Is Instagram Worth Your Video Marketing Budget?

Turning to social media as a marketing strategy to increase revenue and brand awareness is an effective strategy already known and implemented by most businesses.

And among all the popular social media platforms out there, Instagram seems to be the go-to when it comes to ROI. Particularly when video content is involved, according to several video marketing statistics drawn from a survey conducted by Yum Yum Videos.

In fact, the survey found that most businesses regard Instagram to provide a higher ROI on video marketing investment. The study consulted a panel of 167 business owners across the U.S., and Instagram came slightly ahead of other favorites like Facebook and YouTube.

Instagram has 800 million active users, and 500 millions of those use the platform daily. Add to it that 50 percent of those users follow a brand or business, and its vast potential to synergize with video marketing becomes apparent.

A Gradual Progression Toward Video Content

If you scrolled down your Instagram feed a few years ago and compared it with how it looks today, you’d notice it instantly. What use to be just a series of still images is now alive with motion and sound everywhere.

It goes hand in hand with new mobile-device technologies that provide faster and more reliable ways to share videos.

High-quality videos have steadily become the preferred type of content by most audiences, and social media platforms have evolved to accommodate that demand.

Now, Instagrammers are used to producing and sharing videos, stories, GIF’s, loops, boomerangs, and more ‘live’ features to show their events and share their adventures. Which is probably why they expect the same type of content in return from the brands and businesses they like.

Instagram anticipated this trend and adapted to it with remarkable success. Over the years, they launched features to improve and promote their video content in a variety of effective ways. Evidently, to great success.

So, What’s The Story?

In 2016, Instagram already showed an interest in motion and live events. With the introduction of the Stories feature (short posts that disappear after 24 hours), the social media network tapped into the user’s thirst for immediacy, participation, and video content.

Instagram feeds all around the world started to include well-crafted instant videos with special effects and innovative features. Instagram feeds began to look alive and fresh. Apps and features like Boomerang andHyperlapse started to pop up to complement this growing passion for entertaining content in video form.

But it wasn’t until the introduction of Instagram Live and IGTV that this shift became exceptionally evident. Each feature introducing new ways to attract new customers, build brand awareness, and bring businesses closer to their audiences.

IGTV launched in 2018 and could be used by all Instagram members who downloaded the specific app, although it was limited during a short period for accounts with follower counts over 4,000.

It wasn’t the out-of-the-gate hit Instagram had expected it to be (users were still more attracted to Stories). But that didn’t stop them from implementing changes to raise its appeal.

For instance, they made it possible to post a preview of the video so followers would be tempted to download the app to finish watching it. They also put more effort into improving their algorithms and recommend content that would be more in line with each user’s preferences.

Before long, the app became a valuable tool for both, individuals and businesses trying to make engaging live and long-form video content.

Last December, a great interactive video content feature was introduced to Instagram’s Stories and Live Video: the question sticker. It allows you to answer questions with a message or with a song and a video. The questions (released before or during the video) are visible to everyone participating. Your audience can see the answers, and also allows the sharing of photos and videos from a camera roll to the live video.

These types of interactive video functions help Instagram stand out from other similar platforms, and have proven to be a powerful video marketing asset for businesses and content creators.

What Comes Next for Video Marketing on Instagram?

A few improvements and new features will present an excellent opportunity for businesses to promote their video content on Instagram and get the best return from it.

Right now, video ads, animated explainer videos, and tutorials seem to be the preferred content for video marketing. But with the new improvements being introduced on the platform, newopportunitiesare bound toemerge.

Here are a few that stand out:

A Co-Watching Video Tool

The days of watching “solo” on Instagram could soon be over. The app is testing a new tool that would allow users to watch videos simultaneously, allowing them to interact via direct messaging. This could be a fantastic opportunity to reach more viewers and followers and consequently, boost your ROI.

A Scrubbing Option

This one took its time to come by, but it’s finally here. Instagram is testing a native scrubbing option which will allow users to scroll to any point of the video; a feature first implemented on IGTV.

This could be especially useful for video marketing. Being able to move forward or backward will allow users to go straight to what they are looking for, which increases retention and effectiveness.

It might not sound like a groundbreaking improvement, but it’s likely to make your video marketing strategy a bit more effective.

A Title Option for Instagram Live

A small improvement in your videos’ display could go a long way. Giving your Instagram Live video the right title is a great way to catch the user’s eye and attract their attention, while also nurturing SEO.

Hiding likes

Instagram could also be considering hiding “likes” on images and video posts to followers. Reasoning that users could focus on the content being shared, instead of on the likes it received.

If this change takes place, this information will be shown only to the account who does the posting. This might be an excellent opportunity for businesses to test their new video content strategy without risking too much.

A Wise Investment

With all the great strides Instagram has made (and keeps making) to enhance its users’ video experience, it isn’t surprising that businesses are getting great results with their video marketing efforts.

While different platforms might offer other benefits – Yum Yum’s survey touches on some of those – Instagram seems to be the go-to for nurturing video strategies ROI.

Any business taking advantage of video content in 2019 should keep Instagram at the top of their list as far as distribution platforms go.