Launched in June 2018 as a YouTube competitor, IGTV is Instagram’s dedicated video platform and is now an integral part of many social media strategies. With mobile video set to account for 78% of all mobile data traffic by 2021, IGTV is bang on trend. But can IGTV be used as an effective marketing tool? Let’s delve deeper with IGTV Video: 10 Brands That Got It Right.
IGTV Video Facts
- IGTV videos can be as short as 15 seconds or as long as 10 minutes.
- Larger verified accounts can post videos of up to an hour.
- 1 IGTV channel is allowed per Instagram account.
- Both horizontal and vertical video formatting is available. While vertical is ideal for people who want to talk directly to the camera, horizontal is perfect for dance videos or sports clips. Horizontal videos were made possible in 2019.
- You can drive engagement by serving IGTV previews in your feed. This is a relatively new functionality and is designed to make life easier for viewers and creators. You can also share IGTV previews to Instagram Stories.
Speaking of the IGTV preview addition to Instagram feeds and the removal of the IGTV button on the homepage, a spokesman for the platform said:
“As we’ve continued to work on making it easier for people to create and discover IGTV content, we’ve learned that most people are finding IGTV videos through previews in Feed, the IGTV channel in Explore, creators’ profiles and the standalone app. Very few are clicking into the IGTV icon in the top right corner of the home screen in the Instagram app. We always aim to keep Instagram as simple as possible, so we’re removing this icon based on these learnings and feedback from our community.”
Why IGTV Rocks
- It allows you to leverage your existing audience to draw attention to longer-form content, thereby increasing engagement
- 60-second previews aid the discovery of your video content
- Longer-form content allows you to get even more creative as a brand. Content ideas include behind the scenes videos, stories of your brand, how-to clips and tutorials, footage of live events, product descriptions, interviews with business leaders or industry expert and influencer takeovers
- You can add video hashtags to make your brand more searchable. And, you can drive traffic to a specific webpage by adding a clickable link to the video description. This is perfect for product launches or specific promotions
- IGTV comes with analytics that provide engagement data and audience retention insights. This allows you to check out what videos are performing well. If you discover your audience is only watching up to the 3-minute mark of your content, for instance, you might want to consider making shorter clips
- Videos under 5 minutes are the most successful on the platform
Brands getting it right on IGTV
So, now you know the ins and outs of IGTV, let’s take a look at the brands getting it right.
#1 Harper’s Bazaar
Almost every video of Harper’s Bazaar includes a collaboration of some kind which enables the brand to tag celebrities and influencers. This increases outreach and excitement with the average video getting thousands of views. IGTV also ties in perfectly with the Harper’s Bazaar magazine editions for maximum exposure.
Top takeaway for marketers: Make your content work as hard as possible by promoting themes, stories and notable events across multiple channels in different ways. In the video featuring cover star Alicia Keys, the singer shares behind the scenes content including dress fittings which help to put a unique, must-see spin on events like the New York Fashion Week.
#2 VOGUE Germany
VOGUE Germany loves a good old influencer takeover of their tutorials, with many well-known stars and social media figures appearing on the channel. This is a great way to show off various products, attract maximum attention and keep consumers coming back for more. When Jasmine Sanders AKA Golden Barbie – a Germany/American fashion influencer and model – appeared on the channel, her cat-eye tutorial received over 181K views.
Top takeaway for marketers: Work with influencers to drive engagement but be sure you choose influencers that match your brand. Being a model and fashion influencer, Jasmine was a perfect fit.
#3 Dior
Dior’s Scent of my Man campaign paying tribute to the new Dior Homme Eau de Toilette has storytelling at its heart. The scent comes to life through the eyes and voices of three women who recall the memory of their man’s fragrance. These video clips are alive and kicking on the Dior channel helping to humanise Dior and make the brand more relatable. The below clip tagged real-life Instagram users and racked up over 183K views within a week.
