How to post video instagram story

How to post a video on Instagram, including Reels and Stories

August 17, 2022

Ashley Hamer

Managing Editor at Descript. Musician, podcaster, writer, science nerd.

As the fourth most popular social media platform in the world behind Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp, Instagram is a great place to share video content. But like every other app, it’s always rolling out new features, and it can be hard to keep up with all of the different options for posting videos. How do you decide between a regular Instagram video post, a reel, or a story? Below we break down each video type and how to post them, plus how to add extras like location tag, music, and gifs to keep eyes on your content.

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3 types of videos on Instagram

There are three different types of videos you can upload to Instagram.

Instagram videos. Instagram videos (replacing the former IGTV) are essentially regular video posts that live on your profile alongside photo posts, and within their own video page on your profile. So a regular video post is a great option for content that you want to appear permanently on your page (or at least until you delete it). Instagram now allows 10-minute long videos for regular users, and up to 60 minutes long for blue checkmark-verified users.
Instagram reels. Often thought of as a competitor to TikTok, Instagram reels are best for attention-grabbing videos, and high-performing reels might even get your content in front of new viewers. You can embellish reels — which now have 90-second time limit — with music, text, and graphics. Instagram reels appear in your scrolling feed, and can also be found on the tab between your regular feed and Instagram video section.
Instagram stories. Instagram stories are short video clips, up to 15 seconds long, and are usually more casual and less-produced. They only show up on your page for 24 hours before they disappear. But you can also save your content as a story highlight, which will pin the clips to the top of your profile permanently (or until you remove them). Videos that exceed the 15-second limit (but are less than 60 seconds) will automatically separate into 15-second video clips when you upload them as a story, for up to four videos. You can watch Instagram stories by clicking the profile avatars that appear across the top of your main feed — your own story will always appear first in the queue, even after you’ve watched it.

How to post an Instagram video

The optimal aspect ratio for an Instagram feed video is 4:5 (for portrait mode) and 1.91:1 for landscape mode (though both can be adjusted to a 1:1 ratio by double-tapping the preview screen or single-tapping the double arrows in the frame’s bottom-left corner). The minimal frame rate for videos is 30 frames per second (FPS), and for dimensions, the optimal size is 1080 x 1350p. All videos under 10 minutes have a maximum file size of 650 MB, and videos up to 60 minutes have a max file size of 3.6GB.

To upload a video to the Instagram app:

Open your Instagram app. If you’re not already logged into your Instagram account, enter your username and password on the login screen.
Navigate to the upload screen. Click on the “+” sign at the top right of the screen, whether you’re on your home scrolling feed or profile page. Click “Post.”
Find your video. After you click “Post,” a screen will pop up with an album of your most recent photos and videos. To browse a different album, select the drop-down where it says “Recents” and choose another option. Select the video you want to post. You can also click the icon with two squares to select multiple videos and make an album, or click the camera icon to record a video to post.
Adjust your video frame size. Double-tap the video preview or (single-tap the double arrows) to expand or shrink the size of your video frame. When you’re finished adjusting, click the “Next” button in the top right corner.
Edit your video. Instagram provides several editing features you can use before you upload your post. Select from a number of image filters, trim the length of your video, or turn off the sound completely using the “Volume” button at the top middle of the screen. Click “Next” when you’re done.
Add any final details. After you’ve made your final edits, click on the video preview (where it says “Cover”) to choose the part of the video you want to use for the thumbnail. On this screen, you can also tag other Instagram users, add a location, create a promotion, share to Facebook, and more.
Upload. Once you’re ready to post, click the blue “Share” button at the bottom of the screen. To edit or delete your post after uploading, click on the ellipses at the top right of the post, then select your option.

How to post an Instagram reel on your profile

Reels offer a number of fun flourishes you can add to your videos. Video reels are meant for vertical viewing, so a 9:16 aspect ratio with dimensions at 1080 x 1920p works best when posting content. To post a video reel to your Instagram profile:

Navigate to the upload screen. Click on the “+” sign at the top right of the screen, then click “Reel.”
Select your video. To record a new video, click the center button on the reel upload screen. To select an existing video, click on the blue plus sign on the bottom left of the screen.
Adjust your video. After selecting your video, you can trim the length by using the tool at the bottom of the screen, or adjust the speed using the left sidebar. Click “Add.” If your video is less than 90 seconds, it will move to your post queue and you’ll return to the upload screen where you can record or add another video segment. If you only want to post a short video, click “Next.”
Edit your video. On this screen, add music, filters, captions, drawings, stickers, and more to your post. After you’re done adding flourishes, click “Next.”
Tag and share. On the share screen, you can edit your cover image, add a caption, tag other users, rename your audio selection, and add a location. You can also choose whether or not your reel will display in your regular feed. When you’re ready to post, click the blue “Share” button on the bottom right of the screen.

