Instagram is the term which has been defining social media and social networking for the last few years. What initially seemed like a platform meant for the celebrities has gradually turned into a trend that is not here to fade to oblivion.
As of now, the platform attracts around 1 billion accounts that are active on a daily basis. Yes, these are people like you and me who cannot live a day without checking into their profile to grasp the freshly brewed content!
Yes, content is something which has been gaining a huge impetus in recent times. The audience have the ultimate power and it is just a click away. Forget about the ads, they can even flip any movie or a series if they do not agree with it. This has made the content creators realize the value of curating messages which carry a subtle tone of brand product along with a powerful message that speaks of everything that the audience can relate to.
Video worth a thousand words
The Instagram translation of ‘actions speak louder than words’ has to be that a video speaks louder than words. True in all sense, the recent scenario for video marketing has become more ripe and sophisticated than ever. When people scroll through their feed on Instagram, what they are essentially looking for is content. Content that makes them pause, content that makes them think and content that makes them share it with their followers. This diverse and wide chain makes up for a clever Instagram strategy which is being utilised by most brands these days.
Emergence of video marketing
Instagram allowed users to watch and share videos back in 2013 with its updated version. However, the recent update says everything about the popularity of video marketing on Instagram. With the length of the video increased from 15 seconds to a minute, Instagram surely has invited marketers from all across the world to share their content.
Video marketing has a wide scope and not just on Instagram. A great video stays with the people and compels people to learn more about the brand and connect with it on several levels. A successful video marketing campaign on Instagram can make several heads turn and cement your position in the industry. This, in turn, shall motivate people to associate with you by investing in your product or services.
Airbnb is a brand which was among the OGs of Instagram video marketing. Over a period of years, the brand’s campaigns have been amusing, interesting and different from the rest. With its recent marketing campaign which focused on acceptance in times when the Unites States government was acting hostile towards the immigrants, the brand struck the right chord and was able to garner millions of views and likes on Instagram.
Offering food for thought
The key to a successful marketing campaign is its content. Surely, techniques likes SEO can bring you up in the arena but once you are in the spotlight, your audience are free to judge you and no techniques of SEO or digital marketing shall be able to save you. It is for this reason that the demand for quality content creators is on a rise for brands are becoming more conscious of the targeted demographic.
The right start
If you have already begun your research about content marketing and are pondering over implementing the same for your brand, hear us out for we have words from the wise. Do not get intimidated seeing all those big brands promoting themselves through close cut angles and high profile public figures. Here is a perk of using Instagram for your video marketing campaign. It is not dependent on any star power or brand name. While a campaign by a known brand is sure to catch eyeballs, it is also under major scrutiny by a wide variety of critics.
For small brands, there is a huge scope on the app considering your content is worth it. A recent example would be of a bakery which launched its Instagram page by the name of ‘so yummy’. Within a few years, the page has more than 10 million followers and the credit goes to the freshness and finesse of the content on the page. The page brags of posts which are mainly in video formats and are absolutely a visual delight for the viewers.
Getting acquainted with the Instagram video formats
Well, it’s quite praiseworthy if by now, you have already found an idea for your brand campaign. However, it would be appreciated if you acquaint yourself regarding the technicalities to implement the idea on Instagram. No doubt your content is amazing but if it fails to obey the guidelines laid down by Instagram, it will fail to generate the desired response. For this purpose, make sure to keep in check that your video follows some popular practices. Here are some of the Instagram video best practices in terms of video quality and technicalities.
Instagram allows you to share and post videos in some given formats. These formats must be matched along with the type of content that you are about to post-
- Instagram stories are the shortest with the maximum time limit of 15 seconds. Brands mostly use their stories to give a sneak peek about the main project because the length of the video is too short for creative liberty of any kind. However, you can also create multiple stories containing teaser ads so as to excite your customers about your brand and the product.
- Instagram live broadcast is a specific feature launched by Instagram so that people can share their emotions in real-time. Instagram live allows you to interact with your friends and followers for 60 minutes at a stretch. Brands make use of this strategy to introduce or launch a new product at the hands of public figure, celebrity or an influencer. Moreover, you can also offer experiential learning to your audience by giving them an insight into the uses and benefits of the product.
- Instagram feed is perhaps the most diverse method preferred by most brands to showcase their stories, products and services. Think about a recent video on the official page of your favourite brand and focus on the wat they narrate their story. It does not have to seem like a commercial but what matters is how strongly the core message is being broadcasted. Instagram feed has a maximum length of 1 minute. However, for longer campaigns you can post the video as part of multiple snaps.
- IGTV clips are restricted for a maximum of 60 minutes. The maximum size for an IGTV file must not extend more than 5.4 GB with the minimum aspect ratio being 4:5. However, the brand must decide on the kind of content that goes with IGTV videos because some viewers may not feel interested in watching the video.
MP4 is one of the most common platform for the purpose of recording videos on Instagram. Moreover, the brand can also decide as to the format of the video, if they want to show the video is landscape or portrait view.
Tricks of the trade
Leaving aside the technicalities of posting and sharing video on Instagram as part of the marketing campaign, let us focus more on the creative part now. As we have already mentioned earlier, content is the most essential part of video marketing strategy. Focus on enhancing the quality of the content rather than the length.
