Although Instagram allows us to create both videos and images, most businesses choose overwhelmingly on the latter – the reason is obvious – as posting an image requires far less time than creating a video for an Instagram feed. According to Quintly, 72.6% of all the posts on Instagram are images, 16.7% are videos, and 10.7% are carousels (slide posts).
While it is understandable why Instagram users post more images, as it takes far less time than creating a video if you wish to really increase your audience and their engagement then you will have to create videos.
To help you get more views and higher engagement rates with your audience, we have created a list of 5 mistakes you should avoid when creating Instagram videos:
Using the same video, you posted on other social networks
Just because a video performs well on another social network doesn’t mean you should upload it to Instagram also. Before you post the same video on Instagram you should research your audience to ensure that your followers on Instagram want to interact with the same content.
If a video posted on Facebook works well, you cannot guarantee the same results on Instagram. Your Instagram followers will not necessarily share all the same interests as your Facebook friends and may have different preferences.
According to Hubspot, the maximum length of a video on Instagram is one minute, and with the ideal length of an Instagram, the video being less than 30 seconds. Thus, it’s best to create shorter videos for Instagram instead of editing longer videos that usually perform better on networks such as YouTube and Facebook.
There are also size differences between these video formats. For your news feed, it’s best to post a square video and your story, preferably with a vertical video. This is very different from the horizontal video that you will find on most platforms.
It is better to share fresher and more current video content on your Instagram feed as short-term content only lasts 24 hours. For example, you could post a special offer that lasts for 24 hours, and additionally, many companies like to use stories to promote their latest offers.
Not making full use of IGTV
Another mistake businesses make is not making the full use of IGTV, as many businesses have not yet established their accounts, and even then many are not active. IGTV is a new network with low competition and high coverage, and a video on IGTV can be 10 to 15 minutes long! And if you already have a verified account or have a large number of fans, you will be able to upload videos up to 60 minutes.
Businesses that are rigorous and with an established audience will benefit a lot. Use IGTV and participate as much as you can and to build your followers, sharing longer videos that you can’t share on your Instagram feed, as it will help you build a foothold before competition becomes more powerful and algorithms are changed.
Not adding Overlay Text to the Video
Adding overlay text to your video is important because many people automatically set up their Instagram account to mute a video’s audio. If you add overlay text, even people who set their videos to mute will watch them (especially if they are in a situation, such as at work, when they cannot be turned up).
You can add subtitles if it’s a video of people talking. If you want to learn more ideas around how to add overlay text check out Ben & Jerry’s video on Instagram for some inspiration as they post videos on a regular basis, without any narrative or speech. Only some music is played, and everything in the video is interpreted in superimposed text.
Not paying attention to the caption
The videos or images you share may be the most important part of the post, but the caption that accompanies them also plays an important role. If you do not write a detailed caption and explain the content of the video to the audience, then you are making a big mistake.
If you have an easy to read caption along with the video or images, it will make it easy to follow and will lead to more participation and customer engagement.
In addition, you can add a call-to-action in the caption, which can help you better achieve your goals, whether it’s getting more Instagram likes, comments, traffic, or sales.
Also, be sure to add a large number of topic tags, as they will help your content get more exposure among your target audience.
Not promoting your Instagram posts
Creating videos and sharing videos on your pages is a good starting point for your Instagram video marketing strategy, for if you are not promoting your videos, then you are missing a huge opportunity.
You should also conduct outreach and let some influential people share it. To find these influencers, you should use Gary Vaynerchuk’s strategy by DMing people and building relationships.
If you build a good relationship and create a lot of interesting and/or useful content, many people will share your videos for free, but of course, they are looking for quality content that promotes participation.
Some people will be more willing to get paid in exchange for a promotion, so if you have a good budget you can also use tools like ShoutCart to find influential people.
Los Angeles social media agency can advise you to avoid these mistakes along with others that you make in your Instagram strategy. Avoid these mistakes to ensure viable long run Instagram growth strategy, as it will help you get more views, likes, comments, and traffic from Instagram and ultimately clients.