How to post a video on your Instagram story

The optimal size and dimension for Instagram stories is 1080 x 1920p, with a 9:16 aspect ratio for portrait mode, and 16:9 for landscape mode. To post a video to Instagram stories:

Navigate to the upload screen. Click on the “+” sign at the top right of the screen, then click “Story.”
Choose your video. Record a new video by tapping the first “Camera” panel, or choose a video from the album of your choice. If the video is over 15 seconds, it will automatically separate at each 15-second mark of the video for up to one minute.
Edit your video. On the preview screen, you can toggle the audio on or off, turn the video into a Boomerang, add captions, filters, stickers, music, gifs, and more. Click the ellipses in the top right corner to draw on your video or save it to your camera roll.
Upload your video. Click the bottom left button to upload the video directly to your story feed, or hit the “Close Friends” button to only share with a select group of users.

Before you publish to Instagram

Before you start posting videos on Instagram, here are a few tips to ensure it all goes smoothly:

Consider using hashtags. Using trending hashtags in your video captions can help expand the reach of your content and attract new viewers to your page.
Follow the guidelines. Instagram has a few rules pertaining to posting content. For example, they do not allow content containing full nudity, hate speech, or threats of violence. Read through Instagram’s community guidelines before posting your content.
Keep your videos to the point. If your videos are too long without a lot going on, people might lose interest in your content quickly. That said, if slow-moving content is your thing, go for it.
Check the audio. If your video contains copyrighted music, there’s a high chance Instagram will remove your video. However, using the music feature on the app will let you overlay music to your video without risk of violating their guidelines.

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How to post a video on Instagram, including Reels and Stories

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Three Ways To Upload Video To Instagram (Including Stories and IGTV)

Sharing Video On Instagram

Instagram has an estimated one billion monthly users, with five hundred million accessing the app daily. One hundred million videos and photos are uploaded per day. So how can you add to that figure?

There are three main ways to share video on Instagram – in your main ‘feed’, in ‘Stories’ or in IGTV.

Uploading Video To Instagram

According to pop icon Andy Warhol, everyone gets 15 seconds of fame. So it’s fitting that Instagram used to limit video uploads to just that – 15 seconds, max! These days however, Instagram has loosened length restrictions a lot – if you’re an IGTV user, you can now add videos up to 6o minutes in length. To work out how long, which format, and even where and how you can start sharing footage, watch this video to show you the three different ways you can start sharing your brilliance via video on Instagram:

To share video to your main ‘feed’:

Step 1: Open Instagram on your mobile device

Step 2: Click the middle plus icon on the bottom of your screen

Step 3: Tap the circle button and hold to record a video, or swipe up anywhere on the screen to share a video from your phone’s library or gallery.

Browse to select your video, then click next. Videos up to one minute in length can be uploaded to your feed, and up to ten videos can be added to a single post.

TIP: Traditional landscape video formats are supported, however studies show square or vertical videos formats are more likely to catch the attention of viewers scrolling past as they take up more space in the feed.

Step 4: Select a filter

Step 5: Trim the video to your desired length

Step 6: Choose any frame from the video to use as your cover photo, and click next.

Step 7: Write a caption for your post, add a location, tag accounts, and choose whether to share the video post on other accounts/social media platforms (e.g. Facebook)

Step 8: Click ‘Share’ on the top right corner

To share video to Stories:

Step 1: In the Instagram app, tap the camera icon in the top left of your screen or swipe right from anywhere in Feed.

Step 2: Tap the circle icon at the bottom of the screen to record a video, or swipe up anywhere on the screen to choose a photo or video from your phone’s library or gallery. Instagram stories video can be up to 15 seconds long.

Step 3: Tap the icons across the top of screen to turn off sound or draw or add text, tags, stickers or a swipe up link to your video. To remove these, drag and drop onto the bin icon at the bottom of the screen.

Step 4: When you’re ready to share, tap Your Story in the bottom left.

TIP: Stories disappear from your profile, Feed and Direct inbox after 24 hours, unless you add them to your profile as highlights.

To share video to IGTV:

For IGTV you can share video from your computer, or from the Instagram or IGTV app.

Step 1: In the Instagram app, tap the TV icon in the top right of Feed, or open the IGTV app. Tap the Plus icon top right.

– or-

From a computer, open your web browser and go to Instagram. com. Go to your profile and click IGTV. Click Upload.

Step 2: In the Instagram app, and choose a video from your camera roll or gallery, then tap Next.

If you’re uploading from a computer, drag and drop the video file.

Tip: On IGTV, vertical video is the default – to avoid landscape or square video being cropped to fit, click the open frame icon top of screen. Although video uploads of up to 60 minutes long are available, for most regular users video must be between 15 seconds and 10 minutes long, an MP4 file and less than 3.6 GB.

