What the Best Instagram Videos Can Teach Marketers

Published on 22nd June 2020

With over one billion monthly users and half of them under 30, Instagram is a hot spot for marketers to reach a younger and more active audience.

By developing brand loyalty early on, businesses can secure a steady customer base going into the future.

Videos are now the best way to engage audiences on Instagram and there is a lot to be learned by watching some of the best Instagram videos.

Are you interested in learning how to produce videos that drive results?

Keep reading to hear what’s happening with videos on Instagram, what content is most frequently viewed, tips for optimizing your account, and how to download Instagram videos.

Instagram Video Engagement vs. Regular Picture Posts

There is a huge demand for video on Instagram. While the platform was originally designed with photographs in mind, four times as many videos were uploaded in 2019 from the previous year.

The amount of time users spent watching videos has also skyrocketed more than 80% year over year. Marketers are beginning to take notice. They are making Instagram videos themselves or hiring production companies to create polished video ads.

One-quarter of ads on Instagram are video because it gets more engagement than regular picture posts.

What’s particularly interesting on Instagram is the way users interact with brands. They follow brands that align with their interests and beliefs. On other platforms, they may avoid connecting with businesses to not feel as if they’re being “sold” something.

The brand and customer relationship on Instagram needs to be authentic and value-based.

Instagram is a popular shopping destination. Over 70% of users said they purchased something they saw in a post and retailers are now posting highly-engaging videos to market their products.

With over 100 million users in the United States alone, now is the best time for you to start harnessing the marketing power of Instagram.

What Content Makes the Best Instagram Videos?

Now you understand how engaging video can be on Instagram, but what type of content should you include in your videos? What resonates with your followers?

The easiest way to figure this out is by checking your page’s insights. Examine your audience. Where are they from? How old are they? What gender do they identify as? Weigh these demographics against your brand to figure out what content may work.

Under the “Content” menu in your page’s insights are the top-performing posts. See what people are liking and replicate that content.

Of course, there are some tried-and-true social media marketing techniques you can employ to get higher engagement in Instagram videos:

Record a teaser video to promote a product, event, or special deal
Instagram users love behind-the-scenes videos
Shoot a time-lapse or stop-motion video (these features are available on your smartphone)
Demo videos featuring your product or service
Share user-generated content as a sort of digital testimonial

Brands have demonstrated time and again how these techniques grab people’s attention and build excitement around products.

Here are some other visual ideas to try: inspirational quotes, landscape photography, food, throwback pictures, and animals. These types of posts tend to get more engagement.

Tips on Optimizing Your Instagram Account

Did you just open an Instagram account? Congratulations, “you’ve taken your first step into a larger world.”

Managing a social media account is like keeping up a garden. You don’t plant the seeds and walk away. There needs to be daily watering, pruning, and weeding to keep it healthy.

If you want to see your Instagram account flourish, you have to dedicate time to it.

Here are some ways to optimize your Instagram account:

Switch to a Business Account to unlock insights, a contact button, and the ability to advertise
Make your profile’s URL link trackable to see who’s visiting you
Test out multiple version of your page bio to find out what your customers like best
Focus on follower quality rather than quantity
Stay on top of your messaging channel and turn on notifications so you never miss a question

As a marketer, you already understand the value of building a comprehensive content calendar. Instagram posts can be incorporated into this calendar.

Finally, always make sure your Instagram page is aligned with your current campaign and verify that it connects to mobile-friendly websites since Instagram is not used on a desktop computer.

Downloading Instagram Videos to Your Device

Have you ever struggled to download an Instagram video? Maybe it’s your video or it’s something you loved so much you wanted to share it with your friends.

Instagram doesn’t make it as easy to download videos as Facebook. In most cases, Facebook will give you the option of downloading a video or picture in the “Options” menu. Instagram, on the other hand, only permits you to copy a link or share.

There are some apps you can find online to help with this, but many are full of viruses or malware.

Elmedia Player is a trusted and secure program to download Instagram videos. In fact, it can download any video from the web.

Once a video is downloaded, you can transfer it to other devices (Apple and Android) by using another highly-rated app called AnyTrans. These file transfers are often faster than using the Cloud.

Most marketers are probably aware of this, but here’s a word of caution. Be careful about using downloaded videos. You could face a lawsuit if you decide to use copyrighted content for commercial purposes.

Double-check everything before you use someone else’s video or get permission from them first.

Ready to Boost Your Instagram Page?

Watching the best Instagram videos can teach us a lot about how to engage audiences. There is no one “recipe” for making a highly-engaging video, rather the techniques and ideas we discussed in this article can help you get there.

Knowing what makes an engaging video and understanding your audience are the keys to Instagram success.

Do you enjoy reading articles on new technology and entrepreneurship? Check out the rest of our website for tips on boosting your social media performance and profiles on business pioneers.