Since then, Instagram was founded in October 2010, and it has grown to become one of the largest social media platforms. Today, it allows users to go beyond images and post different kinds of video content. With more than a billion active users, Instagram has emerged as an ideal platform for brands to showcase their products and services.
Video has the best engagement and is the most popular form of Instagram content. Brands are leveraging the power of video to connect with their audience on Instagram. If you are looking to create some compelling Instagram content, here are some tips to help you.
Plan the Video Content
Posts, Stories, and IGTV videos are different forms of Instagram content, and each of them has its unique size formats. Before you get to creating a video, make sure that you are clear on its intended use. With tools like InVideo, you can adjust the aspect ratio before creating the content.
Understand that Instagram is all about visual appeal. The better the quality of the images or video you use, the higher the chances of grabbing the audience’s attention. Depending on the nature of the video and your resource availability, you can either use media from your collection or the stock collection.
Make the Most of Texts
While creating marketing videos, you need to recognize the importance of texts. When you add eye-catching textual content in the intro, it becomes easier for you to grab the audience’s attention. If your video has a voiceover, try to use tools for automated speech-to-text captions. That way, you will cater to hearing-impaired viewers as well.
Considering that a major fraction of Instagram users have their phones on mute while viewing the videos, it will help give context to your visuals. While editing the video, make sure that the captions are bold, contrasting colours with the background, or occupy a significant portion of the screen. Such a layout will draw the audience’s attention to the text on the screen and foster better brand recollection.
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Film the Video in Appropriate Lighting
Lighting is one of the most important factors of an Instagram video. While filming the video, make sure that the source of light is in front of the subject. While shooting in natural light is a good idea, avoid mixing multiple sources of light. Natural and artificial lights have different temperatures, and try to mix the two will take a toll on the quality of your Instagram videos.
As far as possible, avoid filming under overhead lights as that will cause unattractive visual effects. Try to come up with innovative ways to find the ideal lighting conditions. For example, black plastic is an efficient way of blocking unwanted light sources. A white paper board should suffice as a reflector when you are unable to afford one.
Arrange Live Videos
Instagram Live allows you to create real-time videos and engage with your audience through reactions, comments, etc. This feature has more than 100 million daily users and is an effective way for brands to connect with their target group. To give a creative edge to your live videos, look for ways in which you subtly promote your business.
You can interview popular influencers, host discussions, etc. If your brand is launching a new product and is keen on product marketing, you can go live with the behind-the-scenes videos, office tours, or highlights of the corporate events. You can also organize sessions where a team member or industry celebrity takes over the videos and talks about a typical day at work.
Chalk Out Your IGTV Content
If you want to create eye-catching long content and cover a topic in-depth, we suggest that you plan your IGTV content accordingly. Try to restrict the aspect ratio to 9:16 or16:9. The cover photo should be in 420 X 654 pixels. With Instagram video editor, you can edit the video to conduct virtual tours of your product manufacture, demonstrations on product usage, and many more.
An efficient way of improving the visual appeal of your IGTV video is to front-load the content. You can use an intro-making tool for this purpose. That way, when the Instagram user sees a 10-second preview, they will be tempted to continue watching the content.
Make Outro for Instagram Story Videos
Unlike the IGTV or Feed videos, you need to pay much attention to the intro of your Instagram Stories. Since such videos are available only for 24 hours, your followers will prioritize these over other posts. It is the outro that is the most important part of your Instagram Story.
Have a clear layout for your outros, and make sure that it includes the brand logo and an actionable CTA. When you leverage the power of CTAs on your Instagram stories, you can direct your Instagram followers to a relevant landing page or website. Your Instagram video stories can also include links and tags to other Instagram profiles, Q&As, stickers, etc. When you have an actionable item in the Story, it keeps the user better engaged with your story.
Maintain Consistency in The Video
Depending on the subject and nature of your video, it may not always be feasible for you to shoot the film at a go. In such situations, we recommend that you maintain a consistent camera setting during the filming. Make sure that you color correct the footage to avoid discrepancies.
The use of transitions and wide-angle shots helps to maintain the consistency of your Instagram video. For Feed videos or IGTV videos where you use an intro maker tool, try to have a color scheme in sync with the rest of the video. Also, if you are creating a video series, try to have maintained parity in the color combination and the visual appeal.
The journey of creating captivating videos is an unending process. The more videos you create, the better will be the visual appeal. The above tips will familiarize you with the finer nuances of the different types of Instagram videos. Knowing these will put you in a better position to create compelling content for your viewers. As you embark on the journey of Instagram video creation, we hope that the tips discussed in this article were helpful to you.
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