When it comes to building a massive following a strong Instagram presence is a must. Entrepreneurs, small businesses, brands, and influencers can all benefit from the exposure the platform offers. Instagram is the unofficial epicenter of the influencer realm. This is no accident, there are several factors that make Instagram the perfect platform for grabbing attention and holding onto it.
The largest factor is Instagram’s strong focus on visual content. From the start, Instagram posts were accompanied by high-resolution images. While stunning photos are still a staple on Instagram, today the platform has expanded to include several types of video content options as well. In fact, video has quickly become the favored medium on Instagram, with over 91% of registered users reporting that they regularly view video content on the platform.
In this post, we will explore the four primary types of Instagram video content and share some useful tips for ensuring that your Instagram videos have the best chance of going viral.
Instagram Video Options
Instagram currently offers four creative options for publishing video content to the platform. Depending on your unique niche you may find that one or two of these formats are a better match for your style, or you may want to create video content in all four formats to increase your chances of resonating with as many types of viewers as possible.
Let’s explore the options.
Instagram Story
Instagram Story video content functions in a similar fashion to content on the popular Snapchat messaging app. Instagram Stories are short-form 15-second videos that can only be viewed for 24 hours. However, users do have the option to archive Instagram Stories, and you, as the creator can save expired Stories to your Highlights section.
Instagram Story videos can be created using the native in-app creation tools, or you can upload completed videos from your own library.
Instagram Stories, like Snapchat content, support the addition of fun effects and elements like filters, tags, emojis, and stickers to add a dash of fun to your content. Instagram Stories can also be paired up with Meta partner platform, Facebook Stories for even more views, and greater reach.
Instagram Reel
Instagram Reels are essentially the platform’s answer to the massive popularity of the TikTok short-form video format. Instagram Reels are similar to Instagram Videos in that they can be shared in users’ feeds, and viewers can interact with the content, the creator, and other viewers by posting comments, reposting Reels, or sharing them in DMs. However, Instagram Reels are intended to pack a lot of entertainment or information into one short 15- to 30-second video clip.
Creators can add captions, audio, hashtags, effects, and more to build excitement, increase accessibility, or otherwise increase engagement with their content.
Instagram Reels can be created in the Instagram app or uploaded from the creator’s library.
Instagram Video
Instagram Video was introduced to replace IGTV in 2021. These in-feed video posts offer posters the ability to post video content up to 60 minutes in length. The potential to create longer videos allows you to truly express your ideas and creativity. It is important to note, while Instagram Video can be up to 60-minutes in length, the video clip shown in the viewer feed will be clipped to 60 seconds. Your viewer will need to click to watch the full version, so you will want to make certain that you pack an enticing hook, and powerful engaging content into that first minute.
Because Instagram Video is built into the feed like a post, this format lends itself particularly well to interacting with viewers through comments and replies. Viewers can also repost your videos extending your influence beyond your own sphere of followers.
Instagram Videos can be created using native Instagram video creation tools or uploaded from an outside library.
Instagram Live
Instagram Live video allows users to stream live video content directly to their viewers’ feeds. This is a great way to build a personal connection with a large number of viewers all at once. Influencers often use Instagram Lives to host Q&A sessions, interviews, product demonstrations or unboxings, tutorials, and more.
Instagram Live video streams can be up to 4 hours in length and past streams can be shared for 30 days following the date of the Instagram Live video stream.
How To Grow Your Influence FAST With Instagram Videos
Now that we have covered the primary types of Instagram video content let’s get to what most aspiring influencers really want to know: How can you use Instagram video to grow your orbit of followers FAST?
The quickest way to grow your following on Instagram is to create viral content that is shared far and why. This is a simple formula, the more eyes that view your content the more opportunity you have to gain new likes and followers.
Here are some of the top factors that ensure your Instagram video content is primed for viral video success.
Attention-Grabbing Hook
We have all heard the experts and the talking heads discussing the epidemic of the chronically short attention span. There is some truth to this. While nobody has yet to agree on how long the average attention span is these days, most experts estimate that the decision of whether to engage with a piece of video content or move on to the next is made within the first few seconds.
