Everything You Need to Know About Instagram Video Marketing
Instagram Analytics

Everything You Need to Know About Instagram Video Marketing

Maria Ganta
Maria Ganta
Table of Contents

Did you know that video content on Instagram is available in 4 formats? Reels, Live, Stories, and Instagram Video.

The amount of time spent by Instagram users to watch videos continually increases over time.

This means that videos are receiving the same attention as that given to images on Instagram.

As a result, most brands have now embraced video marketing on Instagram, and the frequency of video posts on Instagram has increased gradually over the last few years.

Video marketing on Instagram is a chance for a business to show the world who they are and what they do in 60 seconds or less.

In this article, I deep dive into Instagram video marketing strategies for businesses and how to use videos to increase your engagement rates on Instagram.

Instagram video marketing

  1. What is video marketing?
  2. Types of Instagram videos
  3. Instagram video specs
  4. Instagram video content ideas
  5. Instagram video tips for marketers

1. What is video marketing?


If I have to define video marketing, I would say that using video marketing, you can promote or sell your product or service, increase engagement, educate your consumers and customers, reach your audience and tell your brand's story in a new way.

2. Types of Instagram videos

Deciding on the types of Instagram videos you want to use will be an essential first step for your business. Here are the types of videos you can choose from:

Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories are 15-second videos that disappear after 24 hours.
Through Instagram Stories, you can promote your products, tools, or any messages you might want to share with your audience while keeping the engagement high.

Make sure you add filters, emojis, tags, and stickers to make your Stories interactive.

If you don't want your Instagram Story to disappear, you can save it in the Highlights section.

Create interactive Stories

The best part? Instagram Stories links are now available to all users, so make sure you take advantage of this feature.

Instagram Stories links

Instagram video

This year, Instagram combined IGTV and feed videos into one format and named it - Instagram Video.

These videos can be up to 60 minutes in length, and just like an image post, creators can add filters, location, captions, or location tags.

Instagram Video

Instagram live

When an account goes live, they appear at the front of the Stories bar with a Live icon, and the people who follow that account will get notified that a live session started.
Once finished, an Instagram Live can be shared for 30 days before Instagram removes it.

Start an Instagram Live

The number of viewers watching a live appears at the top of the screen, and people can engage by adding comments or emojis. If you are the host of the live session, you can let people come in or remove them.

Instagram Reels

Inspired by TikTok, Instagram Reels are 15-30 second clips created with Instagram's camera or uploaded from your photo library.

They are fun, engaging - you can add AR filters, green screen mode, timer, GIFs, and you also have access to an audio library.

You should record Reels in vertical portrait mode (9:16).

Create Instagram Reels

3. Instagram video specs

Discover the size and format specifications for each type of Instagram video.

Instagram Stories specs

  • Length: up to 15 seconds (longer videos can be clipped into multiple Stories).
  • Recommended size: upload the highest resolution video available.
  • Maximum video file size: 30MB.
  • Recommended file type: .MP4 or .MOV format.
  • Ratios: 9:16 and 16:9 to 4:5
  • Minimum width: 500 pixels.
  • Minimum aspect ratio: 400 x 500.
  • Maximum aspect ratio : 191 x 100 or 90 x 160.

Instagram Video specs

  • Length: 3 to 60 seconds.
  • Recommended size: upload the highest resolution video available that meets file size and ratio limits.
  • Recommended file type: .MP4 or .MOV format.
  • Maximum file size 30MB.
  • Maximum frame rate 30fps.
  • Minimum width: 500 pixels.

Instagram Live specs

You can go live on Instagram only using your camera app, and here the specifications are similar to Instagram Stories.

4. Instagram video content ideas

Branding videos

Branded videos contain a specific message to familiarize the audience with the business. They typically focus on brand awareness and brand storytelling.

This type of video does not necessarily sell the business's product or service but acts as a tool to humanize the company by engaging the customers' emotions.

A branding video should be short, entertaining, unique, not self-promotional, and original. (click on the photo to see the video).

Starbucks is an excellent example for branded videos

Product Videos

Product videos clearly explain the business' products or services.

These types of videos highlight not only the benefits of the products but also the problems the product will solve for the customers.

Product videos should be creative and involving to show customers the significant functions and impact of the product in society.

Creatively created product videos help to make a long-lasting impression in the customer's minds. (click on the photo to see the video).

Here is a good example of product video

When making videos for Instagram, you must remember a good product video is professional, short enough to maintain the customer's attention, and long enough to explain the product clearly.

It should also be created in a manner that customers can relate to the products it is promoting.

