IGTV (Instagram TV) lets brands create their own long-form video series on Instagram.
It’s a great opportunity to:
… 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 The IGTV profile tab has been replaced by a Video tab.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!
To see your IGTV analytics in Instagram:
In the app, you can view:
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.
Whether 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:
6GB.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:
Outside of Instagram, consider including callouts to your IGTV channel from:
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:
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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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.
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
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.
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!
A 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!
How to create an IGTV seriesIf 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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
IGTV Tips and TricksLast step before IGTV success? Learn these secret tips to master the platform.
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.
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.
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.
How to create an IGTV video with Vimeo CreateMaking 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 IGTV (Instagram TV) project was launched in 2018, when the platform itself reached 1 billion users. Since then, Instagram has become a great marketing platform for many companies that promote their products through IGTV. However, apart from companies, other users also use IGTV to post entertaining or informational videos. But what is IGTV and how can you create your channel ? Here we will try to give you step by step instructions.
IGTV is Instagram's video platform.
This is an independent app, although it can also be accessed from the stock Instagram app.
Anyone or company can create their own channel, although this is especially useful for brands and public figures as it provides a great showcase for product promotion at a lower cost than traditional TV marketing. On IGTV, you can create short commercials or videos up to 60 minutes long. Content is posted randomly on Instagram, so your potential audience is huge!
To get started, download the official IGTV app available for Android and iOS. To create an account, simply link it to an existing Instagram account. Check the main page: here you will find videos posted by other users, categorized by topic. Subscribe to channels that interest you.
1. Click gear icon to open Settings .
2. Select Create channel and follow the instructions on the screen.
3.
After you follow all the instructions, your channel will be ready and linked to your Instagram account
1. Click on your profile picture. Clicking on symbol + will open the photo and video gallery on your mobile phone.
2. Add the video you want to download.
3. After downloading, you can find your saved videos by clicking on your profile picture icon. Here you will find all the videos uploaded with the IGTV app.
- Length: at least one minute. Maximum 15 minutes if you're uploading from a mobile phone, and one hour if you're uploading from IGTV on the web.
- File type: MP4 format. Vertical videos with 9:16 aspect ratio or horizontal 16:9. A minimum of 30 FPS (frames per second) and a minimum resolution of 720 pixels.
- Size: 650 MB for videos of 10 minutes or less and up to 3.6 GB for larger videos.
Since its launch, IGTV has become a very exciting opportunity to show the world what you have to offer.
Watching videos on Instagram, like YouTube, is becoming a daily activity for millions of users.
Because they play automatically, you are much more likely to reach a large audience. In addition, the fact that you can upload videos in vertical format makes viewing more convenient for mobile devices.
Image: © 123RF.com
Remember the times when the "pain" of SMM was the inability to upload videos longer than one minute to Instagram? It's in the past!
In 2018, Instagram fought YouTube and successfully launched IGTV, its own video hosting.
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In this article you will find:
Read also: How to start a YouTube channel
In general, the requirements are as follows:
You can view and share videos using Instagram itself or in the IGTV app.
To show the video to your followers, Instagram allows you to repost the “preview” to your account feed or share it to stories. The first part of the video is published with the button "Watch full IGTV video" at the bottom.
The IGTV feature is useful for both personal blogs and business accounts. Video makes up 80% of internet traffic in 2019 and is one of the most effective types of social media content.
According to psychologists, clients trust information from “vertical” videos more, because they send their own videos in the same format to their loved ones.
In addition, they are easier to watch from mobile devices, because the phone does not need to be turned over. Well, the duration of up to 1 hour gives room for creativity.
Many well-known bloggers and top business accounts are already using IGTV with might and main. There are videos that collect 1+ million views, which gives an excellent recommendation for this tool as a marketing tool.
It's interesting : Instagram story masslooking services
If you have an Instagram account, you don't need to create anything else. It is enough to synchronize the IGTV application with an existing profile.
If you want to manage a channel for a different account, click "Switch Account" and sign in to the desired profile. In the Instagram app itself, working with the IGTV channel is even easier. In the upper right corner of your account feed, click on the IGTV icon.
A section of the application will be displayed where you can watch the IGTV feed of publications or add your own video (+ button).
Unlike Instagram itself, you can work with IGTV from a computer. Useful if the video is pre-edited. Allows you to avoid "excessive movements" (sending to the phone to upload through the application, etc.). Enough:
For example, to add a video, you need to click "Upload". Article in the topic : How to promote your Instagram account yourself
After creating the IGTV channel, you need to develop it. First of all, we are talking about its filling with video content. Please note that you do not need to add an avatar and make a description, they are loaded from your Instagram profile.
How to upload a video to a channel in IGTV and what technical requirements are stated for them, we will discuss in more detail in the next article. But, before you spread anything, you need to think through a lot of nuances. Here are some helpful tips:
