When most people think of Instagram they think of photos and completely forget that video is a huge part of the platform, especially with services like Vine shut down. This is due to the fact that when Instagram started, there was no video service.
Videos on Instagram open up a whole new opportunity of marketing; whether you have a product, a business or a brand you are trying to build up. Thanks to the limited time of 60 seconds for a video, it encourages you to increase your creativity to get your point across.
Every single second of your video counts which means you need to have content that grabs and more important keeps the attention of your audience.
It may sound like a lot to do but luckily reading on should give you plenty of different ideas for how you can use videos to market on Instagram.
Behind the Scenes
Some people will watch your Instagram to see what happens behind the glitz and glamour of a finished project.
A behind the scenes video will give you that insight and by letting your followers see exactly how your products are made. Being open and honest with your customers with your creation process will allow show them that there is nothing hidden in what they are getting from you.
Secondly you can give your followers a look into what happens in your office, letting them see that you are just like them will build a sense of relatability. Think of somebody like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on Instagram. He lets you see just how hard he works to inspire you but he will also let you see his lighter side, showing you he is just an everyday normal guy.
Finally a behind the scenes video can give you a secret inside look to an area that may never have been seen by public eyes before, the back stage at a festival for example. Getting in on this secret can be very tantalizing for your followers and gives them more incentive to continue following your profile.
How-To Videos
A How-To video can tease your audience with how simple and astounding a product can look.
They are also a perfect way to add value for your followers with showing them how to solve an everyday problem they may have. For example if you are in the fitness market, a How-To video on a specific exercise will prove the simplicity and effectiveness of your target audience.
You don’t have to be a business to utilize the How-To video.
This is where listening to your audience comes in handy, if you have a specific talent that impresses people they may be curious to how you do this. Engage with your audience and demonstrate how it is done with a video; they will be grateful and want to come back to you for more.
Make sure you get creative with this! It doesn’t just have to be a simple video of you talking through whatever you may be demonstrating.
Get imaginative and impress your followers with how creative you can be, especially if you are in a creative industry like music or art.
User-Generated Content
User-Generated Content or UGC, is the online version of audience participation.
The concept of this is getting your followers to create videos for you. Costa Coffee c has used UGC to market their ice drinks this summer. The company asked customers to post an Instagram video with the drink using the hashtag #shakeupsummer. Thousands of followers joined in and increased the pages engagement.
This is a clever way of marketing as it gets you more content without having to do anything, your followers do it all for you and it builds a connection between your brand and the public.
If you can get this to pick up traffic and begin snowballing, this can be a zero-cost high reward strategy to higher consumer interaction. Your followers will relish in the opportunity to create a video for your brand, many people enjoy attention and this gives them the chance to show off their talents and using your brand gives them an audience. It’s a win win situation for both parties.
Be Funny
There is not much better in life than laughing. If you can make a video that will make your followers life, they will always love you for it. At the minute, most people go on Instagram for creativity and to smile. It’s a site they go to for entertainment and you can be the entertainer!
It is a great way to reach internet fame if you can make people laugh and smile. Take a time to look through your own Instagram feed, how many profiles do you follow purely because they make you laugh? Take that as inspiration and make people smile. Happy people come back to be made happy again!
Many of the biggest business brands on Instagram use humor to their advantage because they know it sells. Virgin America is one example, take a look at their feed and see what I mean.
One thing to bare in mind however is ensure your brand allows for humor. If you happen to be a funeral director on Instagram, being funny is not going to show you in a professional light. Make sure you know your audience in order to receive automatic views.
Sneak Peek
Sending out a press release to build excitement is getting to the stage where it is counted as old fashioned. Now you have to think outside the box to get people interested in what you’re about to bring out.
Using Instagrams video service you can give a tantalizing, teasing little taste of what is coming up. It will build a person’s anticipation and interest for your project, making your initial launch an incredible success.
Think of watching a trailer for a film: seeing little bits of the film will get you excited to see the rest of the film to see what happens.
Social media and Instagram give you the opportunity to get creative with a sneak peek at your upcoming product launch. Instagrams video sharing service makes it easy for you to spread the word and product launch video you have created. Ensure that you have a relatable hashtag with it that is easy to trace back to your page.
Be amazing
Finally you can simply be amazing to get people interested in your page and your product.
By this I mean do something that looks super human and impossible. For example think of the viral video of martial arts movie star, Jean-Claude Van Damme when he did his epic splits on the wing mirrors of trucks. When you saw that I imagine you may have wanted to share it on your social media accounts. The video was talked about for days by millions and went viral.
If you have an amazing talent to show off, this can give you an incredible advantage to build up your social media page.
People will always want to share and tend to automatically like the shocking, surprising and awe inspiring videos they find online and you can use this to your advantage.
Conclusion
If you are wanting to get ahead on Instagram and get those followers, it is an absolute must to utilize video marketing in one of the ways listed to get people coming back to your page again and again.
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