Instagram TV: How to use the new app IGTV

March 21, 2019

Today’s technical features are changing at a breathtaking pace: the popular Instagram photo app now has an exciting new feature that has become the number one talk point in the social media world. Video content that used to be connected to the TV in the living room is now a faint echo of the past. People see less television and more digital video, especially on the phone. According to Cisco, mobile video will account for 78 percent of total mobile traffic by 2021.

Instagram recognized his opportunity and seized the opportunity. In June, the company launched IGTV, which surprised many users. In the regular Instagram app, there is an icon or a button for it, and a separate IGTV app is also available. Some call the new service the next YouTube or even a YouTube killer, but is it really? And what is IGTV exactly? The following article provides the answers.

Contents

  1. What is IGTV?
  2. How do I use IGTV?
  3. Create your own IGTV channel? That’s how it’s done!
  4. What advantages does IGTV offer?
  5. How to make good IGTV videos?
  6. “Content is King” - also on Instagram TV!
  7. What’s next with IGTV?

What is IGTV?

IGTV is Instagram TV, an Instagram app for portrait or vertical mobile videos only. The IGTV app is a stand-alone app, but users can also access the feature via the Instagram app.

igtv appScreenshot of the IGTV-App in the Apple App-Store

Instagram’s Instagram TV screen allows you to select different categories of channels, such as “For You” or “Popular”. A video will play as soon as the main screen is opened. While browsing, users can click on a particular channel to view the profile and previous videos.

It really feels a bit like flipping through TV channels, just on Instagram. The IGTV videos can be liked, commented and shared just like an Instagram post.

Wie benutze ich IGTV?

After the question “What is IGTV?” has been clarified, let’s look at the application of the new feature. Users can access Instagram TV with a personal or business Instagram account, through the Instagram app itself, or through the IGTV app. On the IGTV main screen, the feature looks like regular television with different channels. Channels are linked here with Instagram profiles that anyone can create.

instagram tvinstagram browse
Instagram TV & IGTV Browse

The Instagram TV screen allows you to select different categories of channels, such as “For You” or “Popular”. A video will play as soon as the main screen is opened. While browsing, users can click on a particular channel to view the profile and previous videos.

It really feels a bit like flipping through TV channels, just on Instagram. The IGTV videos can be liked, commented and shared just like an Instagram post.

Create your own IGTV channel? That’s how it’s done!

If you want to create attractive Instagram videos for your followers, you need a separate channel. Fortunately, creating a channel is as easy as watching the IGTV content. After clicking the “Browse” button, the IGTV menu appears. Next to the search bar you can see a small button that redirects users to a page to create the channel. With just a few clicks, the channel is set up and ready for your videos.

Upload IGTV videosUpload IGTV videos

The current Instagram followers will automatically have access to IGTV videos, so users will already have an existing video audience and will not have to worry about building followers. Instead, users can now focus on creating high-quality Instagram videos.

What advantages does IGTV offer?

Videos are becoming increasingly important to marketers and businesses. The average person watches more than one and a half hours of online video content daily, and 78 percent of marketers say that video content gives them a good return on investment (ROI).

Videos help connect with your audience and tell a story. As people love visual content, high-quality and exciting videos can even increase the trustworthiness of the brand. Videos are easy to consume and in high demand today. Video content is a useful component of content marketing and social media strategies, and Instagram TV makes the process of creation as easy as possible.

How to make good IGTV videos?

High-quality video content can be created in the new IGTV format without special knowledge. The videos can be recorded directly from the smartphone. Free video editing apps that edit the clips and add filters and text do the rest.

Before starting to create videos, the content should first be set. As with all social media features, users should also consider how the videos with IGTV support their own business goals.

Here are some ideas for the IGTV format:

  • Tutorials and how-to guides
  • Training videos
  • behind-the-scenes shots
  • Product demos and sneak peaks
  • Team presentations and interviews
  • Office Tours

The video length for the Instagram video format is between 15 seconds and 10 minutes. Verified accounts, on the other hand, have the ability to play videos lasting up to an hour. The uploaded video must also be in MP4 format. Instagram TV allows creators to upload high quality, long format, vertical videos. As the Internet expands into engaging content, Instagram TV is worth a trial run.

“Content is King” - also on Instagram TV!

The key to a good IGTV video is to pass on useful information that users will not find anywhere else. Of course, the content must be relevant and, in a sense, linked to your brand or account. Here are some tips on creating high-quality IGTV videos:

1.) Keywords are the key!

There is currently no search option for the Instagram video format. But without being able to search for keywords (like on YouTube) or hashtags, content is unlikely to be found by new target customers. However, keywords can be entered in the channel name (also known as “handle”). For example, if users enter “photography”, all channels with the word “photography” appear in the titles. The channel should already be tagged with a specific keyword, which will display the videos users are explicitly looking for.

2.) Use exclusive offers from IGTV

Exclusivity is always a big attraction. So why not use the VIP status to give your followers an exclusive experience? This allows users to create videos specifically for the Instagram video format that the followers really care about. The scarcity of equivalent content will lead the audience to follow exclusive creators. Users can get their VIP status by making sure they are not on any other channel.

3.) Benefit from Instagram features

One of the main advantages of Instagram TV is the native integration with Instagram. This makes it easy to link new IGTV videos with stories and posts. In addition, a preview of the IGTV video can be published directly in the Instagram stories.

4.) Include other social platforms

The own IGTV channel can also be shared on other social media platforms. Users create a teaser clip of the current video and share it on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc. and get even more coverage. Just because it’s a new app does not mean that popular platforms will not work anymore. On the contrary, anyone who regularly publishes IGTV videos can also access cross-promotions via Instagram and advertise the new videos there.

What’s next with IGTV?

The IGTV format opens up new possibilities for companies to connect to their target customers on Instagram. If Instagram TV is not yet part of their own campaign, maybe it’s time to step into the limelight and become a video star. Or at least consider how the new feature can be included in the content strategy in order to improve its own presence on social media.

Über den Autor: Julian is CMO & Co-founder of Reachbird.io and responsible for all of the company’s marketing activities. His expertise in social media and influencer marketing has already been discussed and proven at lectures such as The Cebit, Transformamus, InfluencerCon or WebStages.

Subscribe to magazine

Related articles

by Julian

November 16, 2018

How to successfully analyze influencer marketing on Instagram

According to a study by Nielsen (2012) more than 90% of consumers trust in peer-recommendations, whereas only 30% trust in traditional…

by Julian

October 10, 2018

How to prepare and pitch an influencer marketing campaign

Influencer marketing is a new and hot topic even for experienced agencies. Therefore sometimes it is not easy to prepare ideas and pitch…