Your business has a Facebook page and Twitter account, but does it have an Instagram account? You might be asking yourself, “Why do I need an Instagram account too?”
If you have read my previous blog about the power of video, then you will know the future in social media marketing lies in video and pictures. A study done by Brainshark shows that video equals higher viewer retention; the information retained in one minute of online video is equal to about 1.8 million written words.
If you think video isn’t the future of marketing, ask yourself, “Why would one of the most popular apps decide to add it to their repertoire?” According to a study done by Eloqua, about 46% of people say they’d be more likely to seek out information about a product or service after seeing it in an online video. Don’t get overwhelmed, you don’t need to post videos all day long. Rather think of this as a creative marketing tool for your company’s social media presence.
Getting started is quite easy; all you have to do is download the Instagram app, switch over to video and start recording! Here’s the most important part: to record you have to hold down the button the whole time. Releasing the button will stop the recording, which is how you edit video to add different angles to the video. The best way to figure this out is by recording a few test videos. The great thing about using this video tool is that the maximum time you can record is 15 seconds. You might think that’s a short time but stop what you’re doing right now and count to 15. 1 Mississippi, 2 Mississppi…you will see how much time you have to work with.
Some great examples of how to take full advantage of this service are:
- How-to videos are great! Whether you are demonstrating how to tie a tie or fix a flat tire, these types of videos tend to get lots of views. Use the #HowTo hashtag to gain even more exposure.
- Give your viewers a behind-the-scenes video of your business that shows people the inner workings of how you work. Ben and Jerry’s did a really good job at this.
- Have some fun and make a stop-motion video.
- Involve your fans! Create a unique hashtag and have your fans make their own Instagram videos. Fans can submit their own videos using your unique hashtag for a contest.
- Promote an event. Are you having a sale or hosting an event? Give sneak previews of what is in store, which also serve as free advertising for your event.
- Customer testimonials. Get some of your customers in front of the camera and have them tell the world what they love about your business. It’s nice to see real people using your services or products, and you can even tag them on Instagram to gain the trust of your viewers.
The possibilities of your videos go as far as your creativity can go. If you need some inspiration, go to the Explore tab and look at some videos. Are you already using Instagram video for your business? Connect with me on Instagram and show me some of your creative videos.
