How do you make a igtv on instagram
How to make IGTV videos and IGTV series: a complete guide for creatives in 2021
Video runs the world, and so does Instagram. The popular social media network proved it’s betting big on videos by launching IGTV for long-form videos. Creators flock to IGTV to share everything from Q&As to their morning routine; they repurpose YouTube videos and save their Instagram Lives for followers to enjoy later.
Ready to start making IGTVs for your brand? Unsure how to create an IGTV channel? Here’s all the info you need to get started.
Table of contents
- What is IGTV?
- What’s great about IGTV?
- How to make an IGTV video
- How to schedule an IGTV Video
- How to create an IGTV series
- IGTV video ideas
- IGTV Tips and Tricks
- Make a great first impression.
- Video orientation matters.
- Promote your video everywhere.
- How to create an IGTV video with Vimeo Create
- Wrapping up
- Make an IGTV video in minutes with Vimeo Create
While Instagram Stories is designed for spontaneous short-form videos, IGTV is aimed for long-form video content — think YouTube. The platform offers creators, publishers, and brands the opportunity to share videos up to 10 minutes long, or up to an hour-long if you’re a verified user.
Users discover IGTV through the “Explore” section, through a specific profile, or by clicking on the IGTV icon at the top of their feed. Once you’re on IGTV, you’ll discover the experience is overall intuitive.
The app curates a collection of videos, based on the people you follow, popularity, and the secret sauce of Instagram’s algorithm. Once you finish watching one video, another one will automatically play, which can be pretty addictive.
There is also a small search bar, which allows you to only search for profiles (instead of search words like “Makeup” or “Vegan”). Just like regular Instagram posts, viewers can like, comment, or share IGTV videos via direct messages.
As IGTV was created for mobile viewing experience, initially only vertical videos were supported. Thankfully, after receiving feedback from creators, Instagram now supports both vertical and horizontal videos on IGTV.
Videos uploaded to IGTV are usually well-planned and edited, as opposed to the spontaneous nature of Instagram Story. That being said, it doesn’t mean you’ll need to hire a professional crew to create fantastic video content for IGTV. Many influencers and creators use their smartphone’s camera and a simple video editing app to create engaging videos.
IGTV Video Length & Specs
- File format: MP4
- Minimum video length: At least 1 minute
- Maximum video length: 15 minutes or one hour for verified users
- Vertical aspect ratio: 9:16
- Horizontal aspect ratio: 16:9
- 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 60 minutes: 3.
6GB. - Cover photo size: 420px by 654px (or 1:1.55 ratio)
While it took some time for brands, publishers, and influencers to adopt IGTV, it’s slowly becoming more popular for both viewers and creators. When done right, an IGTV channel is a beautiful way to grow your audience and build engagement.
Besides the obvious benefit of longer videos, other significant advantages should make you consider creating long-form videos for IGTV. Instagram is pushing its new platform by giving IGTV videos a more prominent spot on the Explore page than photos, and promoting IGTV clips in the regular feed.
Instagram is also leaving ads out of IGTV for now, hoping to encourage users to adopt the platform. For creators, it also means a better viewing experience in comparison to ad-filled YouTube. This factor, alongside the length possibilities, allows you to tell more in-depth stories that will hopefully make a more meaningful impact on your viewers.
Speaking about in-depth stories, IGTV also offers a Series feature, which allows creators to share ongoing video episodes and viewers to subscribe to their favorite series. That’s a wonderful way for brands to create real value for their audience. Entertaining, valuable content means the world in terms of connection and loyalty.
Another unpredictable benefit of IGTV is the possibility to add links in each video’s description box – yes, a real clickable link that will take the user outside of the Instagram or IGTV app. That’s big since, until now, users could only add one link to their bio, and that’s it. Just think of all the possibilities this presents!
How to make an IGTV videoBy now, you’re probably pretty convinced you should be on IGTV. You may ask yourself – so, how do I upload a video to IGTV on Instagram? Look no further. As you upload your first IGTV video, your IGTV channel will be created as well automatically.
- When you’re on Instagram’s Explore page, tap the IGTV button to enter the IGTV feed. There, tap the “+” icon on the top right corner.
- Your camera roll will open up, and you’ll need to select the video you want to upload. Notice you can only upload videos that are at least one minute long.
