Have you heard the buzz? IGTV is here! 

Instagram  is ready to compete head-on with YouTube!

IGTV is Instagram’s latest addition and it’s a big one! Igtv is set to rival YouTube by allowing users to share videos up to 1 hour in length! This is great for accounts that already use video but find the 60 seconds allotted, limiting. It will also be an amazing opportunity for individuals, brands and businesses to share even more with their audience through detailed, long-form video.

To access IGTV make sure your Instagram app is fully up to date, then:

• Look for the colourful TV icon in the top right of the Instagram app (you will also notice that your inbox icon has updated to a bright blue)
• Tap the TV icon to launch IGTV. A video will begin immediately playing as soon as it opens. This is the IGTV home page
• Tap the cog icon on the right side of the screen and tap ‘create channel’ to link your account. You are now officially on IGTV!
• Tap the ‘+’ icon to upload your first video or
• Tap the ‘ to go back and explore some videos on IGTV

If you don’t see the IGTV icon in your instagram account yet, you can search and download the stand-alone app from the app store.

Now that you’re set up on IGTV, here’s a few things to know:

• IGTV is a video platform similar to YouTube where each user will have their own ‘channel’ that can be accessed by followers and non followers
• IGTV allows you to share videos up to 1 hour in length (however most accounts currently can only upload to 10 minutes but that should change soon)
• IGTV accepts vertical video only. This means you need to keep that in mind when recording and editing your videos (simply uploading your YouTube vid to IGTV won’t work)
• IGTV does not currently have have any ads or monetization methods set up, however users can expect to see it soon. While ads are never really fun to watch, this is another way to reach your audience, or make money from views on your videos!

So what do you think? Will you get on IGTV?

I personally just started uploading new content into YouTube (you can watch my latest video here!) so this comes at a decent time. When creating videos I will plan to make a version for IGTV as well. So, get over to IGTV, search for me and make sure you’re following to see my content in the future!

REMEMBER: As I stated above, just because Instagram is releasing new features doesn’t mean you need to jump on board right away. I know how stressful it can be trying to keep up so if a new feature causing anxiety, don’t focus on it! The original idea of uploading quality images and engaging captions to Instagram to build relationships with your target market STILL WORKS without all the fancy extras! So try not to get too distracted and stick to the plan – upload great content, use hashtags your audience is searching for and engage with your target market!

Cheers

The post Instagram Launches Igtv app for creators! Will you use it? appeared first on Sophlix.