Are you interested in all things social media? Perhaps you’re a fresh marketing student in your first year of study, or you’ve just landed a marketing job that manages social media. Or, you might just have a keen interest in the social media landscape. Whatever the case, you should be aware of all types of content that can be published on social media platforms like Instagram. In this helpful article, we’ll share all about Instagram video formats in a beginner’s breakdown for those completely new to the topic. So, read on to learn more about this valuable topic.
What is Instagram?
First, we’ll quickly explain Instagram. It began as an image-sharing application where you could post images, add hashtags, and share them with other users. It was quickly acquired by the then-Facebook company, which is now Meta. Now, it is a multimedia application platform where you can post images and stories, message your friends, and connect via video and photos.
The first Instagram video type we’ll discuss now is Stories.
1. Stories
Stories are shorter, 15 to 60-second videos that appear at the top of a user’s feed in a row, and these videos disappear after 24 hours. They are a transient type of content, which means they only exist for a short time. They have become a popular way for Instagram users to showcase casual, authentic, quirky and niche content, which stands in stark contrast to polished, sleek and well-produced marketing videos and reels. Stories should feel real, authentic and less manicured than other Instagram video types.
There are a few different modes of Stories you can use:
- Standard – This is the default option for a Story, ‘Standard’ is an image or video that can include filters to add effects and tone to convey a different mood or feeling.
- Create – In this mode, you can add some text or stickers and this format is great for asking a question or telling a story to your followers.
- Boomerang – This makes the story loop continuously.
- Dual – You can utilise your front and back cameras to flip between viewpoints to show an audience what you are doing, e.g. for a tutorial or a quick walkthrough of a task.
2. Reels
Reels are Instagram’s version of the vertical-video format that was virally popularised by the social media platform TikTok. Unlike TikTok, though, Instagram has created full-screen, portrait-oriented videos for its Reels.
Users’ videos are automatically posted as Reels. This means that users do not have the option to create a standard video post. The good thing about this restriction is that you can post longer and larger videos.
Reels can be multi-clip videos, between 15 seconds to 15 minutes each. However, Instagram will automatically restrict the video length based on how long a reel should be to perform well for a user. So, when filming a video in the Instagram app, you can choose between 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 60 seconds, and 90 seconds. A video longer than 90 seconds will become a Reel.
Reels are excellent for showcasing creative content using different effects and music as they offer a range of filters, timed text and green screen mode for special effects. Users can discover your Reels in the specific tab on your profile located next to your standard posts or the Explore tab of their Instagram feed.
This format is incredibly popular with Millennial and Gen Z users, and some can go viral and are shared on other Meta platforms such as Facebook and Threads. Some Reels are aimed at entertaining watchers with funny or relatable content, and others are targeted at informing users of a specific task or trend. Some reviewers use Reels to review restaurants, coffee shops, and others. Some even are political and are used to convey a point about a social, political or economic issue.
3. Instagram Live Videos
Instagram Live is a feature of the platform that enables users to broadcast videos to their followers in real-time. Followers can watch live while someone is streaming or view the video later as a published Story.
It takes some guts to broadcast live, as heaps of things can go wrong! However, there is value in a Live video as it is a highly engaging format to reach followers and enables the broadcaster to be more authentic and genuine. Influencers use it to show followers a personal touch, and brands can use it to appear more human.
This type of video is great for brand launch events, product demonstrations, informative content, DJs, artists, musicians, behind-the-scenes videos, live classes, live Q&As, “ask me anything” videos, and more. Users can make live videos truly interactive by allowing comments and reactions or followers to submit questions.
An Instagram Video Summary
This informative article provides a beginner’s breakdown of the various Instagram video formats, helping novice Instagram users better understand how the social media platform’s videos work to reach followers, drive engagement, and connect with them.