- Then, you will see a preview of the video you chose to make sure that’s the right one.
- Select a cover image (thumbnail) or add one from your gallery.
- You’re almost done! Write your title, add a description which can include hashtags and links. Add to a series if it’s relevant (or start one by adding this as the first episode).
- Most importantly, turn the “Post a Preview” button on! It means a one-minute preview of your video will appear on your profile and feed so your followers can see it. You can also tap “Edit preview” to pick the exact clip you want for the preview.
- That’s it! Your video is now live on IGTV and a preview is posted to your feed.
Viewers can like, comment, and share it.
Once your video is live, you can also check and track your analytics by tapping the three dots icon and selecting “View Insights.” There, on top of the views, comments, and likes count, you’ll see your retention rate – which means how many people watched your whole video and at what point they started swiping away from it. Super useful info!
How to schedule an IGTV VideoA great way to make sure you post new content consistently on social media is by scheduling your posts in advance. Scheduling IGTV videos is done through the Facebook Creator Studio.
If you don’t have a Creator Studio account you can create one easily in case you have an Instagram Business or Creator profile.
The steps to scheduling are surprisingly easy. Just head to your Creator Studio, then select your Instagram dashboard. Click “Create Post” and then click “IGTV” option.
Here is what it looks like once you’re in the IGTV studio.
From here all you do is upload your video, give it a title and description and you’re ready to publish!
If you’re thinking of ways to leverage IGTV, you should seriously consider creating an IGTV series. Release videos regularly, and signed-up followers will be notified each time you’ll post a new video – engagement alert!
The concept of your series should be not only creative but authentic to your brand and audience.
Here’s the incredibly easy way to create an IGTV series:
- When you’re on the Title and Description page or when you edit a live video, tap “Add to Series”.
- Give your series a name and description.
There you go — your video is now nested under the new series and you can add more content later.
IGTV video ideasNow that we’re finished with all the technical stuff let’s focus on what matters the most: content! What exactly are you going to post on IGTV? While the answer to this question is based on who you or your brand are, here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
Tutorials and how-tos
Everybody loves to learn new things, and viewers often get super hooked on videos that show how something is done. From a makeup tutorial to a professional how-to, find your expertise and share with the world.
Try this tutorial template
Q&As or AMAs
That’s a great way to make clever use of your different social media platforms. Use the “Questions” feature on Instagram Stories, and tell your followers to ask you anything. Then make a video of yourself replying to your fans’ questions and share it on IGTV.
Try this Q&A template
Interviews
Schedule a virtual or real interview with someone relevant to your field.
For example, if you’re a foodie blogger, you might host a chef for inside secrets or tips. Host a panel with other experts in your industry and publish to IGTV as part of a larger series.
Try this template
Unboxing
Unboxing is one of those social media trends that never seems to fade. Showing off your products, or adding in someone else’s user-generated content (UGC) into your IGTV can be a great way to create a connection — and a little bit of envy — for viewers who haven’t yet hit that “add to cart” button.
Try this template
A “day in the life” video
Whether you’re a brand or an individual creator, get up-and-close with your audience by giving them a sneak peek to your everyday life.
You can show the behind-the-scenes of your business, how a product is created, or simply your daily routine.
Try this template
IGTV Tips and TricksLast step before IGTV success? Learn these secret tips to master the platform.
Make a great first impression.
Give thought to your video’s cover image and the first couple of seconds. They matter more than you might think! Make sure the cover of your photo is engaging and gives a good idea of what your video is about. Since viewers scroll very quickly if they’re not interested, hook them early on by not wasting time and telling them why they should keep watching.
Video orientation matters.
While IGTV allows video to be either horizontal or landscape, each orientation has its pro and cons.
Vertical IGTVs are ideal for a mobile experience, and they’re par for the course on Instagram. On the other hand, vertical videos aren’t ideal for sharing on other social platforms, so keep that in mind if you’re a fan of publishing your content series on multiple platforms.
Plus, Vimeo Create allows you to make videos already optimized for Instagram’s exact specs.
Promote your video everywhere.
Luckily, there are many different ways to promote your IGTV video once published. First and foremost, we strongly recommend sharing a 1-minute preview of your IGTV video to your Instagram feed so it will live on your Instagram profile as well. Outside of Instagram, you can share your IGTV video on a Facebook page, twitter, or on your newsletter.
