IGTV (Instagram Boob tube) lets brands create their own long-form video series on Instagram.

Information technology's a great opportunity to:

  • Build engagement
  • Collaborate with influencers
  • Improve your Instagram marketing strategy

… among many other things!

Simply how do you create an IGTV channel? And what are the all-time ways you tin can utilize it for your business concern?

Let's dive into the answers, and find out how you can make IGTV piece of work for your make.

Annotation: In October 2021, Instagram combined IGTV and feed videos into a unmarried video format: Instagram Video. The IGTV profile tab has been replaced past a Video tab. All Instagram videos can now be up to sixty minutes long, and standard mail service editing features are available for long-class video content. Learn more about Instagram Video.

Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps a fitness influencer used to grow from 0 to 600,000+ followers on Instagram with no upkeep and no expensive gear.

What is IGTV ?

IGTV is a long-grade video aqueduct accessible from Instagram and as a standalone app.

Instagram launched the feature in June 2018. Information technology gives brands the opportunity to make videos longer than typical Instagram Stories and posts.

In fact, verified users can post IGTV videos upwardly to an hour long. Regular users can upload x minute long videos—all the same much longer than normal videos!

In 2019, Instagram also immune creators to post one-minute previews of their IGTV videos on their feeds to meliorate discoverability. That'due south perfect for getting your audience'southward attention without them having to download the app.

Instagram more recently introduced the IGTV series feature. This allows creators to make a regular series of videos to be released on a consistent cadency (weekly, monthly, etc).

Retrieve of it similar a serial you'd encounter on television or YouTube—but all on Instagram.

Brands have been relatively wearisome to adopt IGTV for a number of reasons. Main amidst them: the high costs and time investment required to produce long-form social videos.

Only if you practice it correct, IGTV can really be a fantastic fashion to build engagement for your make. Read on to find out how.

How to use IGTV

Watch this Hootsuite Academy video for a quick overview of how to utilize IGTV. Once you're done, read on to find verbal instructions (with visuals) beneath:

How to create an IGTV Channel

Information technology used to be that if you lot wanted to upload a video onto IGTV you needed to create an IGTV Aqueduct. However, Instagram has since done abroad with that feature.

All you need to create an IGTV account now is an Instagram business relationship. Your business relationship allows you to upload videos onto IGTV via the Instagram app or the IGTV app.

If yous're reading this, in that location's a good adventure you already have an Instagram account. If you don't, that's okay! Here's the directions directly from Instagram on how to create an business relationship.

How to upload an IGTV video

Uploading an IGTV video is very elementary—but there are a few means to practice it.

How to upload and IGTV video from Instagram

1. Tap the + button at the lesser of your newsfeed.

plus button on Instagram

2. Choose a video 60 seconds or longer and tap Next.

choosing a video from your Instagram gallery

3. Select share as Long Video. This allows you to post the full-length video on IGTV, while a shorter snippet of the video is shared to your Instagram feed. Tap Continue.

Long Video option for uplaoding an IGTV video

4. Choose your video's comprehend image from ane of its frames. Alternatively, y'all may cull an image from your gallery. Tap Next.

selecting a cover image for your IGTV video

5. Make full out the title and clarification for your IGTV video. Yous likewise now have the option to Mail service a Preview of your video on your newsfeed and Brand Visible on Facebook if yous want to cross promote it.

"Post a preview" toggle option on IGTV video

You also are able add the video to an IGTV series from here. If you don't already accept an IGTV series, don't worry. We're going to show you how downwardly below.

One time you're washed filling out your title and clarification. Tap Post in the top correct. Voila! Yous just posted an IGTV video from your Instagram app!

How to upload an IGTV video from IGTV

ane. Tap the + button in the pinnacle right.

Plus button on IGTV app

2. Choose a video 60 seconds or longer and tap Side by side.

choosing a long video from your gallery

3. Cull your video'southward cover image from i of its frames. Alternatively, yous may choose an image from your gallery. Tap Next.

choosing a cover image for your IGTV video from the app

4. Fill up out the title and description for your IGTV video. Y'all also at present take the pick to Post a Preview of your video on your newsfeed and Make Visible on Facebook if you want to cantankerous promote it.

post a preview option on IGTV video before uploading

You besides are able add the video to an IGTV serial from here. If you don't already have an IGTV series, don't worry. We're going to prove you how down below.

