The Power Of Video For Instagram (Part One - Direct Posting)

Ok, so I run a content production company, and it's sometimes a little painful to see video being misused on Instagram because the potential for businesses is huge!

No longer do you need a huge budget to take advantage of video marketing. With an array of useful editing apps available to download, you can make some pretty good videos on your smartphone and companies like Outlaw Social exist to create good value content specifically for social application, so you’re not short of an option or two.

When it comes to Instagram, it used to be a 15-second clip was the only option but now video marketing is much more accessible with Instagram Stories, Instagram Live, direct feed posting and IGTV.

Yes, photos are still the most common format on Instagram and get the most engagement, but, Instagram video is growing fast and

according to a recent report by Emarketer, engagement numbers for videos are growing at a much faster rate than photos.

Photos are great, and we love a beautifully curated feed, but photos have their limitations, and can't tell a complex story in the same way that a video can. One of the key reasons that we incorporate video into most of our social campaigns for clients, particularly when we are aiming to educate the audience engagingly.

Grab a cuppa, cus I’m about to share some nuggets that will hopefully add some value to your business.

*Scottish Edge Finals 2019, filmes by Outlaw Social

Standard Instagram Video Posts

First up, the old school way (Well not old school if you're my age, but the original way); posting directly to your Instagram feed.

In 2019, your Instagram feed presents the opportunity to share long-form video content with your audience, compared to just 15 seconds a few years ago!

The Stats

The scope for Instagram feed videos are pretty wide, but here are the stats to keep you right:

Video format: MP4

Length: 3 seconds to 60 seconds

Size: Instagram doesn’t limit file size, but best to keep under 50MB

Orientation: square, portrait, and landscape

Aspect ratio: a minimum of 1.91:1 and a maximum of 4:5

When you should think about using video on your feed?

As discussed the scope for Instagram video posts is pretty big, so there is lots of opportunity for growth, so long as you are within the 60-second limits. Below are a few examples of scenarios where the use of video would work well on Instagram:

Educate Your Audience - When you have a technical product or a service that requires an element of audience education, the 60-second video scope can prove very useful in comparison to a static image. Well edited video can convey an important message about the application of a product or service that may be vital to engaging your audience and convincing them to find out more / purchase. We have seen this work well, both with animated content and organic video. As a working example, to lead your customer through the educational process, with products that have a long conversion cycle, you could get creative in a studio, producing a series of product/service video demos, short and snappy and all with the same themed backdrops for aesthetic consistency. We have seen this work incredibly well for clients as it can provide content for several months and ultimately lead to improved conversion rates and brand equity.

Sell your product - Because video is dynamic, it gives you the ability to bring your product to life in a way that photography can’t, particularly on social media where attention spans are shorter than normal. The use of video presents an efficient way to both show more products in one post or demonstrate more benefits for a single product, again something that can prove difficult through photography. Whether you decide to use stop motion, timelapse, animation or standard video, it doesn't have to be time consuming or expensive. If it’s sales you are looking for then the use of video could provide the up-kick in ROI you are looking for.

*Top Tip* -  At Outlaw, one of our favourite apps for creating striking stop motion videos is https://www.lifelapseapp.com/, super easy to use, and the results can be impressive.

Inspire your audience and build brand trust

* Detox, health, beauty festival , filmed by Outlaw Social

We’ve all experienced it, watching the John Lewis advert at Christmas time, and the effect it has on all of your senses, it connects. Well, that is the power of video, and at Outlaw Social, we are passionate about making cinematic videos accessible to SME’s. And the beauty is you can connect in that same way with your audience on social media, so long as you have thought through the strategy behind your video. Executed well, video can add layers of connection and relatability with your audience, building trust, instigating an emotional response and developing true brand equity. When preparing to record a video, start to think with the customer in mind; what language do they use? What engages them? What are they passionate about? What would they like to learn? Why should they stop scrolling and watch your business?

Tricks Of The Trade...

Get these foundations right, and you're on the right path for Instagram video success;

#1 Eye Catching Cover Picture

Attention is scarce, you have half a second to stop the scroll, and getting your followers to engage with your videos (especially longer ones) can be pretty difficult. An eye-catching cover picture can improve your chances of success dramatically, so be sure to take the time in finding one that both fits your video and matches the style of your feed.

#2: Don’t Rely on Sound

Instagram videos don’t start playing sound automatically. To hear the sound, viewers have to tap on the video. This is another opportunity for your audience to keep scrolling, so you have to be smart here.

In all instances, your videos should visually captivate and tell a story clearly, without sound. Adding captions to your videos is a great way to ensure viewers can still tune in even when they aren’t able to listen. One of our go-to caption sites is www.rev.com/, providing a cost-effective way to subtitle video with a flat ￡1 per minute pricing structure.

* Sun Inn viral competition, filmed by Outlaw Social

#3: Choose a video length that will engage your audience

Just because your Instagram videos can be 60 seconds long, doesn’t mean they should be. Like we teach on all things social media related, your message needs to resonate with your customer on a deep level and your strategy needs to consider how to capture and keep their unique attention.

Don’t be scared to try different video lengths, at the very worst you are going to gather data to review. Progress over perfection is key here. Over time you will find a length that best connects and through paying close attention to engagement on certain lengths you can refine the message you're putting out to fit that duration. For example, if 15-second teaser videos are getting you the best results, then do more of those. Don’t complicate the process.

That’s it for now, coming up next will be a focus on videos for Instagram Stories, which is a whole new level of excitement.

* Bisset & Steedman, Designer Kitchen Showroom Launch, filmed by Outlaw Social

Until then, happy recording...

Lee Fitzpatrick,

Outlaw Social 

www.outlawsocial.co.uk