Give people a good reason to watch your videos and don’t force content that isn’t true to the IGTV platform. Create innovative content designed specifically for YouTube and IGTV, or stick to the usual Stories and Feed if that makes more sense for your brand or small business.
Making a professional-looking long-form video for IGTV is super easy with Vimeo Create. Watch this video to learn how it’s done, or follow the steps below:
Step 1: Create a new video.
Step 2: Upload the media you’d like to include in your IGTV video, add text, and be sure to select Portrait size in the dropdown menu.
Step 3: Pick a style, color theme, and font.
Step 4: Select music from our licensed library or upload your own. Then, it’s time to give your video a title!
Step 5: Preview your video, and decide whether to go back and edit or to save.
Step 6: Download your video to upload it to IGTV!
Wrapping upYou’ve learned everything about IGTV specs, how to create your first IGTV video, and best practices for achieving success.
Now it’s time to get started!
The Complete Guide for Marketers
IGTV (Instagram TV) lets brands create their own long-form video series on Instagram.
It’s a great opportunity to:
- Build engagement
- Collaborate with influencers
- Improve your Instagram marketing strategy
… among many other things!
But how do you create an IGTV channel? And what are the best ways you can use it for your business?
Let’s dive into the answers, and find out how you can make IGTV work for your brand.
Note: 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 60 minutes long, and standard post editing features are available for long-form video content. Learn more about Instagram Video.
What is IGTV ?
How to use IGTV
How to track your IGTV performance
How to create an IGTV series
IGTV video specs
5 ways to use IGTV for business
IGTV tips and best practices
Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps a fitness influencer used to grow from 0 to 600,000+ followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear.
IGTV is a long-form 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 up to an hour long. Regular users can upload 10 minute long videos—still much longer than normal videos!
In 2019, Instagram also allowed creators to post one-minute previews of their IGTV videos on their feeds to improve discoverability. That’s perfect for getting your audience’s attention without them having to download the app.
Instagram more 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).
Now you can easily watch IGTV series from creators you love and get notified when there are new episodes.
👋@YaraShahidi @KadeSpice @IngridNilsen pic.twitter.com/0QmpHwpxYw— Instagram (@instagram) October 22, 2019
Think of it like a series you’d see on television or YouTube—but all on Instagram.
Brands have been relatively slow to adopt IGTV for a number of reasons. Chief among them: the high costs and time investment required to produce long-form social videos.
But if you do it right, IGTV can actually be a fantastic way to build engagement for your brand. Read on to find out how.
How to use IGTVWatch this Hootsuite Academy 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 ChannelIt used to be that if you wanted to upload a video onto IGTV you needed to create an IGTV Channel.
However, Instagram has since done away with that feature.
All you need to create an IGTV account now is an Instagram account. Your account allows you to upload videos onto IGTV via the Instagram app or the IGTV app.
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you already have an Instagram account. If you don’t, that’s okay! Here’s the directions straight from Instagram on how to create an account.
How to upload an IGTV videoUploading an IGTV video is very simple—but there are a few ways to do it.
How to upload and IGTV video from Instagram1. Tap the + button at the bottom of your newsfeed.
2. Choose a video 60 seconds or longer and tap Next.
3. Select share as 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.
4. Choose your video’s cover image from one of its frames.
Alternatively, you may choose an image from your gallery. Tap Next.
5. Fill out the title and description 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 want to cross promote it.
You also are able add the video to an IGTV series from here. If you don’t already have an IGTV series, don’t worry. We’re going to show you how down below.
Once you’re done filling out your title and description. Tap Post in the top right. Voila! You just posted an IGTV video from your Instagram app!
How to upload an IGTV video from IGTV1. Tap the + button in the top right.
2. Choose a video 60 seconds or longer and tap Next.
3. Choose your video’s cover image from one of its frames. Alternatively, you may choose an image from your gallery. Tap Next.
4. Fill out the title and description 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 want to cross promote it.
You also are able add the video to an IGTV series from here. If you don’t already have an IGTV series, don’t worry. We’re going to show you how down below.
Once you’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 fitness influencer used to grow from 0 to 600,000+ followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear.
