Watching videos on mobile devices easier
There are two types of video content: traditional and vertical.
You watch the first as you would on a TV, while the second on your mobile via IGTV, a standalone app on the Instagram platform that allows users to watch and upload hour-long videos.
Instagram’s answer to YouTube was designed with mobile in mind, as virtually everyone these days relies on their mobile phone for everything from shopping and paying bills to following friends and celebrities on social sites, so every video played on it is vertical. Format.
After all, who doesn’t naturally hold their phone upright? Everyone does it unless of course they’re on a platform where the videos are designed to look like typical TV shows.
Although Kevin Systrom, co-founder and CEO of the popular photo-sharing platform, did not directly attack YouTube during the launch of IGTV, he did comment:
“The tools we use to watch videos are old and outdated. Think about it. Today we still watch videos formatted for a TV on a vertical screen, which means we have to awkwardly rotate our phone or watch a small version. And That doesn’t make much sense, does it?”
Who would have thought 10 years ago that we would be treating our cell phones like televisions, if not more?
Based on three principles, namely mobile first, simple and quality, the new video platform addresses how people consume video content these days.
“Everything is made for the natural way you hold your phone. The videos play full screen and there’s no wasted space and they’re not restricted to the same one-minute limit you’re used to on Instagram,” said Ashley Yuki, manager of the company’s product.
Target 1 billion users
It seems that Instagram has the best interests of eCommerce businesses in mind with its latest initiatives.
First, they introduced ‘shoppable posts’, which allow online sellers to tag their products and direct users to their online store, and now IGTV, which can potentially convert followers into paying customers and increase their sales.
At least the company is aware that theirs is a platform leveraged by businesses of various interests and markets.
Traditional media can still be effective in growing your customer base, but only up to a point.
The strong influence of videos cannot be denied; teens watch 40% less TV now than they did five years ago because they’re glued to online video, according to Systrom.
Although YouTube is a more established platform for video content, Instagram said its new offering focuses not just on what and how people watch on the internet these days, but basically how they manipulate their mobile devices.
According to the Facebook-owned company, Internet users are less reliant on desktop computers as they can keep up with their favorite social media influencers, even on the go.
Systrom said that audiences have been watching 60% more video over the past year, so video marketing is certainly a route worth taking to expand your market reach.
With Instagram reaching a billion monthly users, you definitely want to consider it a vital aspect of your business strategy.
Do you think IGTV is worth trying or would you prefer to stick with YouTube?
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