There’s no escaping Instagram’s newest, most exciting update… IGTV!
And because I’ve one of Instagram most unapologetic fans at the moment, I thought it would only be right for me to hop on and share:
- What it actually is
- Why everyone is sooo excited about sharing longer videos on Instagram
- How to set up your IGTV channel and start creating your videos
- The benefits of diving into IGTV today
- How you can start filling your new show with personality
What is IGTV?
IGTV, short for Instagram TV, is Insta’s shiny, new video sharing platform. That’s it, in a nutshell.
Why is everyone getting so giddy about this latest update?
You get more video time to experiment with
Instagram has been driving video creators up the while for the longest time, simply because of the restrictions – a one-minute limit for videos posted to your feed, and a 15 second limit for your Instagram Story vids.
NOW we have up to 10 minutes to play with (up to an hour for some lucky, lucky users) which means we have way more time to get our message across. Which is always the aim of the game, right?
You get to create content for mobile content consumers (a.k.a. the entire world)
Another thing that has the early adopters raving is that IGTV is *perfectly* optimised for mobile viewing. It’s all about vertical video, which is a breath of fresh air for those of us who like to binge watch from our smartphones.
You’re getting exposed to a wider (but still relevant) audience
When you open up IGTV, you’ll see a series of little subheaders on your dashboard:
- For You: A collection of handpicked videos, based on your Insta activity
- Following: All the videos most recently created by Instagrammers you follow
- Popular: Videos that Insta thinks YOU will be interested based on all the views, love and comments they’ve been getting
- Continue Watching: All of your part-watched videos (duh!)
You’ll also notice a very subtle search bar – if you tap into that, you’ll be given a handy little list of “suggested for you” users to follow.
All of these features make it easier for people to discover IGTV creators… so why not take advantage of that?
How to set up your IGTV channel
There are two ways to access IGTV, either through the standalone app (available for both Android and iOS users) or through Instagram itself (assuming your app is up to date).
Here’s a super quick tutorial for setting up your own IGTV channel:
How to upload your first episode on IGTV
You might have guessed this after watching that last little step-by-step, but Instagram has put work into making this new functionality really simple and intuitive. If you’ve spend more than 10 seconds in the IGTV zone, you’ll probably have figured out how to add your very first segment, if not, here’s a short how-to:
5 benefits of getting started on IGTV today
You will be an early adopter. That means that you could very well be THE FIRST creating video content in your niche and that is huge. On YouTube, there are hundreds and thousands of other people talking about your thing… on IGTV? Not so much.
There is time to play. Nobody has IGTV “nailed”. There’s no right or wrong way. That means there’s a lot of scope to experiment, innovate and shape the way other people start using this shiny new platform.
You’re able to leverage your existing following, rather than starting from scratch. If you already have a nice Instagram network, IGTV is perfect for you… much more perfect than deciding to create video on Facebook or YouTube when you don’t already have a decent following over there.
It’s hot stuff. By taking advantage of the fact that everyone is watching IGTV videos at the moment, you could attract a whole bunch of engaged consumers towards your business.
There are plenty of repurposing opportunities. You can give a new lease of life to some of your greatest Stories, vlogs and livestream recordings.
How to add personality to your IGTV show
Pick a style and run with it. Nobody’s saying you have to stick to the same format forever, but if you give yourself a particular look for a while, you’ll become memorable. For me, my IGTV vids have a very “behind-the-scenes” vibe. I’m makeup free, talking about what I’m focusing on in my business and with my clients, so you can learn from my actual experiences rather than my handy tips. That’s not to say this is the only way, it’s just MY way.
Give it a name. I’m calling my IGTV series #dailydaire – not because I’ll be showing up daily but because when I DO show up, I will be 100% me. The “me” I am daily. Without scripts or rehearsals.
Don’t edit out the you-ness. Don’t be tempted to chop out bloopers or re-record after every flub. Part of building a personal brand is building a PERSONAL brand. That means you’ve got to let the human shine through, as well as the expert.
Go with your passion points. Talk about the things that really get you going. Particularly when you’re starting out a new platform, reaching new people, you want them to see your enthusiasm. That happens when you talk about the shiz you really care about, simple as.
So what do you say? Are you going to come join me on IGTV?