Get the free guide right now!
How to track your IGTV performance
To see your IGTV analytics in Instagram:
- Tap the video you want to analyze.
- Tap the three horizontal (iPhone) or vertical (Android) dots at the bottom of the video.
- Tap View Insights.
In the app, you can view:
- Likes
- Comments
- Direct messages
- Saves
- Profile visits
- Reach
- Interactions
- Discovery
- Follows
- Impressions
While in-app Insights will give you a quick view of how a video is performing, it’s not easy to compare it to the rest of your Instagram content — or even the rest of your IGTV videos. To get a more holistic view of your IGTV performance, you may want to consider a third-party social media management tool like Hootsuite.
In Hootsuite Impact, you can view your IGTV analytics alongside all your other Instagram content. You’ll be able to see all the same IGTV performance metrics you would get in the app, plus a customizable ROI metric that allows you to determine which IGTV videos are giving you the best return-on-investment based on your business goals.
You can also customize the way your engagement rate is calculated, if you prefer to calculate it in a different way than Instagram (for example, you could choose to count only saves and comments as “engagement”).
Hootsuite Impact is worth checking out if you’re looking for a more holistic view of your business’s Instagram performance, 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 seriesWhether you 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 you’re at the window where you fill out your title and description. Tap Add to Series.
2. Tap Create Your First Series.
3. Fill out your series’s title and description. Then tap the blue checkmark in the top right.
4. Make sure the series you want your video to be a part of is selected. Then tap Done in the top right.
That’s it! You just created a new IGTV series.
Here 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: 15 minutes
- Maximum video length when uploading on web: 1 hour
- Vertical aspect ratio: 9:16
- Horizontal aspect ratio: 16:9
- 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 60 minutes: 3.
6GB. - Cover photo size: 420px by 654px (or 1:1.55 ratio)
Pro tip: You can’t edit your cover photo after you’ve uploaded it, so make sure it’s perfect before you do.
5 ways to use IGTV for businessBelow are 5 ideas for IGTV videos or even series you can create for your brand.
Create tutorial videosOne great way to build engagement is through handy tutorial videos.
These how-to videos can cover a variety of different topics in your industry. For example, say you had a fitness brand. You could create a series focused on workout tutorials, or maybe one about healthy recipes.
If your organization sells a product, you can create a how-to video focused on how to use that product. There are a ton of possibilities for great IGTV series for your brand!
Host a Q&A sessionA question and answer (Q&A) session with your audience is a great way to answer any pressing questions your followers might have.
It’s also a great opportunity to present some solid thought leadership on your industry.
Pro tip: Make a post on your Instagram feed and Story promoting your Q&A session beforehand. Be sure to ask your followers for questions then. You can use them during the IGTV recording!
Go behind the scenesThis is a great way to build transparency into your brand. By giving your audience a look at how your company 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 thing for everything from marketing to sales.
Stream an eventHosting an event like a convention or a seminar? Share that with your viewers on your IGTV channel!
This is a great opportunity to allow those who couldn’t attend a chance to “attend” virtually. Your viewers will appreciate it, and you can give them content they can engage with.
Ever dream of seeing your name under the “Tonight Show” banner? Now you can (kind of)!
You can host a talk show on your IGTV that’s centered on your brand. Have guests on who are influencers and thought leaders in your industry. Monologue about industry news. If you’re really ambitious, you can get your coworkers together and create an in-house band.
(Okay, maybe don’t do that last one.)
Whenever you start posting to a new channel, it’s best practice to inform your followers on other channels what you’re up to, in case they want to follow you there too.
This is especially true for IGTV, as some people will have 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 connected Facebook page
Outside of Instagram, consider including callouts to your IGTV channel from:
- An email newsletter
- Your Facebook Page
Chances are if people are watching your video in the IGTV app, they’ll turn their sound on.
But 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, most people will not have their sound on.
So make sure your video is optimized to play without sound—i.e., it either makes sense without sound, or has easily visible subtitles. Clipomatic can help with this.
Include the most important info up frontPeople scroll through their feeds quickly. You only have a small window of time to grab their attention—up to a minute if you’re lucky, but 15 seconds is probably a more realistic target.
So make sure your IGTV video hooks your viewers as soon as possible. Don’t let their attention slip or give them a reason to swipe through to the next thing.
