By now you probably already know that Video on Instagram is the newest social media debut since the popular video Vine app was released. The new video feature allows Instagram's 130 million users to create and share up to 15 seconds of video. According to Mashable, within the first 24 hours of Instagram video availability on June 20, users uploaded more than 5 million videos.
What makes Instagram videos different?
Not only does Instagram's video feature nearly double the amount of video time allowed by Vine, but it also allows clip editing and the creation of a cover frame. And of course, it wouldn't be Instagram without the filters option. Users can choose from new filters, with names like Moon, Gingham and Dogpatch. When capturing video in Instagram you can also tap on the frame to focus on your depth of field, a neat feature for those more professional photogs. Instagram also offers image stabilization, another excellent tool for those with slightly shaky filming hands.
Marketing Takeaways
As we've mentioned many times before, visual content is a great way to build your brand and your audiences.
-Engagement: In a study by SimplyMeasured, 67% of top brands in the world have a presence on Instagram. By engaging in this new medium, brands can generate even more conversation and continue to build a strong social media presence. Creating videos on Instagram can more than double the average number of likes than a typical photo upload. Companies should think of unique and creative ways to market themselves via Instagram videos in 15 seconds or less.
-Share: Share your Instagram videos on more than just Instagram. Make thorough use of the biggest social media platform in existence, Facebook. Facebook and Instagram are part of the same company, and connecting the two can increase the broad reach of your social media efforts.
-Brand Yourself: Don't forget that your Instagram video is meant to strengthen your brand image. Make sure you have a logo, or some sort of brand recognition in the video that you publish. You want your viewers to LOVE your video, and know that your company produced it.
-Create a Connection: Instagram video's are generally unpolished, and don't make viewers feel like they are watching a force-fed advertisement. Instead, many people can connect to the products and brands in Instagram videos on a different level than typical commercial spots. Viewers may feel as if they are watching a more behind-the-scenes home video and respond better to these brief clips.
As expected, Vine sharing on Twitter has dipped in numbers since the debut of Instagram videos. The Vine app (with roughly 13 million users) now directly competes with the already mega-popular Instagram photo sharing social media platform. Since the launch of Instagram videos, however, Vine has indicated that there will be exciting new parts of Vine to be released over the new few weeks.
Instagram Video Branding
Many popular brands have already capitalized on Instagram's video sharing feature, and with great response. Here are a few of our favorite brands that have found the magic of Instagram video already:
Red Vines (One of ImageWork's favorite candies)
Is your business leveraging Instagram's video capabilities yet? Download our free Internet marketing ebook and get your social media marketing efforts started today!