Once you're washed filling out your title and description. Tap Post in the top right. Voila! You but posted an IGTV video from your IGTV app!

Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps a fitness influencer used to grow from 0 to 600,000+ followers on Instagram with no upkeep and no expensive gear.

Get the free guide right now!

How to track your IGTV performance

To come across your IGTV analytics in Instagram:

  1. Tap the video you want to analyze.
  2. Tap the three horizontal (iPhone) or vertical (Android) dots at the bottom of the video.
  3. Tap View Insights.

In the app, you can view:

  • Likes
  • Comments
  • Direct messages
  • Saves
  • Profile visits
  • Accomplish
  • Interactions
  • Discovery
  • Follows
  • Impressions

IGTV Insights in Instagram IGTV Insights in Instagram

While in-app Insights will give you a quick view of how a video is performing, it's not like shooting fish in a barrel to compare it to the rest of your Instagram content — or fifty-fifty the rest of your IGTV videos. To go a more holistic view of your IGTV performance, you may want to consider a 3rd-party social media management tool like Hootsuite.

In Hootsuite Impact, yous can view your IGTV analytics alongside all your other Instagram content. You'll be able to see yet IGTV functioning metrics y'all would go far the app, plus a customizable ROI metric that allows you to determine which IGTV videos are giving you the best return-on-investment based on your business organisation goals.

IGTV analytics in Hootsuite Impact

You lot can also customize the way your engagement rate is calculated, if you prefer to calculate it in a unlike way than Instagram (for example, y'all could choose to count only saves and comments every bit "appointment").

Hootsuite Touch on is worth checking out if you're looking for a more holistic view of your business organisation's Instagram operation, how it performs in comparing to your other social networks, and how information technology contributes to your business'southward lesser line.

How to create an IGTV serial

Whether you want to create an IGTV series on your Instagram app or your IGTV app, the steps will exist the same.

Here'south how to create an IGTV series:

1. Brand certain yous're at the window where you fill out your title and description. Tap Add to Serial.

"Add to series" button on IGTV video upload screen

ii. Tap Create Your First Series.

"Create your first series" button on IGTV series screen

three. Fill out your series's championship and clarification. Then tap the blue checkmark in the summit right.

blue checkmark in top right corner of New Series screen

4. Brand sure the series y'all want your video to be a part of is selected. Then tap Done in the top right.

Screen showing a selected IGTV series called "My Series!"

That'south it! You simply created a new IGTV series.

IGTV video specs

Hither is all the video spec information you need for your IGTV video:

  • File format: MP4
  • Video length: At least 1 minute long
  • Maximum video length when uploading on mobile: xv minutes
  • Maximum video length when uploading on web: 1 hour
  • Vertical aspect ratio: 9:16
  • Horizontal aspect ratio: 16:ix
  • Minimum frame rate: 30 FPS (frames per 2nd)
  • Minimum resolution: 720 pixels
  • Maximum file size for videos that are 10 minutes or less: 650MB
  • Maximum file size for videos up to lx minutes: iii.6GB.
  • Embrace photo size: 420px by 654px (or 1:1.55 ratio)

Pro tip: You tin can't edit your cover photo after you've uploaded it, so make sure it'south perfect before y'all do.

five ways to employ IGTV for business

Below are five ideas for IGTV videos or even serial you tin create for your make.

Create tutorial videos

One great way to build engagement is through handy tutorial videos.

These how-to videos can cover a variety of different topics in your manufacture. For example, say you had a fettle brand. You could create a series focused on workout tutorials, or maybe one most healthy recipes.

If your system sells a product, you can create a how-to video focused on how to use that production. There are a ton of possibilities for bang-up IGTV serial for your make!

Host a Q&A session

A question and answer (Q&A) session with your audience is a great style to answer whatever pressing questions your followers might have.

It's also a not bad opportunity to nowadays some solid idea leadership on your manufacture.

Pro tip: Brand a post on your Instagram feed and Story promoting your Q&A session beforehand. Exist certain to ask your followers for questions then. Yous can apply them during the IGTV recording!

Go behind the scenes

This is a great mode to build transparency into your make. By giving your audience a look at how your visitor works—whether that be by interviewing coworkers or only touring your workspace—yous humanize your make to viewers.