This is especially true if you’re sharing a preview to your Instagram feed, where viewers will be prompted to “keep watching” on IGTV after one minute.
Think of the first minute of your video as an introduction to a blog post.
No matter how flashy and engaging your video is, you’ll need to answer the following questions:
- What is this video about?
- Why should you keep watching?
- Optional: Who is this video for?
- Optional: How long will it be?
Answering these questions as soon as possible will guarantee longer and higher quality views.
Use relevant hashtags in your descriptionSearch functionality on IGTV has received some criticism. As of April 2020, you can only 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
.
In the meantime, ensure your videos are also seen by non-followers by including relevant hashtags in your description. Your videos will show up on the corresponding hashtag page on Instagram, where people following that hashtag can discover your content.
Only post content that warrants a longer formatIGTV isn’t just a place to be cross posting your Instagram Stories.
If you want people to follow you 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 15-second clips, what would you do with more than 15 seconds? Lean into that space and brainstorm.
Like YouTube, long-form tutorial content is popular on IGTV. But some brands have even developed entire TV series for the app.
Obviously what you choose to do depends on your budget and your brand, but here are some long-form video content ideas to get you started.
Use your brand colors, fonts, themes, etc.Just because it’s a different app doesn’t mean you’re presenting a different brand. It can already be a jarring experience to leave one app to watch content another, so make the experience as smooth as possible for your followers. Let them know you’re the same old 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 too.
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how to upload and add video from phone and computer
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Instagram has created a convenient format for long IGTV videos for bloggers, stars and every ordinary person with a smartphone in their hands - Instagram TV (IGTV). These are vertical videos in Instagram Stories format. You can download and add IGTV videos from your phone or computer right away in the Instagram app, on the website in the web version of instagram.com, or by downloading the IGTV app.
At the same time, you do not need to shoot a picture at the Netflix level, but you can post ordinary vlogs. YouTube investors frowned in unison.
IGTV video on Instagram - what is it?
TV is watched less and less, and perhaps Instagram videos IGTV want to replace your plasma on the wall. Directly on Instagram, we have the ability to add long videos. Another tool for promoting on Instagram and increasing coverage!
Even cheat services already offer IGTV video views.
What is IGTV and how is it different from Instagram Stories and Live? IGTV videos of a similar format are vertical. But these videos need to be made in advance and then uploaded to IGTV. But there is scrolling back and forth while viewing. Duration - from 60 seconds to 15 minutes (for downloading from a phone) and no longer than an hour (if done from a computer).
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IGTV videos can also be liked and commented, they have statistics (if you make a business account or an author account). And in the description, you can add a clickable link to an external site.
Any Instagram account (regardless of the number of followers) in Stories can add a link to an IGTV video. And you can put a preview in the feed with a link to the full IGTV video.
Video size, format and duration for uploading to IGTV
Not any video can be uploaded to IGTV, it must fit the format.
IGTV video sizes and format
The most popular format in Stories is vertical. You can also upload horizontal video to IGTV - while watching, you can turn the screen over and it will unfold (just like on Youtube). If you shoot and upload videos from your phone, then you don’t need to think too much - when uploading a video to IGTV (detailed instructions below), you will open a gallery and it will contain only those videos that are suitable in length and size.
IGTV video size:
Aspect ratio:
- 9:16 vertical videos
- 16:9 horizontal videos
Video size ("weight"):
- 1-10 min.: 650MB maximum
- 10-60 min: 3.6GB maximum
File format: .mp4
IGTV video duration:
- download from phone: 1-15 min. (file size up to 3.6 GB)
- download from computer (web version of instagram.com): up to 60 min.
How to upload and post IGTV videos to Instagram
There are three ways to upload videos from 60 seconds to IGTV:
- in the Instagram app (from phone)
- via instagram.com web version (from computer)
- on IGTV app (from phone)
How to add IGTV video to Instagram from your phone
You can add IGTV video on your phone without downloading additional applications.
The first way to download IGTV from your phone
Log into your account on your phone, press the plus at the bottom in the middle.
Choose the video you want (in IGTV, only longer than 60 seconds is suitable). Click next.
If you select "short video", your video will be cut to 60 seconds and appear as a normal video in the feed. For the video to fully load on IGTV, select Long Video.
