Instagram TV & Reels: What You Need To Know About Them

Instagram has already taken over as one of the most popular social media platforms among many people. From posts to Instagram stories, Instagram Live, they are known for their photo and video sharing features that put them in direct competition with other platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

Now, they’re taking on YouTube with Instagram TV. This new feature took off at an unprecedented rate and many influencers started using Instagram TV to start their channel. 

But Instagram didn’t stopped there. TikTok has repopularized short-form video content, and Instagram jumped on the bandwagon in August 2020 with Instagram Reels.

So what are IGTV and Instagram Reels? And is it important for your e-commerce businesses to make use of them?

What is Instagram TV?

Instagram TV (IGTV) is its own app separate from Instagram, although Instagram still hosts it as a feature. It’s solely dedicated to longer video content up to an hour, unlike Instagram’s pictures, one-minute-or-less videos, stories, or news feed. Other differences include length, profiles, type of video, and instant play.

What are Instagram Reels?

Instagram Reels is a new Instagram feature that lets you create 15-second multi-clip videos. You can edit these with audio and visual effects, then share them on your feed with regular Instagram pictures. 

Why Did Instagram Launch TV and Reels?

Everyone loves watching video. Video has become the top form of content on the web. According to Wordstream, more than 500 million hours of videos are watched on YouTube daily, and 45% of people watch over an hour of Facebook or YouTube videos per week.

Instagram already has a reputation on pictures and stories, but it’s less advanced in the video sphere. Instead of changing their interface to accommodate longer videos alongside still photos, they created a separate but parallel application with IGTV.

Instagram sees the growth of video, so they created an app devoted to it. Facebook likely uses IGTV to gain revenue through a platform that younger users trust more for sharing authentic video content.

Since TikTok is extremely popular, and Instagram created Reels to compete with it. 

Does Your Business Need Instagram TV or Reels?

Whenever a new social media platform comes out, businesses must evaluate if it would benefit their marketing strategy. In past years, small businesses often waited until the platform proved successful to invest time and energy. But by the time the platform shows success, businesses are already lagging far behind the game.

How to Use Instagram TV as a Business

If you want to use IGTV to start promoting your brand, here are a few notes we’ve gathered about the feature.

It’s Not Just Another Source of Revenue

Instagram has recently begun moving to provide monetization methods on IGTV. Instagram announced in May of 2020 that it’d be rolling out IGTV ad monetization for all users.

These ads play at the beginning of IGTV videos once someone clicks the video preview in their feed. Ads last 15 seconds and are built for mobile, so it’s relatively similar to YouTube. 

Great Advertising Capabilities

Even if you can’t use IGTV as another source of revenue, it can be a powerful marketing strategy. 

IGTV allows your business to reach a greater audience through a new type of visibility. It also has several great features that can help you show off your brand voice and style in multiple ways. Even telling your customers that you have an IGTV channel can show that you’re up with trends and that you want to provide value to your audience.

Ease of Creation

Although you have to create the video separately and upload it on IGTV, it’ll soon be one of the easiest ways to shoot and edit video in the future. IGTV uses vertical video, which means you can record everything right from your mobile phone.

You can easily shoot a product launch, behind the scenes look, how-to campaign, or even a sales promotion. Simply point and shoot with your mobile, edit, add a title, create a thumbnail, publish—and you’re gaining viewers.

The simplicity and accessibility make it easy for small businesses that don’t have a large marketing team or budget.

How to Use Reels as a Business

Reels can’t be monetized in the same way as IGTV, but they may prove invaluable marketing assets for your business.

Ease of Creation

Reels are easier to create than IGTV videos, as they’re only 15 seconds. You can record and edit your reels directly in-app, making the whole thing quite quick.

Advertising

Reels provide a lot of unique ways to advertise. For example, you could share a quick tip or two about a concern that customers may have, or offer fast advice on how to use your product. You might also use Reels to build hype for a new product by quickly showcasing it before launch. Always make sure to keep it short and impactful.

Visibility

Instagram reels are shareable on your feed. You could share your business’s reel from your personal and business accounts to reach more people. Instagram also put a Reels tab on the Explore page that you can share your Reels to, allowing your video to reach a larger pool of audience.

Conclusion

Instagram TV and Reels may or may not be the future of social video and we cannot say for now if it will continue to grow. It’s accumulated a lot of attention from celebrities and influencers, and these people can monetize the platform through ads. If you can get in there to promote your business from the get-go, we anticipate you’ll have new visibility and market share over your competitors.

Source: Seller’s Choice