If you’re active on Instagram it’s pretty likely you will have seen someone you follow posting on Instagram TV; but what exactly is it and what could it mean for brands and influencer marketing?
Read on to learn more about IGTV, how best to use IGTV within your Influencer Marketing campaign. We’ve also pulled together a few of our favourite IGTV examples showcasing how influencers and brands have been using IGTV.
What you need to know
Instagram Television, better known as “IGTV” is an extension of Instagram geared towards video content, having launched in 2018 it has been a little slow to gain traction in the New Zealand market since. Not to be confused with Instagram Stories, despite their similarities. There are two main differences;
1) IGTV videos can be much longer (up to 60 minutes)
2) IGTV has it’s own tab within the Instagram app where viewers can easily scroll through IGTV videos.
Since launching, a fair few things have changed, including being able to upload videos in both vertical and landscape form, the addition of landscape video format came about after May 2019. Another change allows creators to post previews of their IGTV content to their Instagram feeds, helping drive views and video reach.
Like content posted to Instagram, IGTV videos can be engaged with through likes, comments, and sharing, allowing creators to track their content engagement. As of yet we haven’t seen the monetisation of IGTV through the platform, the introduction of being able to use IGTV for ad’s would offer brands an interesting addition to their marketing mix, we foresee this being introduced very soon. IGTV could become a serious competitor for Youtube and other video platforms such as TikTok as the format is adopted by more users and engaged with by more followers.
Why is it so great?
The longer video times are a total game-changer. Why you ask? We’re so glad you did! Instead of an influencer having either a story limited to one minute, or using Instagram to promote their longer forms of content from other channels e.g.(Youtube or Facebook), everything can be done through the same platform, making it easier for followers to access the content. All it takes is a single click of the IGTV button, found in the top right corner of the app. Having access to being able to publish longer video length provides content creators with greater engagement opportunities. Being able to make a 10-minute video (or 60min for those that are verified and have over 10k followers) means users have a lot more room when flexing their creative muscles. This can only mean we’ll be seeing more unique content from all of the diverse and imaginative users on the platform.
From an industry perspective, IGTV opens up some exciting new opportunities. It gives influencers and brands more options when it comes to deciding what kind of content they want to share. IGTV could also be very attractive for brands looking to use influencer marketing to tell stories, educate consumers and provide more in-depth information on a service or product that requires a longer-form video. The combination of using Instagram posts and stories to then link through to the IGTV video, ensures video views and engagement.
Where IGTV is included in an integrated approach to influencer marketing, brands and influencers should keep in mind the need for consistency across Instagram and IGTV. As IGTV is an extension of Instagram, it’s important the tone of voice, branding, and aesthetic be relatively consistent with the style of content from that of the brand and/or influencer’s Instagram feed.
Something we’re looking forward to in the future is an advanced search function on the app as it’s currently limited to mainly searching by profile, and not specific videos this could be a game changer in the future. There is the ability to add a title or description to your IGTV content to help drive traffic to your content, we see this as an important step in preparation for advanced search.
Have a look at some of the awesome ways brands and influencers have been using IGTV in New Zealand:
Stacey Banfield, a New Zealand influencer we worked with here at The Social Club used IGTV in her recent collaboration with Look Good Feel Better. Her video was a very moving and personal piece of content showing her support, while spreading awareness for the charity. This is a great example of how personal and engaging IGTV can be.
Danicka Thomas, a beauty and lifestyle influencer based out of Wellington, recently posted her first video to IGTV showing her skincare routine. The high production quality and pristine style of the video elevated her Instagram content. This is an great example of how IGTV can be used to promote specific beauty products.
Auckland based content creator Kennedy Anderson took his own direction on how he wanted to use IGTV for a recent collaboration with New Zealand Natural as they released their brand new ice cream flavours. His approach to showing an ice cream dessert recipe in a video was fast-paced, fun and felt very improvised/unrehearsed which made it all the more entertaining to watch. Kennedy’s video is a great example of how FMCG products can use IGTV for influencer marketing.
Warby Parker is a great example of how a brand can use influencer marketing and IGTV on their own channels. The American prescription glasses retailer has been pumping out IGTV videos under the tag #WearingWarby featuring a bunch of interesting and diverse influencers talking about the brand.
That’s a wrap for now on what IGTV is, where it’s going, and the ways both influencers and brands can use IGTV to expand the content they create. We’re sure there will be more updates on IGTV as it gains momentum, but if you know a winner when you see one and are looking to beat the rush to collaborate with influencers through IGTV, then drop us a line at enquiries@staging.thesocialclub.co. We can’t wait to hear from you!