That results in more than trust betwixt the audition and your organization. And brand trust is a crucial thing for everything from marketing to sales.

Stream an event

Hosting an event like a convention or a seminar? Share that with your viewers on your IGTV channel!

This is a great opportunity to allow those who couldn't nourish a hazard to "nourish" virtually. Your viewers will capeesh information technology, and you can give them content they can engage with.

Host a talk testify

E'er dream of seeing your name under the "Tonight Testify" banner? At present you can (kind of)!

Yous tin host a talk show on your IGTV that's centered on your brand. Have guests on who are influencers and thought leaders in your industry. Monologue near industry news. If y'all're actually ambitious, you tin can go your coworkers together and create an in-house ring.

(Okay, perhaps don't practice that last ane.)

IGTV tips and all-time practices

Cross promote your video

Whenever you lot get-go posting to a new channel, it'due south best practice to inform your followers on other channels what you're up to, in case they want to follow you lot there also.

This is specially true for IGTV, as some people volition have to download a new app to view your content.

IGTV offers a few different cross-promotion options:

  • Preview and link to an IGTV video from your Instagram Stories (verified or business users only)
  • Share ane infinitesimal previews of your IGTV videos to your Instagram feed and contour (users will be prompted to Keep Watching on IGTV)
  • Share IGTV videos to a continued Facebook page

Exterior of Instagram, consider including callouts to your IGTV channel from:

  • Twitter
  • An email newsletter
  • Your Facebook Page

Optimize for silent viewing

Chances are if people are watching your video in the IGTV app, they'll turn their sound on. But fifty-fifty the videos that play automatically in the app default to "sound off".

And if you're sharing your video in your Instagram Stories or on your feed, about people will not accept their sound on.

So make sure your video is optimized to play without audio—i.eastward., it either makes sense without audio, or has hands visible subtitles. Clipomatic can help with this.

Include the most important info upwards front

People scroll through their feeds rapidly. You only have a pocket-sized window of time to grab their attending—up to a minute if you're lucky, but xv seconds is probably a more realistic target.

So make sure your IGTV video hooks your viewers as shortly equally possible. Don't let their attention skid or give them a reason to swipe through to the side by side matter.

This is especially truthful if you're sharing a preview to your Instagram feed, where viewers will be prompted to "keep watching" on IGTV after one minute.

Think of the commencement infinitesimal of your video as an introduction to a blog post. No affair how flashy and engaging your video is, you'll need to answer the following questions:

  • What is this video well-nigh?
  • Why should you keep watching?
  • Optional: Who is this video for?
  • Optional: How long will it be?

Answering these questions as before long equally possible volition guarantee longer and higher quality views.

Utilize relevant hashtags in your description

Search functionality on IGTV has received some criticism. As of April 2020, you lot can only search for profiles rather than videos on a specific topic (think: how you search for a YouTube video).

But Instagram is said to exist working on irresolute that

.IGTV video called "Art timelapse: This is the extended version of my #coverpage for March" from @thegraytergood

In the concurrently, ensure your videos are also seen by non-followers by including relevant hashtags in your description. Your videos will prove upward on the corresponding hashtag page on Instagram, where people post-obit that hashtag can discover your content.

hashtag page for photos with #bulletjournal, including the video from the previous screenshot

Only post content that warrants a longer format

IGTV isn't merely a place to exist cantankerous posting your Instagram Stories. If yous desire people to follow y'all on both channels, you need to make sure they have a good reason to do and then.

This means developing new content that fits a longer format. While your Instagram Stories are designed to fit inside snappy 15-second clips, what would you do with more than xv seconds? Lean into that space and brainstorm.

Like YouTube, long-form tutorial content is popular on IGTV. Simply some brands have even adult entire TV series for the app.

Patently what you choose to practice depends on your budget and your brand, only here are some long-form video content ideas to become yous started.

Apply your brand colors, fonts, themes, etc.

Just because it's a different app doesn't mean yous're presenting a different brand. It tin can already be a jarring feel to leave i app to scout content another, and then make the experience as smooth as possible for your followers. Permit them know you're the same quondam you, simply on a different aqueduct.

That means sticking to the aforementioned colors, tone, and vibe every bit usual. Bonus: this will assist your IGTV content fit into your feed too.

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