Choose a cover either from the frames of the video, or click "Add content from the camera roll" and you can upload a suitable photo from the gallery.
Write a title and description for the video. You can add an active link to an external site in the description.
If you leave the 'Publish Preview' switch checked, the first 60 seconds of the video will appear in your feed with a link to the full video.
Here you can edit which part of the video will be shown in the feed ("Edit preview") and crop the cover ("Edit cover") .
In advanced settings, you can also enable automatically generated subtitles.
The second way to download IGTV from your phone
Go to your Instagram account, click the plus sign on the top left.
Choose "IGTV Video". Then everything is as in the screenshots above.
You can view uploaded IGTV videos in your Instagram account.
How do I add a link to an IGTV video in Stories?
Shooting or uploading Stories. Click on the "Link" icon at the top.
Click "IGTV Video". Choose what you need. Click "Done" in the upper right corner. You can add text or a GIF with an arrow at the top.
When watching this Story, followers will be able to swipe up and go to the IGTV video you linked to.
How to post videos on the IGTV app on Instagram
We recommend downloading this app if you often watch and post IGTV videos.
Download the IGTV app
👉 download in the AppStore
👉 download in Google Play
Open IGTV, click "Continue as"
Three sections at the top: subscriptions, popular, history (these sections do not appear for everyone). History - those IGTV videos that you have watched before.
To upload a video in the IGTV app, click the plus on the top right, allow access to your photos and videos.
Video that matches the length, size and format will be available for download, the rest will not.
Choose a video, you can watch it. Click "Next" on the top right. Choose a cover either from the frames of the video, or click "Add content from the camera roll" and select the appropriate photo from the gallery.
Write a title and description for the video. You can add an active link to an external site in the description.
If you leave the 'Publish Preview' switch checked, the first 60 seconds of the video will appear in your feed with a link to the full video. You can edit a segment of an IGTV video for feed preview and crop the cover.
After downloading the IGTV video preview, you can upload it to Stories .
You can view uploaded IGTV videos in your Instagram account.
How to download and watch IGTV on Instagram on a computer
You can also watch and upload IGTV videos to your account from a computer.
- Go to the web version of instagram.com, log in to your account. To the right of "Publication" you will see "IGTV" (see screenshot below). Click on the video and watch. So you can watch IGTV from a computer and in your account, and in any other.
- To upload a video to IGTV from a computer, in your account, click the blue "Upload" button on the right. You will be redirected to the download page, where everything is clear without words 🙂 Do not close the page during the download. In the Description window, you can insert an active clickable link to an external site.
IGTV statistics on Instagram
You can view statistics for your videos uploaded to IGTV. Moreover, the number of views (this is everyone who watched longer than 3 seconds), likes and comments will be seen by everyone.
But only you will have access to the "Average Audience Retention Percentage" (how long it was watched on average).
To view IGTV stats:
Open the desired video. Below you see the number of views and comments. Click on "Views" and you will see views and likes. Click on "Comments" and you will see them.
If you click on the three dots at the bottom of the screen, you can delete the video, copy the link to it, change the title and description, tag a business partner (video sponsor, for example) or view Statistics.
Notifications about likes and comments on the video will be in the same place as all other notifications.
Instagram is already planning to monetize IGTV videos. Video creators will receive 55% of ad revenue. So Instagram wants to encourage creators to add more IGTV videos and encourage the development of this format.
Uploading and adding IGTV videos to Instagram from both your phone and computer is quite simple.
And the format of the video shot vertically on the phone is perfect. To prevent subscribers from missing it, add a preview to the feed and a link to the full video in Instagram Stories. Use IGTV to promote your account - it is long videos that will help you get even closer to your followers and even make money on official Instagram ads in the future.
How to upload video to IGTV
In June 2018, Instagram announced the launch of IGTV, redesigned it in April 2020, and added automatic subtitles in September 2020. The constant evolution of IGTV only highlights its growing popularity and importance in the follower engagement process. Let's look at how to add video to IGTV from your phone and computer, how to enable automatic subtitles, and also offer 9 ideas for your content on IGTV.
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Firstly, you cannot shoot videos on IGTV, for this you must first shoot a video on your phone or camera.