Top tip for marketers: Put your brand within easy reach of consumers. People should feel like you’re talking to them and relate to what you’re trying to say. Storytelling is a great way to spark interest and to tap into human emotions.
Dior also likes to fuel their IGTV account by going behind the scenes with their models and fashion team. By posting a simple question, they’re able to generate a wealth of responses which leads to a bunch of fascinating content.
#4 Jaipur Art Factory
Behind the scenes footage can also be used to showcase craft and culture in a visually creative and interesting way. Jaipur Art Factory bought block painting to life on the IGTV channel in a rustic and simple video that attracted over 169K views.
Top tip for marketers: Try not to overcomplicate your IGTV efforts. Often, the simplest videos work best. Showcase what your brand is all about by going behind the scenes. Talk to the people who keep your business running on a daily basis. You don’t always have to be interviewing CEOs in a tie and suit as this can feel stuffy and corporate for social media.
Also, tap into educational material that people might not know. If you can help viewers learn something new, they’re likely to keep coming back.
#5 Versace
As a luxury fashion brand very much reliant on impressive visuals, IGTV is a great platform for Versace. Having their own channel allows them to showcase new collections, offer teasers, go behind the scenes, highlight accessories, focus on events and more. Donatella Versace’s speech at Pride week 2019 racked up over 1.5 million views on IGTV alone.
Top takeaway for marketers: Stay current and fresh. But if you’re going to attach yourself to a world event such as Pride, make sure it’s inline with your brand and you’re not simply piggybacking off significant occasions for attention. Versace has long supported the LGBTQ community, releasing limited edition Pride logos and clothing.
#6 Ferrari
Ferrari is using Instagram TV to their advantage by showcasing Ferrari models in all their glory, promoting debuts across the world and zooming in on Ferrari production. Their video series detailing the manufacturing of the SF90 Stradale was hugely popular with part 8 achieving over 300K views. This is a great example of how posting a series of IGTV videos can work, as likes almost doubled from the 1st episode to the last.
Top takeaway for marketers: Keep viewers hooked with a series you’ll know they’ll love. Think about your brand and analyse your demographic like crazy to see how to push their buttons. You should also check out past analytics to see what videos have performed well for you in the past to help get the series length right.
#7 Netflix
Nostalgic marketing is huge right now and Netflix knows how to appeal to their millennial demographic. They recently posted a video of the To All The Boys cast reacting to a box filled with retro toys. The result? Over 2.5 million views.
Top tip for marketers: While it’s important to keep on top of trends and drive your brand forward, throwback material can be hugely popular. This is especially true if you’ve a millennial audience who totally dig things from their childhood.
#8 Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon is adored by Gen Z and therefore, the channel is packed with Gen Z relatable content from FOMO clips of season finales to slime challenges. They’re also all about engagement and interaction, with strong calls to action. The video below, for instance, encouraging viewers to ‘annoy Squidward’ as per an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants received over 600 comments.
Top tip for marketers: Do not be afraid to instruct your audience. Keep your calls to action strong and clear to avoid confusion. You can even respond to comments along the way to boost engagement.
#9 National Geographic
One of National Geographic’s biggest appeals has long been breath-taking photography with the brand regularly running photo competitions across social media. With IGTV, they get to take things to a whole new visual level by posting incredible wildlife videos, almost like a mini documentary series. The below video about male polar bears fighting got close to 5 million views.
Top tip for marketers: Great content speaks for itself, particularly if your brand is highly visual. If you’re going to post to IGTV, make sure your content is as unique as possible. While some brands can get away with rustic, unprofessionally shot content as it creates a homely, personal feel, others like Nat Geo know they have to up their game as people associate quality images and content with their brand. Do what’s right for you.
#10 Emirates
Emirates is an airline passionate about sharing user-generated content (UGC) on Instagram. They’ve carried this through into their IGTV channel where they feature stories about their fans and customers. The video of Granny Miep meeting her beloved Airbus A380 got over 117K views.
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