Step 3: Add a title and description. You can also choose to share a preview of your video to Instagram Feed or share your video to a Facebook Page. Tap Post.

Bonus Tip: Sharing a preview of your IGTV video to Feed or Stories

When uploading to IGTV, if you opt to share a video to your Feed it appears as a preview with the first section of your video shown as a 4:5 centre crop. Once the preview finishes the video pauses, and viewers can tap Keep Watching to continue watching the full video – a great way to attract more viewers to your IGTV channel.

To share to Stories, after the video has uploaded go to your IGTV channel, select the video, then click the send airoplane icon. Select ‘Add video to your story’. The video cover image will appear, which when clicked will take viewers to the full video in IGTV – you can add text, tags or stickers to this like a regular Story.

This instructional video series was filmed and edited by Soul Arch Media’s Gold Coast Video Production team. Call Soul Arch Media today on 07 55595551 or visit https://www.soularchmedia.com

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How do I share someone's feed post to my Instagram story?

Help Center

Instagram Features

Stories

You can only post someone else's post to your story if the author of the post has made their account public and allowed their posts to be reposted. Not everyone can share a post from the feed in their story.

To share someone's feed post to your story:

Instagram app for Android and iPhone

Click the icon below a photo or video in the feed.

Select Add Post to Your Story, Add Video to Your Story, or Add Reels Video to Story.

Press in the lower right corner of the screen.

Click Share.

Instagram Lite app for Android

If you share someone's post in your story, every person who has viewed it will be able to see the name of the author and go to his account. Learn more about how to share a store in an Instagram story. nine0003

If you have a public account, you can prevent other people from sharing your stories.

To prevent people from sharing your posts in Stories:

Instagram app for Android and iPhone

Tap the or icon on your profile photo in the bottom right corner of the screen to go to your profile.

Click the icon in the upper right corner of the screen and select Settings.

Click Privacy and select History. nine0003

Click next to Allow reposts in stories.

Instagram Lite app for Android

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How to make a video for Instagram stories: 10 examples of stories + recommendations

1. Stop motion video.

This is a fun way to promote your product and brand. You shoot several shots, moving objects manually, and then combine the photos into a video. In the example, the story turned out, as if the chips themselves crawl out of the can. Idea from YouTube channel Fancy smth. nine0003

2. Animated creative collage.

Such stories attract attention with their originality, which means that they will definitely be watched to the end. Social media users generally love everything unusual, eye-catching. Collages are made using PNG files and animated GIFs. To create a collage, prepare PNG images with a transparent background in advance and download them to your phone. The rest (gifs, text) is done in the story editor.

3. Stories that can be "influenced" by subscribers. nine0093

You are filming a story in two parts – the first part is not finished, but there is a call to action, for example, the word “click”. The subscriber clicks and gets to the second part of the story. Video in the example - a girl inflates a balloon, and a hand stretches with a needle behind the scenes. A call to press to explode the balloon is displayed, the follower clicks, and the balloon explodes. It seems that the subscriber can influence the story - this technique increases engagement.

4. Product overview. nine0093

Show your followers how to use your product correctly. This is how you draw their attention to your products. If you sell makeup, make a story about how to apply it. If you have a clothing store, show interesting images - how to combine outfits. We advise you to accompany the video with explanatory captions.

5. Q&A.

Q&A stories are good because you get feedback from subscribers. Make a video with answers to the most frequently asked questions and pin your story in Highlights so you don't have to answer the same question three hundred times in Direct. nine0003

Ask your followers to ask you questions in the comments, and then shoot the answers to them. The format is attractive because subscribers themselves offer ideas for content that is relevant to them, and you give them what they ask for. You can film yourself answering a question, a product, or a step-by-step guide with voice-over.

6. Backstage.

Capture what's left behind the scenes of your workflow. How the goods are made, how photos and videos are taken, what employees do in their free time, what the office looks like - subscribers are interested in this. Such stories increase the credibility of your business. Let's say you have a cafe - you can shoot how the chef prepares food. Or film how you make videos and photos for publication. Use dynamic backstage music. nine0003

7. User Content.

These can be screenshots of reviews or photos / videos of subscribers with your product. Video reviews look more effective. These stories increase engagement and motivate customers to share photos and videos of your products on Instagram. You can offer them a discount or a symbolic gift for leaving a review. The advantage of this method is that you get free content for your stories. Then they can be placed in Highlights to interest those who are still thinking about buying. nine0003

8. Quests and games for engagement.

Very difficult to organize, but insanely exciting thing.

The audience gets acquainted with the task and answers the question. According to the hashtag, he goes to the next stage and answers again. The subscriber travels from one story to another. Well, when there are several plot lines, it gets even more interesting.

