Instagram Video for 2018 Marketing Strategy

Instagram Video for 2018 Marketing Strategy

Marketing companies and departments have recognized the power of video marketing.  With more platforms offering video options and optimizing for video posting, it’s important to stay current on video marketing trends. In 2016 Instagram Stories was released in addition to allowing users to share Instagram video posts in their feed. By 2020, over 80% of all Internet traffic will be video and in 2017 alone, video made up 90% of user-shared content.

Video is becoming an increasingly integral part of social media sharing and should continue to be a consideration in your overall strategic planning. Following these best practices for Instagram marketing in 2018 will help you meet your overall marketing goals for Instagram video.

Post at the Right Time

Instagram has up to 500 million active users every day and 800 million monthly users making it an invaluable source of current and future prospects for marketers. But, if you aren’t posting at the right time, you may miss valuable engagement. The best way to determine when to post for the highest engagement is dependent on your audience. Look at the metrics for what you are already posting—when is your target consumer interacting with your brand the most?

There are also a few general rules of thumb if you are still discovering your demographics. Pick the times of day when your target audience will likely be checking their phones and target those days. Weekdays are usually better to post than weekends, according to several studies.

It’s also important to keep in mind that Instagram’s new algorithm shows posts based on relevance, so posts shared at peak times have the strongest continued engagement.  Sharing content at the right times will ensure that your posts generate the most activity.

Leverage User Generated Content

User generated content (UGC) has become incredibly popular for brands and that extends to video. Ask your followers to share videos with contests and campaigns and then leverage that video for your marketing initiatives. UGC is incredibly powerful since it puts a personal spin on your marketing and provides social proof and authenticity for your brand.

You can re-post user videos or get permission to share re-purpose user-generated content in different ways. User-generated content-based ads have a 50% drop in cost per click and have 4x higher click-through rates. Create branded hashtags and encourage users to tag their photos to source user-generated content quickly and regularly. Not only can you share and re-share user-generated videos, you can stage an Instagram “takeover” where one or more of your brand advocates or influencers gets to host your Instagram live videos for a set period of time.

Mix Up Your Content

User-generated content should definitely play a role in your Instagram video marketing, but you can include some branded content as well. Change up the type of video you share—from live videos to more produced, edited clips. Varying the content will help attract more consumers. It also allows you to showcase different aspects of your brand.

Social media sharing moves quickly, so it’s a good idea to keep a library of pre-created footage so that you can always have something to share.

A company overview or culture video that highlights members of your team can be a good way to break up the more branded or product-focused content. Using video contests to source user-generated content will also allow you to build a portfolio of reusable content. Announce new features and promotions and share project demos. Create relevant, topical videos about industry trends and showcase your brand’s expertise.

Keep it Short

Instagram videos can be between three and sixty seconds long and include audio. The average engagement for videos has increased by 53 percent in the past several years and video posts receive more comments and engagement than static posts. Optimizing the length of the video is important to ensure that viewers stay engaged.

While you can have a video up to 60 seconds long, every video shouldn’t be. Keep your content brief and to the point, or people will keep scrolling. If you have a new product to announce, don’t try to fit all of the information and a demo in one video. Instagram stories are a great way to fit in related snippets without overloading your viewers.

Video has become incredibly popular across all social media platforms and that’s not likely to change anytime soon. Making the most out of your Instagram videos is all about keeping your content fresh and interesting. Use a blend of user-generated videos and branded content. Post at the right times to maximize engagement and to help your photos appear at the top of your viewer’s feed with the new algorithm. Find the right length to capture your audience’s attention and keep them engaged. If you aren’t already leveraging Instagram video as part of your overall marketing strategy, use these tips to start today!

For more information on the best Instagram features that everyone should be using in 2018, check out this article!

Comment below and let us know of any useful Instagram tips or hacks that you have learned!