As of right now, many marketers are still learning how to use IGTV video, or are finding that the types of content that perform best on IGTV are still a mystery. Luckily, there are a few terrific examples of brands that are embracing the new format head-on. In this Explore Instagram post, you can look to these five leading Instagram video brands for inspiration as we examine what makes them so great, and how you can replicate their success.
1. Warby Parker
The renowned brand for stylish and affordable eyewear, Warby Parker has made some serious strides in the world of IGTV video. Not only have they mastered how to use IGTV video, but they make the most of it by hosting a slew of entertaining sketches, behind the scenes, and charming customer profiles like the one in this example.
Their strategy is simple – highlight and celebrate their customers. Their clientele is filled with fascinating and aspirational people. By giving them a spotlight through some fun, multi-angle, sit-down interview shots, Warby Parker’s IGTV videos are able to convey the sense that purchasing their product makes you unique, interesting, and, above all else, stylish.
2. SmarterTravel
Smarter Travel, a subsidiary of the TripAdvisor Media Group, provides captivating Instagram videos on travel advice, foreign locales, and local food, just to name a few of their video topics. In this featured IGTV video created in the Wibbitz platform, audiences get a glimpse of what it’s like to celebrate Dia of the Dead in nine international locations.
Even if your brand isn’t travel-related, there’s a lot to take away here. First, consider what cultural background, if any, your company was founded on or could be represented by your product or service. Then brainstorm ways to showcase that connection via IGTV videos.
Second, take a closer look at their video composition. The whole IGTV video clocks in just over a minute, uses filters and text in each new frame, and creates movement with their photos. And with the music overlaying it, there is never a moment where the video doesn’t completely capture your attention.
3. The Crafty
Similar to what you’ve seen work on YouTube, The Crafty is a brand that embraces DIY projects, unique life hacks, and bite-size instructional videos. In the example below, Crafty shows how to make a good IGTV vidoe by wordlessly demonstrating 25 different random yet useful ideas for improving your everyday appearance.
If you’re looking to create binge-worthy Instagram videos, take a page from The Crafty’s book and keep your videos to roughly ten minutes each. Brands like Netflix have already shown us that long-form content works rather well on IGTV (even if it is a little ridiculous). By using the good ol’ listicle format in the following IGTV video, Crafty was able to turn a 10-minute long instructional video into something worth watching all the way through.
4. Le Figaro
Le Figaro is the main publication of a leading print and digital brand in France. It’s the oldest daily newspaper in the country, but the brand still knows how to make a good IGTV video – and serve some of the freshest content on the platform.
In an effort to build their now impressive Instagram following, Le Figaro looked to create a consistent video presence on the platform. One of their main strategies for producing consistent, high-quality Instagram videos at a fast pace was to utilize advanced tools in their strategy. Through working with Wibbitz, the Le Figaro team was able to cut production time in half and produce better, more focused IGTV videos than before.
5. Realtree
Strikingly distinct in tone in presentation from our other videos on this list, Wibbitz storyteller Realtree showcases a great IGTV video example of how to speak directly to your audience in a very specific and clear tone of voice.
This featured video, titled “20 Deer Hunting Lies Your Granddaddy Told You”, comes with a description written in a country/western, both honoring and poking fun at it at the same time. The rock song that plays along with it is one that wouldn’t necessarily appeal to everyone who uses Instagram, but certainly does with their target buyer. Realtree’s IGTV video strategy shows marketers how to make a good IGTV video just by understanding their audiences on a personal level, and getting as specific as possible with both their content and copy.