What’s that little television icon that pops up on the right-hand corner of your Instagram feed, you ask? Well, that’s Instagram’s latest move on switching up the social media game yet again.
Instagram released IGTV, an app for watching long-form, vertical video from creators, in late June. This function is accessible within the IG app for all one billion users or as its own separate app. Videos posted in IGTV aren’t as limited as videos posted in your regular feed or Instagram Stories, as each video can reach up to an hour in length.
Instagram co-founder and CEO Kevin Systrom stated in the initial release of IGTV that it was made to be simple for users. “Just like turning on the TV, IGTV starts playing as soon as you open the app,” said Systrom. “You don’t have to search to start watching content from people you already follow on Instagram and others you might like based on your interests. Anyone can be a creator — you can upload your own IGTV videos in the app or on the web to start your own channel.”
To me, it has always been fascinating to see how social media platforms evolve to fit the wants and needs of their users. Instagram made a smart choice in keeping IGTV separate from a user’s normal feed, as most don’t want to stop in the middle of scrolling to watch an hour long video. Users can open up the function when they have time to watch their favorite creators and brands, keeping the user in control.
This opens a whole new world for brands, as they have the opportunity to jump on the new trend at the early stages to be seen as a one of the first brands to live in this space, making them seem ever-evolving and on-trend. This gives brands a new opportunity to create branded content in a new way, and we are already seeing brands get pretty weird and creative.
Don’t overlook Instagram’s new addition of unique content from celebrities, brands, news outlets and more. Giving Youtube some (ad-free) competition, Instagram’s IGTV is definitely a great tool for creators to connect even more with their consumers for a longer period of time. I can’t wait to see what else brands come up with to fill this space.
Avidly,
Allison