IGTV (Instagram TV) has been around for a while, but many brands are still trying to figure out how to fit it into their marketing mix. If you’re one of them, that’s OK! By the end of this post, you’ll know the benefits of using IGTV, how it can be used for your business, and content ideas to share your next video.

First a bit of history – IGTV is Instagram’s first long-form video app (trying to compete with YouTube). Instagram has always been a place to connect with people who inspire, educate and entertain every day. But doing so in 1 minute, has its own constraints. That’s why one major benefit of IGTV is that you can share a longer video while also a 1-minute clip of that video posted directly to Instagram’s Feed.

What is IGTV?

IGTV is a stand-alone app that integrates directly within Instagram’s original app. IGTV videos are designed to be longer with “regular” users making videos up to 10 minutes long. To access the platform, simply click on the TV icon and you can add your own video or explore others. IGTV videos are designed specifically for mobile viewing, meaning that they’re all vertical and full-screen experiences like Instagram Stories. Just like on Instagram, users can like and leave comments on videos.

How to Use IGTV

First determine a video topic you want to share. It could be an answer to a frequently asked question, a product demonstration, or just a check-in with your followers.
Go vertical. Shooting directly from your phone or cropping the orientation and uploading in vertical format optimizes the content for the platform and makes it easier to digest.
- Pro Tip: InShot is a great app/tool for resizing videos for IGTV videos!
Make sure your video is under 10 minutes (unless your account is verified it can be up to an hour).
Upload a photo or use a shot from the video as a thumbnail. Remember to add the thumbnail during the upload process because you can’t add one later.
Label the video with an engaging title outlining what your video is about.
That’s it!

IGTV Video Size and Dimensions

Dimensions should be around 1080 x 1350 pixels.
Videos must be between 15 seconds and 10 minutes long unless you have a verified account where you can post videos up to 60 minutes in length.
Use MP4 format.
The minimum aspect ratio is 4:5, the maximum is 9:16.
Maximum file size of 650MB for videos up to 10 minutes long, or 5.4GB for videos up to an hour.

Content Ideas for IGTV

While there are endless content ideas for you to share, here are just a few to get started.

PRODUCT TIPS & TUTORIALS – Product demos and tutorials are the best way to teach your audience how to use your product or service. Creating a library of useful, instructional information can also be beneficial in establishing credibility and authority on a particular subject.
INTERVIEWS + Q&A’s – Interviews and Q&A’s with industry leaders, or others within your organization can provide great value to your audience. You can answer common questions or bring in subject matter experts to further customer education.
WEBINARS – If you already go live on a regular basis, or create educational videos, repurpose those videos into IGTV content. Bonus, it’s a great way to create a free resource library for your followers that will keep them engaged on your channel.
VLOGS – A good introduction video can let visitors know who you are, what you do and what they can expect from you on your channel or Instagram profile. These casual, authentic videos are extremely popular on YouTube so it’s worth experimenting with them on Instagram.
RECURRING SERIES – Give your audience something to look forward to week after week by creating a recurring video series. For example, you could have a “Motivation Monday” video series with motivational stories from people who have used your products and services. You could do a Takeover Thursday where you have brand influencers takeover your IGTV to share product demonstrations. This is a great way to keep viewers coming back to your channel week after week.

Challenge: Choose 1 of these ideas to share on your IGTV channel this week! Tag me at @kellenmcavoy on Instagram so I can cheer you on!

Examples of Brands Using IGTV Well

1. Honest Company

Jessica Alba founded the Honest Company— a natural beauty and baby products brand. They’ve created an IGTV series that follows the stories of four women who found out they are unexpectedly – and delightedly – pregnant. Honest Company put-together IGTV videos of short content filmed by the women themselves. Most of the content consists of video selfies or videos shot on a smartphone by one of the women’s friends. Then Honest Company has taken the footage and edited them together to create a compelling mini-documentary IGTV series. The series’ raw feeling immediately relates to their customer base of women and mothers seeking real, “honest” products.

2. Benefit Cosmetics

Benefit is almost always ahead of the curve when it comes to social media – consistently trying new channels and features. Their IGTV is filled with tutorials and advice on how to use their collection of products. They utilize their Benebabes team, influencers, and celebrity makeup artists to create compelling video content that fans love to watch.

3. Food Network

Everyone loves watching cooking shows and recipes come to life. The Food Network does an excellent job crafting content specifically for IGTV. They not only share unique dishes and recipes but they also give followers a glimpse into the diet of some of the world’s biggest celebrities.

Bottom line: IGTV makes it easy to create and share long-form content directly to Instagram. Use it to build your brand, expand your library of educational/informative content, build trust with your customers and ultimately, attract more customers.