An Instagram video is very different from a YouTube add or the previews generated at the beginning of any video on any platform. There, people do not want to watch the ad but the actual video and therefore they are eager to skip it. However, when it comes to the videos on Instagram, you must know that as long as your content works, people shall be more than eager to watch your videos. Thus, as a matter of fact, focusing on the quality of the content shall definitely take you places.
First impressions
First impressions say it all, isn’t it? Whether it is your date or the next video that you are watching, everything is decided in the first few seconds! The content creator must make sure to pace up the video because the viewers will not delay his attention span.
With a wide variety of content passing right across, there are very little chances that the viewers shall keep calm to watch you’re delayed and slow motion video. By slow motion, do not assume the literal meaning of the word. While you can add any many effects as you want for curating the content in the manner you want, care must be taken to make it seem interesting and engaging.
For instance, you must have seen that pages with cooking tutorials usually speed up the process and keep the video quirky so that audience might not start yawning in the middle of it. So, follow the advice of the people who have been there in the industry for a longer time and learn about some of the most useful Instagram video tips from the pros.
Make it up with the right text
Visual content and text go hand in hand. While visual narration of a story makes it interesting for the viewer, text adds an element of subtlety and conveys the undertones that the viewer might miss out on. Never underestimate the relevance of text for your video marketing campaign as there’s nothing that a good caption cannot convey.
You can also make your text dynamic if the video requires it so. By making use of specific apps or hiring a graphic designer, you can easily enhance the appeal of your text. Highlight the key points of the text so that they are not missed by your audience and you shall have created the perfect campaign for yourself.
How much text is too much text!
Well, there is a thin line that needs to be drawn between adding captions and making your post seem like a course book. Too much text overpowers the effectiveness of your video or gives the impression that your video is not that appealing. You must know how to not add text in a manner that it looks like you are compensating for your video. The ideal function of adding textual content is to bring out and complement your video and not dumb it down.
Keep your goal in focus
The goals for initiating a specific campaign play an essential role in drawing an outline of the entire campaign. The content of your video must be in sync with the requirement of your audience and goals that you have set for your brand.
There are some traditional goal which are chosen by most brand. These can be raising awareness for your brand or product, cause marketing, product evaluation or education and call to action. However, goals cannot be all of them combined for then it will only result in cluttering and the development of a haphazard video.
It is important that you must decide on the major goal that needs attention and focus. Once you have figured out that, you can focus on how to bring it out by means of visual content. For instance, the latest campaign of reebok India focuses on women and establishes a connection between women and athleisure. By means of a tightly gripped campaign, it motivates the women to embrace fitness and find fun in it.
Targeting a specific customer base helps you to position yourself in the way you want. Take for instance, GoPro which makes use of videos that are bound to increase your adrenaline rush in an attempt to position itself as the go-to choice of the adventure seeking people. Setting one particular goal and revolving around it saves you from changing your marketing strategy every now and then.
Aim for subtlety when it comes to product placement
A major difference between the general advertisement and Instagram video marketing content comes with the user engagement. While advertisements are forced upon the users in between the primary content, the Instagram content is targeted as the primary content to the users. In this respect, the treatment of the video also gets different.
For instance, the commercial advertisement for burger king would be directed towards letting the audience acquaint themselves with the menu of the burger giant. However, when it comes to Instagram video marketing strategy, this strategy wouldn’t be helpful because the audience are not prepared to watch another ‘product placement’ or ‘commercial’. Hence, the brand makes use of the current issues or a brewing topic to design a creative piece of content.
A brilliant example of this strategy would be the burger king marketing content for ASL (American Sign Language) day where the mascot of the brand broke the internet with a powerful and effective video. Moreover, they also made use of the hashtag to ensure maximum audience engagement.
The sound effect
An Instagram video seems incomplete without sound. However, the use of sound must be done cleverly while creating a marketing content for your Instagram page. Instagram feed, which are one of the most common platforms for sharing content with the followers and audience, particularly suffers from this issue.
What happens is that when a person is in public, he might hesitate from tuning the sound on. This means that if you develop a content that is heavily dependent on sound, most users might not be able to get the gist or comprehend the video and its content. It is for this reason that you must make your video in a manner that it is not affected by the absence of sound. Include lesser dialogues and add subtitles to the video so that the viewers may not miss out on anything.
Developing the brand’s personality
By means of Instagram video marketing, the brand can add a specific dimension to itself and develop a specific personality in front of the target user. This allows the brand to distinguish itself from the crowd. The more the video is able to highlight the personality of the brand, the greater engagement will it be able to generate.
Ikea makes use of this strategy to reinstate its core values before its audience and build a specific personality for itself. By means of its humorous videos on Instagram, ikea not only showcases specific uses of its products but at the same time, spreads the message of love and happiness. This interesting blend of two different marketing strategy not only allows it to promote its product but at the same time, ensures better user engagement.
The concept of Instagram video marketing is one of the coming-of-age strategy which is developing a loyal fan base and receiving appreciation for the industry leaders who would want to cater to a wider segment with a creative niche. However, one should learn the skill required to manoeuvre the platform to harness it for desired results.