Make sure your product videos are of the highest quality. The clearer they are, the more sales you will drive.

For this, you will need to invest in good equipment such as a video camera, lighting equipment, a microphone, and a video editor.

Tutorial Videos

Tutorial videos are business' instructional videos. They provide step-by-step procedures on how to use a product.

Usually they are a goldmine for the users because it's a comprehensible way of delivering useful information in a short period of time.

Consumers can save Instagram videos and easily benefit from the information presented whenever they need it.

Tutorial Instagram videos also offer additional information about the product, such as how to maintain the product.

Sometimes, this type of video might overlay with product videos, but they focus more on using and getting the most out of the product instead of just listing the features outright. (click on the photo to see the video).

Here is a tutorial video

Educational Videos

Educational videos are informative videos whose primary function is to educate the viewer.

Businesses can use educational videos to inform their audience on the problems their products are solving in society.

An excellent educational video should be specific, factual, and informative. (click on the photo to see the video).

educational video

Live Videos

Live videos are live streaming platforms on Instagram that allow you to broadcast video in real-time to your audience.

These videos can be used to cover significant events for a business, such as the launch of a new product.

After you finish a live video on Instagram, you can save the video to your phone or transform it into an IGTV.

In the past, this option was not available, so you must take advantage of it now.

The benefit of this approach is that for having an Instagram video limit way bigger than the one of regular videos in the feed, brands can offer more in-detail information to their customers.

This is a way of creating deeper connections with the community, which should be every brand's objective.

User-generated content

This is any form of content, such as images, videos, text, and audio, that has been created and shared by your customers on social media.

By integrating user-generated video content into their Instagram video marketing strategy, brands can show their communities their voices matter and that they are indeed part of that brand's story and journey.

5. Instagram video tips for marketers

Here are some Instagram video tips for marketers to follow:

  • In-feed Instagram videos

In-feed videos are automatically auto-played without sound on Instagram. However, the viewer can hear the sound by tapping the video.

Instagram video tips:

  • Short and precise - An excellent in-feed video is short and direct to the point. The optimal video length on Instagram is under 30 seconds or maximum 60 seconds. This is because most Instagram users view short videos more than long videos.
  • Interactive - To make the in-feed videos interactive, reply to all comments as much as possible. Responding to comments on Instagram creates bonds of trust with the customers.
  • Audience-focused content - Customer-oriented content helps to show that the business can relate to the customers' needs. This will attract more views to the in-feed video.
  • Instagram Stories Videos

Instagram video tips:

  • Use Instagram Stickers - Story stickers help to make Instagram stories unique and capture the audience's attention. You can use different stickers to reach more audiences or to promote your product.
    Some of the stickers you can use are hashtag stickers, mention stickers, question stickers, poll stickers, location stickers, and emoji slider stickers.

  • Consistency - A good Instagram Story should be short, creative, and authentic. It should be interesting and have a consistent flow. This will make it easy for the viewers to understand the content.

  • Tell Stories - Utilize storytelling tactics to get users invested in your content and want to see more.

Instagram Stories best practices

  • Instagram IGTV

Instagram video tips:

  • Create a cover image: When users scroll through your Instagram profile, your IGTV cover image should grab their attention and attract them to click on your video.
  • Create content for your followers: IGTV is a great way to publish long videos on your Instagram profile. Make sure you create content according to your follower's needs.
  • Use text on your videos: Edit your videos thinking that your followers can't listen to what you say.

IGTV best practices

  • Instagram video ads

Instagram video ads are videos posted on Instagram for advertising purposes.

Instagram Ads generally work well for businesses with an active presence in these areas: fitness, restaurants, beauty, fashion, home decor.

Instagram video tips:

  • Create your ad on a smartphone - Instagram users prefer not to turn their phones to get a fullscreen video experience, so make sure your Instagram video format looks good on a smartphone.

  • Promote your brand and product in the first few seconds of the video - create short videos with a strong message for your audience.

  • Use captions: By default, Instagram video ads auto-play with the sound off, so make sure you add text over the video, so your ads make sense with or without sound.

Final thoughts

In today's world, visual storytelling is an essential part of every business strategy.
Videos are a better advertising tool compared to images because they are more interactive and engaging.

There are multiple Instagram video lengths, depending on what you choose to post, from as short as 10 seconds to a maximum of 60 minutes, to suit the business' needs and goals in advertising.

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Maria Ganta

Maria Ganta

Online Marketing Expert @ Socialinsider

I'm a longtime fan of everything social; I love digging into data and showing brands how to use data to boost social media engagement.

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