9. Shared content with subscribers.

Create content with your subscribers. This will increase engagement. For example, shoot a video and stop it at the moment when you need to make a choice. Make a poll about what to shoot a sequel about and ask your subscribers to vote for one of the two options. Remove the second part, taking into account the choice of users. It will turn out a mini-series, where subscribers choose the plot themselves. nine0003

10. Stories from animated templates.

Even a static story can be made interesting and engaging by animating some objects. You can download Photoshop templates from marketplaces like Creative Market or use an online designer like Crello. We also recommend reading our article: 10 best video makers.

What else can you shoot: tips and life hacks, quizzes, an invitation to an event or webinar, the process of choosing a winner in a competition, funny videos with employees, a background video with the title of an article and a link leading to the site's blog. nine0085 More Stories Themes : 27 ideas for Instagram Stories.

Recommendations :

Video stories should be dynamic - you have no more than 15 seconds to catch the attention of subscribers. You can change the angle, zoom in/out objects, play with lighting, change the environment.
If you have a business account and more than 10,000 subscribers, add links to your stories. For example, if you are reviewing a product, have a link to that product in the story. nine0156
If there should be an emphasis on the text in the story, choose a neutral background, if the text is not needed or there is not enough of it, then the video or photo should be as informative as possible.
Make video stories with sound - with music or voice-over. For better video quality, process the story in advance in a graphics editor.
Analyze story statistics, especially coverage depth, to understand which format suits your target audience best. If there are calls to action at the end, study which form of CTA is the most effective and use it in other stories. nine0156

How to add a video to an Instagram story: step by step instructions

Video sizes and resolution for Instagram Stories

Recommended story sizes: 1080x1920px (the most common) or 720x1280px.
Format - mp4, mov or gif.
The aspect ratio is 9:16.

Let's move on to publishing the video in history.

Step 1 . We go into the application, click on your avatar with a plus sign where the latest stories are posted. nine0003

Step 2 . On the left is a square that will take us to the phone's gallery. Click on it and choose a video. Then we edit.

Step 3 . Choose a video from the gallery. Up to 10 videos can be uploaded at the same time.

Step 4 . If necessary, add a sticker to the video. They are located at the top of the editor - a square with a smile.

Step 5 . Click to share with everyone or with a list of best friends. nine0003

Stickers for videos

Which stickers to use in your commercial stories:

Place . This sticker shows the location. It makes sense to use if you have a local establishment, for example, a cafe.
Mention . With this sticker, you can specify your other commercial account in the story.
Hashtag . Stories with a unique corporate hashtag make your brand recognizable. Then subscribers will be able to find other publications related to you by this hashtag. nine0156
Poll . Find out the opinion and preferences of your subscribers. For example, ask them if they prefer sneakers or sneakers.
Questions . Invite subscribers to ask you questions - any or not pre-designated topic. This way you can understand what your followers care about, as well as get free ideas for new stories.
Countdown . The deadline counter is always good when it comes to pushing people into an urgent purchase. It evokes a sense of lost profits. You can make a report until the time when the discount expires or the registration for the webinar ends. nine0218
Slider . Instagram users love interactive, so try to use it in your stories. The slider is great for this. Ask a question and offer to answer with emoticons.
Test . This sticker is good because it allows you to do a little marketing research for free. A kind of online questionnaire for subscribers. Come up with questions and launch a story with this sticker to better understand the portrait of your audience.

Cutting long videos for stories

Long videos (more than 15 seconds) are cut automatically in the story editor immediately after uploading. Each part then needs to be processed separately - add stickers, text.

If you need to trim the video at a particular moment, it is better to do it in advance in any video editor, such as Sony Vegas or Movavi. Crop and save each part as a separate piece to the gallery, and then upload to the story. There are online services for cropping - online-video-cutter, Clideo. And phone apps - InShot, YouCut, My Movie. nine0003

What to do if videos are not uploaded to stories

Sometimes Instagram does not upload videos to stories. We consider the causes and ways to solve them.

The video was not edited in Instagram , but in a third-party editor. This problem happens on iPhones. Allegedly, the reason is the incompatibility of the codecs of the editor and Instagram itself.
Solution : Load the video into a standard editor and crop it a bit. It will be automatically processed as if you shot it from your phone and immediately edited it in a standard story editor - Instagram itself will reformat the video and allow you to post it. nine0156
Video or music in it violates copyright . Instagram automatically recognizes such content and does not allow you to post it.
Solution : Use content that does not infringe copyright - recorded by you personally, bought from stock or from an author. If the problem is music, replace it with another one - also from stocks or free libraries.
Video is removed immediately after posting . Most likely, you were blocked by Instagram for some violations - mass liking, spam, user complaints. nine0218 Solution : wait until all restrictions are lifted and post videos. At this time, exclude any activity on Instagram. After removing the block, do not repeat previous violations, otherwise you will be blocked again. Auto-blocking is most often given for 14 days, but can be removed earlier - after 3 days, a week or 10 days.

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