How Will Instagram’s Focus On Video Change The Game For Influencers?

One of the largest social media platforms in the world right now Instagram announced that they will be focusing on video content from now on. This has been speculated for a long time now but the once-popular photo-sharing app is now shifting its priorities to take on competitors.

With the rise of short video content in recent years, Instagram has decided to take on TikTok with its reels features. Reels are 30s videos in portrait modes that follow a similar structure as that of TikTok videos.

The immense rise of TikTok forced Instagram’s hand to have their own version of short video hosting. This is great as many people now do not have to switch to another app for viewing shorter videos.

But it does not end here, TikTok has now increased its limit to 3 minutes instead of the 1-minute original length. With both the platforms having overlapping demographics it is only a matter of time that Instagram also increases its limits.

Watch Times

Since people spend a lot of time on reels, it means that you have a stronger chance of branding in this segment. Advertising on reels is a great way to get more followers. With only 30s at your disposal, you need to make content that is very high on engagement and quick to get to the point.

What does it mean for influencers?

With new features being released it means that the organic reach and engagement will be high. Reels was first introduced a year ago and ever since has been dominating the market. The short and sweet formula has worked wonders for most people and you can easily build a following just by posting reels regularly.

Reels include a wide variety of video editing tools like Speed controls and AR effects. This makes it an exciting new format where the sky’s the limit. It also gets you the chance of organic growth which has been dwindling in recent times. This not only lets you get new likes and followers but also helps you build a community around yourself. This is good news for both brands and influencers alike. You can easily make use of these new features and make exciting content without any problems.

If your account is public the reels can appear on other people’s explore page which gives you a great chance of being discovered by new people. You can tap into a new demographic without much effort. Making a reel is not as hard as it might seem. You just have to keep it short and sweet as you do not have a lot of time to explain things. This is where your video and copywriting skills will be tested.

As an influencer, you should jump on every opportunity that can help you grow your audience.

Here are a few things that will help you get a bigger audience on Instagram

Short and Sweet

If you have been making long-form videos like that on YouTube then adjusting to a shorter one might be challenging at first. Think of reels like the most impactful 30s of your longest videos. These to the point are growing popular in today’s world as they do not beat around the bush at all.

The most effective things to make a reel on are FAQs, quick lessons, plugging in other products, or vlogging in general. Vlogging as a trend continues to grow in 2021 too it is best that you try and Vlog a bit in reels too. People love seeing what other people are doing and engaging with interesting experiences.

Give them a 30s glimpse into your world of wonder and let them be in awe of you. This way you get daily content and can easily get on the algorithm yourself.

Portrait mode

Since Reels draw heavily from TikTok it is best that you film vertically. This is the new video format that has become the new norm. Vertical videos in reels fit the screen and there are no black bars where there is supposed to be video. This is a great way to film yourself doing things and also just be on the full screen.

Utilizing the whole length of the screen gives your viewers a different perspective on things and you can easily relate to this.

Add Audio and Video effects

Whether it be audio, text, or video effects these small changes can really bring your reels to life. They can make your reels much more attractive and interesting. Whether it be AR effects, filters, or even popular songs, these things can make your reels infinitely better.

Use them to their full extent so that you can grab peoples’ attention in a short time. Remember reels are short video formats and you need to keep it interesting right from the first second itself. You can easily lose people if you do not get their attention.

Partner with brands and other influencers

You can partner with brands to promote products and services in your own style. Since it is a paid promotion you also get a chance to show the product in real-time. This is a great way to bring credibility to your online persona and build trust among the people.

You can even collaborate with other influencers to bring crossovers to your audiences that they did not expect. This can be done with the Remix feature of the reels. Video marketing remains king and you should embrace it while the organic reach is high.

Remix

The Remix feature of Reels is a great way to react or collaborate with other people on the app. You can use their video and have a parallel video of you playing alongside. People who do comedy have made great use of this feature and will continue to do so in the future too. This is a novel way to use social media videos and react to people and their content on the app.

Relevant Tags and Hashtags

Just because it is a new feature does not mean that Instagram has let go of its older mainstays. Hashtags and tagging relevant accounts will get you the traction that you need without any hassle and will always be relevant in the future too.

You can tag people or brands themselves in your video and more than likely the tagged accounts will respond. This is also a great way to be discovered by businesses that are into influencer marketing in general.

Promote on IG Story and IGTV

You can make reels that are a short intro for your IGTV content. This Is a great way to keep people on your channel and also make them stay for a longer time too. If your videos are engaging enough they might look at other content too. This way you can have longer retention of people on your channel.

Promoting your reels on every social media platform is necessary and can make a world of a difference. Most people are active on one social media platform or the other. This means that your visibility increases if you promote on multiple platforms.

Promote your reels for the maximum impact so that you can have more Instagram likes and Instagram followers. Real Instagram followers are not that hard to come by if you follow the above-mentioned things.

Instagram video has been the talk of the town since they announced their shift to video formats rather than the photo app that it used to be.

Trends

As with Reels, there is one trend or another going on every now and then. You should follow these trends and make videos that show you doing the trend. Whether it be a dance challenge or even a video challenge using these trends to gain an audience is a great way to get new followers.

The Youth Culture relates to these trends and you can have a fan base among them. Most of the people on social media platforms are young and are interested in these trends.

Leveraging Social Media Marketing and Influencer Marketing Programs

Many brands have their own programs for marketing on social and influencer marketing too. You should try to get on these programs and sign up for paid opportunities. Showing the people what you have to offer is great but getting paid for it only sweetens the deal.

This way not only do you build a better fan base you also get paid for all the hard work that you put into the content. It is high time people started respecting and monetizing the social media aspects of these platforms. So that the creators can also live the life that they desire. Influencer videos and live videos are not easy to make and more attention needs to be brought to these facts.

If you are looking for more strategy-related hacks and how you can use new features to get more followers we will be more than happy to help you out. We have years of expertise in Social Media Marketing solutions and our experts will be more than willing to guide you on this journey.