Instagram goes brave with its new IGTV app – this lets you view and create long-format vertical videos extending to an hour long. In a strong clash against YouTube, the most used video platform until now, Instagram’s latest add-on comes across as the future of digital marketing, vlogging, advertising and much more.
The standalone IGTV app helps you in channel surfing just like you do with the usual television – the only difference is that here the video creators become the channels that you can choose to follow. Here’s how Instagram announced its big move:
Introducing IGTV, a new app for watching long-form, vertical video from your favorite Instagram creators. https://t.co/7aSMmmAsyB pic.twitter.com/Py8QI1rS23
— Instagram (@instagram) June 20, 2018
The Main Features of IGTV are —
Mobile First | Simple & Intuitive | Curated I Quality Video I Engaging I Emotional
However, unlike Instagram, you won’t need to opt for a manual search on the content shared by people you follow. The moment you start off IGTV, it automatically starts playing vertical videos, similar to the telly in your home and even recommends you more videos based on the people you follow, trending content or the ones you’re most likely to enjoy. With content divided into four sections: Following, For You, Popular and Continue Watching; the app is accessible even from the Instagram home screen (a TV-like camera icon above Stories) as well.
“There’s no ads in IGTV today,” said Instagram CEO, Kevin Systrom at the event where the app was announced on June 20, 2018, although he clarified that it’s “obviously a very reasonable place for ads to end up.”
Reports suggest that you can directly upload videos to IGTV even from your PC. While you could only create videos upto a minute until now on Instagram, IGTV lets you upload videos starting from 15 seconds to an hour long. This opens up a whole new range of content to explore. Attempts are being made to further stretch the video time to a never-seen-before unlimited duration. “It’s time for video to move forward and evolve,” said Systrom. “IGTV is for watching long-form videos from your favorite creators.”
Instagram has officially quantified its followers to a billion. As we speak, IGTV is looking at becoming the go-to destination for brands to feature ads, commercials, documentaries, short films… IGTV is a natural evolution for Instagram – thereby giving one more solid distribution channel to reach out to your audience. Here’s opening up to greater videos, more flexibility and newer possibilities!