You can upload videos in both horizontal and vertical formats. Secondly, the length of the video for IGTV uploaded from a mobile phone must be between 1 and 15 minutes. If from a computer - up to 60 minutes. You can choose a cover for the video from a fragment of the video or upload a photo separately. We talked about technical recommendations in more detail in our article - What videos can be uploaded to Instagram. The title of video should briefly convey the meaning of the video or intrigue with an interesting question. The optimal title length is up to 30 characters. In the description, open the topic, highlight the questions that will appear in the video.
To reach as many people as possible, post a video to your feed (we'll show you how to do it a little later) and optionally include video display on IGTV on your Facebook page. To do this, you need to link your account to a Facebook page, how to do this is described in the article How to link and unlink Instagram to a Facebook page.
How to add a video to IGTV from your phone
In the upper left corner, click on the plus icon and select "IGTV Video". Or, on the bottom panel, click on the plus icon and upload a video from the smartphone gallery and select "Long video". Add cover art from your smartphone gallery or select a still image from an uploaded video. Come up with a title and description for the video, add hashtags.
To reach as many people as possible, enable "Publish preview" - the first 15 seconds of the video will be published in the Instagram feed. Turn on "Show on Facebook" to add the video to your Facebook Page (for this, your Instagram account must be linked to a Facebook Page).
If you want to add subtitles, click "Advanced settings" and turn on "Auto generated captions". Instagram rolls out this feature gradually, so it is only available in the app and not yet for all users.
If the video consists of several parts, select the "Add Series" function.
Come up with a title for the show and a description. You can also add previously downloaded videos to the "Series". The convenience of this option is that when watching a video, a mark is added, by clicking on which the user goes to a separate tab with videos on this topic. If you do not want to post videos in series format, then just skip this step.
How to add video to IGTV from computer
If you want to upload videos up to 60 minutes, use the web version of Instagram. Go to Instagram.com and go to your profile. Click on IGTV (between the tabs with your posts and tags). Download the video. Select a cover and add a title with a description. Upload the video and cover in JPG or PNG format (minimum resolution 492 x 762 pixels). Add a title with a description.
If you want the video to appear in your feed, check the "Publish preview" checkbox. Check the "IGTV and Facebook Page" checkbox if you want to post the video to Facebook as well (for this, your Instagram account must be linked to a Facebook Page).
Automatic subtitles are not yet available on the web version.
IGTV Content Ideas
Stories have been gaining momentum for quite some time, but now they have become one of the most popular types of content on Instagram. How promising IGTV is as well is difficult to judge, but if you need reviews, viral or educational videos to attract and retain customers, then you should include IGTV in your content plan.
Your own show. Cooking recipes, music show, business coaching, educational guide.
Vlog. You can shoot a vlog or travel video, blog about beauty (make up, nail, beauty treatments, fitness exercises, etc.).
Reviews and guide. This type of content can be linked to almost every topic: a review of technology, a new arrival of goods (for example, for a showroom), a review of cosmetics, new movies, games, and more. Guidelines for using a product or ordering a service.
Humor and challenge. For bloggers, IGTV is a great way to share long videos with your vines or pranks. You can also arrange challenges, for example, for hairdressers - to do a hairstyle in 2 minutes or for makeup artists - to create a complex make up in 5 minutes.
News and trends. You can cover the latest news and evaluate it through the lens of your opinion or experience.
Answers to questions. Relevant for both commercial accounts and bloggers. You can make TOP-5 main questions from clients/subscribers and sort them out.
Reviews. To build trust and reputation, businesses can upload video reviews of their product to the IGTV channel. For example, a girl takes pictures of your product unpacking and the first impression, a blogger makes a review and shares his impression about the quality of the product or demonstrates its use.
Live broadcasts. If your subscribers are used to the format of live broadcasts in stories, then you can upload them and duplicate them in the IGTV channel. In this way, you can save some useful content, and users can easily find it.
For image and reputation, the company can shoot interviews with the director of the company, an expert in a particular field, which will touch on the main questions and pains of customers. This can also include collaborations with bloggers - a joint discussion of some relevant topic.
Conclusion
IGTV videos are now mainly used by humorous publics and bloggers for reviews. For commercial accounts, this is still a developing channel. But in any case, IGTV has its own audience, so you should use it and stand out from your competitors at the same time.
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