It’s no secret that video is THE most entertaining and engaging form of digital content online.
Entrepreneur, business owner and the brains behind @studywithjess, Jess Holsman absolutely swears by video for staying on top of her Insta-game.
“Because of Instagram’s algorithm, videos get so much more exposure. I’ve started posting more videos and using IGTV and it’s really helped to grow my following. But whatever you post has gotta add value. Value is what’s gonna bring people in and make them stay.”
While video might be trendy AF right now, Instagram is a constant stream of new techniques, fresh features and fleeting trends. So as a content creator, it’s crucial to stay up to speed on what’s in, what’s out and what’s next.
“We aim to create as much original video content as possible,” says Natalie Salmon, Social Media Editor at Harper’s Bazaar. “We connect with our audience by creating weekly series and posting videos on a regular basis. Video is extremely important across all our platforms right now: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter & Youtube.”
Lucky for you, we’ve compiled the top video trends that are killing it on Insta right now! Ready to put those ideas into motion? Let’s go!
Video Stories
Now home to a massive 500 million daily users, it goes without saying that Stories are a massive part of Instagram. As an opt-in form of content, they give your followers a sneaky lil’ peek into your world, and allow you to post multiple times a day without cluttering their feeds.
“Stories, we love them! We share mostly recipe content, but when we travel, we’ve found that our readers love it when we share videos of where we went, what we ate, behind the scenes… and get a fantastic response for doing so.” @inspiredtaste, Professional foodies
Also providing an outlet for vids that aren’t quite grid-worthy, Stories are easy to make, addictive to watch and come with a tonne of fun features like GIFs, Polls and soundtracks. ‘Nuff said!
Absolutely ace your Stories with step-by-step recipes, behind-the-scenes snippets or even just face-to-camera chats that people can relate to on an e-motional level.
IGTV Videos
While video continues to dominate Instagram, creators are still limited with what they can do in-feed. And that’s what makes IGTV such a valuable tool. Specifically designed to support videos created on your phone, IGTV is the perfect fit for creators and influencers – both literally and figuratively!
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“Instagram allows me to create my own rules, putting out content that truly feels unique and authentic to me. Not to mention, IGTV is a really easy and cost-free method that allows me to use my platform more creatively.” Rowi Singh, Makeup artist
Allowing you to upload pre-filmed vids or post on the go, IGTV opens up a whole new realm of possibilities for creators wanting to delve a lil’ deeper in their vids. Unlike Stories and in-feed video, IGTV allows you to post long-form clips up to an hour long, removing all creative limitations so you can let your imagination (or your mouth) run free!
Crush your IGTV channel with in-depth tutorials, interesting interviews, product reviews and much more!
Interviews + Video Q&A’s
While most of us don’t want to admit it, we’re all on Instagram for one reason – we’re nosy AF. We love getting a glimpse behind the curtain of other peoples’ lives and finding out what makes them tick.
This is why Q&A’s and interviews are one of the simplest, most effective and most popular ways to put video content into motion.
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“We were pretty nervous when we started our podcast, because we weren’t very good at what we did. We’re now doing a bunch of MC work, hosting work, and presenting work at the moment, and I don’t think any of that would come about, if people didn’t see us presenting in some way on Instagram.” – Zara McDonald, Shameless Podcast.
Easy to film and fun to watch, all you really gotta do is sit down, press record, and start talkin’! As well as being super entertaining, these behind-the-scenes, chit-chat style vids are an authentic, engaging way to let your audience get to know you or people you’re interviewing a lil’ better, opening up tonnes of opportunities.
Keep in mind that Q&A’s don’t have to be super polished, edited and high-quality. They can be as raw and real as you feel! If you got some Q’s about how to do a killer interview, we got all the A’s in this episode of Asking For a Friend.
Keepin’ it real (and high quality)
Authenticity is THE hottest trend sweeping Instagram right now – and videos are no exception. Influencers, creators and audiences alike are all swapping out the scripted, staged and heavily edited vids for real, raw, unfiltered content.
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“Thinking that you have to make everything look pretty all the time is a big mistake because it’s very aspirational, but eventually there will be a point where they just don’t relate to you, and that relatability is where you have influence.” – Sarah Holloway, Entrepreneur.
Whatever style of video you choose – interviews, behind the scenes vids, Q&A’s, on-camera heart-to-hearts – just be real, be authentic and vide-own it! Bloopers? Leave ‘em in! A bit tongue-tied? Hay it sow it is! Having a bad day? We have them too – just be the real you.
Because keepin’ it real doesn’t leave much room for error, it’s also important to make sure you’re keepin’ it high quality. But, as long as you set your camera to high-res, keep a steady hand and get the lighting right – you’ll be onto a winner.
Aspire to Inspire!
Video trends may come and go, but this one vital truth is here to stay – no matter how you decide to put your ideas into motion, the main goal of every video you create should be to engage, entertain and inspire your audience. Aspire to inspire before you expire!
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“Videos are fun to watch. At the end of the day, all we are trying to do is to inspire more people to make our recipes – to inspire them go home and make something delicious.” @inspiredtaste, Professional Foodies
No matter what your format, content or video style, simply be real, be you, and be creative. So what are you waiting for? Go get a movie on!
