As a social media platform, Instagram covers every possible niche market. This is thanks to the 500 million users who log in every day. Ever since Instagram growth extended video clip allotted size from 15 seconds to 60 seconds with audio included, the possibilities for companies to market themselves have also grown. If you look at the best videos on Instagram, you will notice that they come from companies.
Videos are more captivating that static images since viewers have to sit and look at them until the end, while most people will scroll past pictures. You can apply the same principles you use in making Instagram photos to video creation. Here are a few useful pointers in going about this.
Have an Objective
It doesn’t have to be anything profound or life altering, but your video needs to serve purpose. It needs to communicate something to your viewers or at least entertain them. The video can also be used to amplify or exaggerate your product or service because it is not every day that you will have new announcements to make. The key here is to sustain brand relevance across all seasons.
Inspire Emotion
Is your video funny, critical, touching or moving in any way? These aspects will keep the viewer from stopping the video and moving on to the next thing. Emotions create impact and increase the likelihood of the view sharing and spreading the message to others. You need to align your brand’s core values with the feelings that best capture your audience.
A Clear Call to Action
You need to give your viewers the way forward, right after they watch your video. You may want to increase your following or promote a product. Make stories leading up to what you’re selling. Drop subtle hints throughout your stream. In the end, your narrative should inspire them to click on your call to action.
Concise and To the Point
15 to 60 seconds is a short time to say something. To make matters even harder is the fact that Instagramers have so much content coming at them. They don’t have time to follow an elaborate set up that leads to said message. So keep it snappy. Show your product within the first 2 seconds and entertain them for the rest of your video.
Be Topical
Keep an eye out on current events, pop-culture and seasons of the year. Theme your videos according to what is currently prevailing and draw parallels between these events and your brand. This will give your brand relevance by aligning it with what everyone else lips.
Build Your Footage Library
Instagram users consume a lot of audiovisual content. As a content marketer with other responsibilities outside of the Instagram sphere, you will never have enough time to shoot, edit and compile fresh content every time you need to upload a new video. You need to have a wide variety of stock footage within your grasps so that your content is always fresh and engaging to the viewers.
Defy the Norm
The most effective way to keep an audience captive is to jar their expectations and perceptions. People on Instagram are used to seeing the same things. So shake things up a bit with unforeseen video editing techniques like; mimicked video errors, staccato cuts, colorizing or glitch effects. Remember to use them in light sprinklings, or you’ll not get the desired impact. Also, be careful when layering them over videos that have errors within themselves.
Audio
Even though most Instagram videos are played while muted, 60% of any audiovisual production is the sound itself. Sound enriches video, and you can record a voice over and layer it on top of the video to explain the core message of the video. Ensure that the sound accompanying the video matches its pace and goes with the themes and emotions you want to evoke in your viewer. This nifty trick has been in use ever since the days of silent films. If it worked for Charlie Chaplin, it would work for you.
Schedule Your Videos with Automation
There are those times of the day like in the early morning or late in the evening that it is inconvenient to log into Instagram to post new videos. Use apps like Sked to create a schedule and post these videos for you automatically.