Instagram Videos ARE PURE GOLD!

Aren’t you using them for your business yet? If the answer is “no, I’m not creating Instagram videos” you are seriously missing out. Find out how to skyrocket engagement by creatively leveraging IG videos!

A lot of people still associate Instagram with only photos, like travel selfies or fancy pictures of food. That makes sense, because that’s what Instagram was all about when it started back in 2010. But that’s old news. A few years back, Instagram finally realized the importance of video marketing, and introduced 15-second video-post options to its all-image platform. Recently, they’ve updated that to 60-minutes (a.k.a.: the Amazing IGTV). What does that mean for businesses? It means tons of opportunities to creatively captivate and engage followers!

In the era of short attention spans, videos generate a lot more customer engagement than text or photos. In fact, Instagram videos get  39% more comments than photos! They also made up 85% of all of BBC’s Instagram Accounts interactions for 2016 up till May.

The best companies have got the hint. Sports Illustrated had posted eight videos to their Instagram in May 2016, and 325 videos by May 2017. ESPN, People Magazine and TIME also doubled their video output the same year.

Instagram outpaces Facebook and Twitter when it comes to video engagement, making it the best place to post amazing and creative videos. A photo tends to get lost in the endless scroll; for a video, though, the user stops, clicks and watches.

However, things are not always as easy as they seem. Coming up with a brilliant, creative idea can be a daunting task. But don’t worry, here we go:

Great tips for creating amazing Instagram Videos that boost engagement

Go behind the scenes

Your audience will love a peek at what goes on when the cameras aren’t rolling.

• Are you a robotics company? Show your engineers testing out the new creations.
• Selling clothes? Upload a video of opening up the new stock and putting them on the racks.
• Take the viewers to the sewing machines.

The point is, get creative with entertaining and unscripted BTS videos!

Use your videos to show your followers the wholesomeness of your business. Check out this behind-the-scenes video a designer uploaded to promote her brand.

Create K.I.S.S. Instagram Videos (Keep It Short, Stupid)

Yes, your Instagram videos are allowed to be 60-seconds long, but not a lot of people care after the first 30 secs. In fact, HubSpot says the average length of videos with the most comments was around 26 seconds.

The trick here is to make an immediate impact. Give your videos a catchy, attention-grabbing start, and stop talking sooner.

Of course, that does not mean you can never use the full 60 minutes for Instagram videos.

If you have something very useful to share, 60 seconds can be great for keeping your viewers hooked. For example, a 1-minute long recipe video can easily keep followers engaged. A makeup tutorial, or any how-to video for that matter, can also get away with 60 seconds, especially since these things usually last for much longer than a minute in real life.

Use ‘Smart’ Tags and #Hashtags:

We all know the importance of using tags and hashtags on Instagram posts. But, instead of stuffing your Instagram videos with all the tags and hashtags in the world, use those features wisely. Let’s break that down.

Related: why you should switch to Instagram Business Profile.

Simply put, keep it relevant. Using too many tags and hashtags will make you come across as spam, and will drive people away. Using fewer, but more relevant, tags can actually help you show-up at the right time, in front of the right people.

You can also create your own hashtags and think of creative ways to get your followers to use them too. A great example of that is Coca-Cola’s #ShareaCoke, which is still going strong today because of its message of community and love.

You can also use location tags to boost your engagement. Making Instagram videos in a pretty place? Tell your audience where you are! It will make them stick around and pay more attention. Plus, tagging your location can also help drive more traffic to your account, including folks looking up that location.

Don’t ask for Sound ON

A lot of Instagram users are probably sneak-peaking at their phones while hiding away from their bosses, or scrolling through feeds at night.

Most of them have the sound switched off, so capture their attention with videos that don’t rely too much on audio. You could use videos that start off with a strong graphic and an engaging text caption, or use subtitles to make things easier.

Related: learn more about Instagram followers Growth.

Avoid asking your audience to turn the volume up. Your grandpa had it right: No one wants to listen these days.