGTV videos are giving y'all the best return-on-investment based on your business goals.

IGTV analytics in Hootsuite Impact

You tin too customize the way your engagement rate is calculated, if y'all adopt to calculate it in a unlike way than Instagram (for example, you could cull to count simply saves and comments as "appointment").

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

How to create an IGTV series

Whether yous want to create an IGTV series on your Instagram app or your IGTV app, the steps will be the same.

Here's how to create an IGTV series:

1. Make sure yous're at the window where you fill out your title and clarification. Tap Add to Serial.

"Add to series" button on IGTV video upload screen

2. Tap Create Your Start Series.

"Create your first series" button on IGTV series screen

3. Make full out your series's title and description. Then tap the blue checkmark in the top correct.

blue checkmark in top right corner of New Series screen

iv. Brand sure the series y'all want your video to be a part of is selected. Then tap Done in the top right.

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

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

IGTV video specs

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

  • File format: MP4
  • Video length: At least 1 minute long
  • Maximum video length when uploading on mobile: fifteen minutes
  • Maximum video length when uploading on web: 1 hour
  • Vertical aspect ratio: nine:sixteen
  • Horizontal aspect ratio: 16:nine
  • 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 up to hr: 3.6GB.
  • Embrace photo size: 420px by 654px (or 1:one.55 ratio)

Pro tip: You can't edit your cover photo later yous've uploaded information technology, so make certain it'due south perfect before yous do.

5 means to utilise IGTV for business

Below are five ideas for IGTV videos or even series you can create for your brand.

Create tutorial videos

I nifty mode to build engagement is through handy tutorial videos.

These how-to videos can cover a diverseness of different topics in your industry. For example, say you had a fitness brand. Y'all could create a series focused on workout tutorials, or peradventure ane virtually healthy recipes.

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

Host a Q&A session

A question and respond (Q&A) session with your audience is a bully way to reply any pressing questions your followers might have.

It'southward also a not bad opportunity to present some solid thought leadership on your industry.

Pro tip: Brand a post on your Instagram feed and Story promoting your Q&A session beforehand. Be certain to enquire your followers for questions then. You tin employ them during the IGTV recording!

Become backside the scenes

This is a peachy mode to build transparency into your make. By giving your audience a expect at how your visitor 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 affair for everything from marketing to sales.

Stream an outcome

Hosting an result like a convention or a seminar? Share that with your viewers on your IGTV channel!

This is a groovy opportunity to allow those who couldn't attend a chance to "nourish" nearly. Your viewers will appreciate information technology, and you can requite them content they can engage with.

Host a talk bear witness

E'er dream of seeing your name under the "This night Show" banner? Now you can (kind of)!

Y'all can host a talk show on your IGTV that's centered on your make. Take guests on who are influencers and thought leaders in your industry. Monologue virtually industry news. If you lot're really aggressive, you can get your coworkers together and create an in-house band.

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

IGTV tips and best practices

Cross promote your video

Whenever you lot start posting to a new channel, information technology's best practice to inform your followers on other channels what you're up to, in case they desire to follow you there also.

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

IGTV offers a few different cross-promotion options:

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

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

  • Twitter
  • An electronic mail newsletter
  • Your Facebook Folio

Optimize for silent viewing

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

And if you're sharing your video in your Instagram Stories or on your feed, about people will non take their sound on.

So brand sure your video is optimized to play without sound—i.e., it either makes sense without sound, or has easily visible subtitles. Clipomatic can assist with this.

Include the most of import info up forepart

People scroll through their feeds apace. You lot merely have a modest window of time to grab their attention—up to a minute if you're lucky, but xv seconds is probably a more realistic target.

So make certain your IGTV video hooks your viewers as before long as possible. Don't let their attention 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 volition be prompted to "keep watching" on IGTV subsequently one minute.

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

  • What is this video most?
  • Why should you keep watching?
  • Optional: Who is this video for?
  • Optional: How long will information technology exist?

Answering these questions every bit soon as possible volition guarantee longer and college quality views.

Employ relevant hashtags in your description

Search functionality on IGTV has received some criticism. Every bit of April 2020, you tin merely search for profiles rather than videos on a specific topic (think: how you search for a YouTube video).

But 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 also seen by non-followers by including relevant hashtags in your description. Your videos will testify up on the corresponding hashtag folio on Instagram, where people post-obit that hashtag can notice your content.

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

Merely post content that warrants a longer format

IGTV isn't just a identify to be cantankerous posting your Instagram Stories. If you desire people to follow you lot on both channels, you need to make sure they have a good reason to do so.

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

Like YouTube, long-form tutorial content is popular on IGTV. But some brands have even adult entire Television series for the app.

Plainly what you lot cull to exercise depends on your upkeep and your brand, but here are some long-grade video content ideas to get y'all started.

Apply your brand colors, fonts, themes, etc.

Just because it'due south a different app doesn't mean you're presenting a different brand. Information technology tin can already exist a jarring experience to exit ane app to watch content some other, and so brand the experience equally smooth as possible for your followers. Let them know yous're the same former you, just on a different channel.

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

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