Instagram has celebrated its reach of 1B (billion) users and just launched new feature – Instagram TV or IGTV. It’s independent video platform within Instagram, alternative option for YouTube and Snapchat video streaming. You can access it from your latest updated version of Instagram, on the top right (next to direct messages). Now, you can stream and view longer videos, up to 1 hour length, recorded in vertical format.
At the same time, Instagram has announced that it is launching IGTV app, coming out within next weeks.
So how does INSTAGRAM TV or IGTV work?
First of all, as all latest social media features, it’s very intuitive and easy to use.
Here are the steps:
- Open your Instagram app
- Access TV button on your home screen of the app, next to direct messages
- It will open IGTV with all the latest videos streaming from your following accounts. You can as well access to discover: “For You”, “Popular videos” or “Continue Watching” where you have left
- Videos can be up to 1 hour length
- Videos are captured and streamed in vertical mode
- Everyone can create their IGTV channel and start streaming right now by pressing setting sign button on IGTV
- You don’t need to create separate account for it.
What does INSTAGRAM TV mean for marketing?
1. Well, first and foremost, it went viral right after announcement. Mainstreamers of Instagram such as Kim Kardashian, Selena Gomez were one of the first to create their channels and post their video on the channel. Most of the biggest Instagram accounts already publishing their videos on IGTV. The amount of content keeps on growing exponentially.
2. Second, it’s great opportunity for influencers,bloggers and instagrammers all over the world. It will allow you to publish longer, vertical format videos on Instagram directly and your followers will be able to view it right from the app, without leaving it, or accessing any other third party app like YouTube.
3. Third, it will be next hot feature of Instagram, after launching its famous Stories, so featuring there will make your content trendy and watchable.
4. Apart from YouTube, IGTV currently doesn’t have any built-in ads, interrupting the viewer’s experience. As well, it matches the videos according to the accounts you follow and channels you may like. That makes it very adaptable to every unique user’s experience.
5. Instagram TV is claimed to be direct competition to YouTube (as Facebook, owner of Instagram is direct competitor to Google, owner of YouTube). It’s focused to draw the influencers, bloggers from YouTube, encouraging them to publish most of their content on Instagram only, including how-to videos, interviews, content ads and many more.
It’s clear that with IGTV, Instagram is aiming to capture full attention of their users, encouraging them spend more time on it, without leaving to YouTube to view the video link. It will gradually add the opportunity to monetarize the IGTV for business accounts.
Thus, for anyone who is using Instagram for the businesses, IGTV should be biggest hot feature to be focused on. So don’t wait, create your channel and stream your first video on IGTV!
Farah Sinjeri 