That means that you need to find a way to snag your viewer’s attention and pique their curiosity so that they want to continue watching. The most successful video contains an attention-grabbing hook, whether in the form of an enticing caption or some sort of spicy, unexpected, or explosive action placed right at the very start of the video. Whichever technique you choose, the idea is to get your viewer to want to commit to watching your full video to satisfy their curiosity.
Trending Audio
Adding audio is always a great way to increase engagement. Humans are inexplicably drawn to music, and the right tune can help convey or evoke emotion and add interest to your video. The Instagram algorithm takes audio engagement a step further by promoting videos that make use of trending audio. Trending audio is any music or sound effect that is currently experiencing a surge of popularity on the platform.
Incorporating trending audio, particularly trending audio that is relevant to your particular niche, tells the Instagram algorithm that your video content is on trend and is likely to be popular with viewers. This will increase your chances of Instagram promoting your video content to a wider range of viewers.
Captions
Captions and in-video text serve a couple of practical purposes. Captions allow viewers to watch your video content even in situations where they may not have access to the audio, and they make your content accessible to those with hearing deficits. Captions are also a great way to emphasize key ideas or crucial take-away information in your video.
Instagram offers several captioning options. However, for the easiest-to-read and most impactful captions, you may want to consider creating your video and adding captions outside of the Instagram platform and uploading the completed video from your library.
Video Resolution
Instagram was made for sharing high-resolution imagery. The platform encourages creators to produce the highest-quality videos by promoting the highest resolution, most professional 4K video content.
If you are serious about growing your following on Instagram you will need to shoot your video content in 4K format or convert your existing HD video content to 4K.
Pro-Tip: In addition to creating or converting your video footage to 4K resolution you will need to check a little-known Instagram setting to ensure that your videos are uploaded to the platform in the highest quality possible.
Log in to your Instagram account and access your settings menu. You will want to navigate to your account, and then find the menu item that lets you customize your data usage. You will find a toggle switch asking you whether or not you would like to authorize high-resolution uploads. This toggle is often switched off by default to help you save data. However, this means that your videos are being uploaded in lower-resolution formats.
Ensure that this switch is toggled to the on position to allow all of your video content to be uploaded in high-resolution. Be aware that your videos will likely take longer to upload, and yes, you are going to use more data bandwidth but you need this extra boost if you want to compete with the top influencers on Instagram.
The East Way To Create Instagram Video Content
If all of this information seems a bit overwhelming, or if you are not sure that you have the technical prowess to create and edit high-quality, high-resolution Instagram video content, you can enlist the help of a professional video editor to help you get the results that you need.
Hiring a full-time professional video editor to produce your Instagram video content is unlikely to be in the budget until you reach full Instagram-famous status. So, how do you get professional video content right now? You can find talented video editors on one of the many freelance marketplaces, however, it should be noted that it is hard to fully vet creatives on these platforms, and the quality can be very hit-or-miss. Additionally, it can be difficult to produce the continuity of content style and quality when you are working with a revolving door of freelancers.
Flat-rate subscription creative services are by far the best option for most aspiring influencers and creatives looking to create consistently high-quality content for an affordable price. When it comes to all-in-one creative services, Flocksy tends to offer the highest value for the price.
Best of all, the Flocksy platform is extremely user-friendly making it easy for even the least tech-savvy influencer to request a video project and walk away with a high-quality, high-resolution shareable Instagram video. Simply create an account and begin requesting video editing and video conversion projects immediately. Just log in and navigate to the Video Editing category. From there you can choose to have your professional video editor convert your existing video content to 4K, or edit your video to match one of the four Instagram video formats. Flocksy video editors can cut, trim, clip, and splice your existing footage to create dynamic and ultra-engaging video content. Add captions, background music, transitions, and other effects to further increase your chances of going viral.
As an added bonus, Flocksy is a one-stop shop for creative services, and you don’t have to limit your project request to the video editing department. One monthly subscription gets you access to a team of talented creators from video editors to graphic designers, illustrators, copywriters, and more. Create viral-ready Instagram videos and have Flocksy’s talented graphic designers and illustrators create stand-out graphics, logos, and more. Need help crafting clever captions, exciting hooks, and rapport-building posts. Flocksy’s talented copywriters can manage all of that and more.
So, what are you waiting for? Start planning your rise to Instagram fame today.