You may have heard that Instagram is “no longer (just) a photo-sharing app.”
This was tweeted out in a video from the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, in which he talked about where the social networking platform is heading: toward being another video platform.
Yup. Instagram is now trying to compete with TikTok and YouTube (along with Facebook) to encourage content creators to share entertaining, educational, and inspiring video-based content.
Specifically, they are looking at Instagram Reels, IG Live, and IGTV (videos that go beyond the 30-second Reels, or the one-minute regular video time limit).
Videos on social media work
No matter which industry you are in, videos can market your business in fresh and effective ways. Video content is one of the most popular mediums for businesses today—and for good reason. It can be more engaging, more memorable, and more popular among consumers than any other type of content.
There’s data to back this up as well!
For example, did you know that 76% of businesses say video helped them increase sales? Or that 80% of marketers say hosting a video from YouTube on their website has increased time visitors spent on their website? (stats via Wyzowl)
You can take a look at some of the top posts from your own social networks; most likely, your best-performing content on your Facebook or Instagram brand page has been native videos (videos shared using the social network, as opposed to using a link).
In fact, Ram’s Gate Winery had such a great response with their Instagram Reels that they are using the short-form videos to reach new audiences on Instagram.
Creating Instagram Reels has become one of the most popular ways for brands to grow on the platform, and those not utilizing video may soon see a decrease in their reach as the app focuses more heavily on this medium.
Creating video content doesn’t have to be done professionally. In fact, much of the video content for social media is created with a simple iPhone for brands. You can outsource this work to a freelancer or agency if you are nervous about creating these type of videos though.
Here are five ways you can use video to sell your products or service:
● Educate people by showing your product in action. Believe it or not, people love product tutorials. Share a recipe video for a wine pairing or how to use your product in unique ways, like @Bubbiespickles does with its Instagram Reels. This works because it’s not a sales pitch—you are simply showing people how to use your product.
●Educate people by talking about your promotion or latest release. Spend 30 seconds talking to the camera and showing off your newest release or talking about a promotion or event you have coming up. Take people behind the scenes like Ram’s Gate Winery does with its Instagram Reels.
“I’ve found that Instagram Reels are a great way to get in front of new audiences and build brand awareness,” says Sophia Paganini, digital media & communications manager at Ram’s Gate Winery in Sonoma.
● Go live on social media. Instagram and Facebook Lives are still popular. You can post an announcement of when you are going live a few days early and ask your customers to send in questions about your product or service.
And on Instagram, going live with multiple people in your niche is a great way to grow your page.
● Entertain people so they want to share your videos. Jordan Winery in Alexander Valley is great for inspiration on how to incorporate video to entertain and educate consumers.
Just check out their “Tasting Good as Hell” by Lizzo parody video about how their wine tastes “Good as Hell.”
If you plan on creating entertaining videos, remember that they should be part of a larger strategy to showcase your brand’s mission and products or services. The goal with these videos is to attract your audience and provide a memorable experience for them.
● Create customer testimonials about your events or products by utilizing text images with animation. Canva is a really easy tool that almost anyone can use to create professional-looking animated graphics from templates they have. Canva Pro is definitely worth the investment for small brands.
Then remember to keep it going. If you want to test things out, use Instagram Reels to trial run some of your videos to see what your audience is interested in.
Consistency is better than perfection, so have fun, try different things, and start using video-sharing platforms to revolutionize your brand marketing.