13 Tips for Creating Videos for Instagram Like the Brands You Love [+ Examples]

Creating movies for Instagram must be one among my favourite advertising and marketing duties.

From in-feed movies to Reels, Instagram Stay, and Tales, entrepreneurs such as you and me have so many enjoyable alternatives to get inventive and to make issues even higher — they really work.

In response to recent HubSpot Research, entrepreneurs charge Instagram the #1 social media platform for video ROI, engagement (likes, shares, and so forth.), and leads. And I’ve seen this first-hand, each professionally and personally.

On this article, I’ll element the whole lot it is advisable to find out about posting and creating video content material on the platform and share actionable ideas I and massive manufacturers have was profitable.

New to Instagram advertising and marketing usually? Try our article, “How to Use Instagram: A Beginner’s Guide [Expert Insights + New Data].” That foundational information is important when diving into Instagram movies.

Desk of Contents

Instagram Movies vs Reels

Earlier than we proceed, let’s get one factor straight: nearly each video on Instagram finally ends up turning into a Reel. At the least so far as consumer expertise (UX) is concerned.

Any video uploaded out of your digicam roll as a “put up” or is recorded whereas “put up” is chosen seems within the Reels tab in your Instagram profile and is topic to the identical UX and optimization choices.

The principle distinction between the 2 is that “put up” or in-feed movies may be as much as 60 minutes lengthy, whereas Reels are restricted to simply 90 seconds.

For instance, let’s have a look at this video on my Instagram. It’s simply shy of 5 minutes lengthy, so I needed to put up it “in-feed.” Nevertheless, I might nonetheless edit and refine it like a Reel. Then, after importing, it nonetheless appeared within the Reel tab on my profile.

Many additionally imagine that Reels are extra discoverable on Instagram than in-feed movies. A research by Metricool helps this, discovering that Instagram Reels have the very best attain charge out of all Instagram content material varieties (~37.87%).

Specialists imagine the Instagram algorithm favors reels extra, which in flip get featured extra within the Uncover tab and seen by extra non-followers. Movies supposedly are primarily proven to followers within the feed.

Notice: It is sort of a bummer, however none of this is applicable when you add a video as part of a carousel. In carousels, your video enhancing talents are restricted to including a filter or muting the sound.

All that stated, the remainder of this text will deal with Instagram in-feed movies, not Reels.

Honestly, most of the ideas and greatest practices overlap, however to be taught extra particularly about Instagram Reels, take a look at our article: How to Make Instagram Reels and Use Them to Your Advantage.

Why create movies for Instagram?

In response to current findings by HubSpot Analysis, 76% of entrepreneurs utilizing video of their advertising and marketing use Instagram. It’s additionally the third-most used social media platform by B2C manufacturers and second-highest by B2B. However why precisely?

Let’s unpack a number of of the most important causes.

Advantages of Instagram Movies

Audiences love video.

That is in all probability stating the apparent, however audiences love video content material. In truth, our 2024 social media trends report discovered that almost all of content material codecs shoppers get pleasure from on social media (e.g., Tales, and stay streams) are video-based, with short-form video being the preferred.

Video content material, usually, is thought to speak data sooner and in a extra memorable (and shareworthy) method than written or static visible content material.

Instagram is not any completely different.

In dialog, Aishwarya Balaji, a model advisor and CEO and co-founder of A Fresh Sip, echoed this to me, saying, “Instagram may be fairly highly effective in conveying a particular message or evoking a specific feeling. Images and texts also can evoke emotion, however video can inform a narrative extra successfully and captivate an viewers.”

There’s excessive attain and discoverability.

Because the third-largest social media platform, Instagram clearly has a big energetic viewers to achieve.

Add within the recognition of video, its excessive engagement, and its supposed choice within the Instagram algorithm, and Instagram video presents an enormous alternative to achieve new and shoppers.

How one can Create Video on Instagram

In my expertise, only a few folks document movies immediately on Instagram exterior of Tales. Why, precisely? Properly, the digicam high quality tends to be decrease, and the enhancing capabilities accessible on Instagram are fairly restricted, however when you do use it, here are the steps you’ll follow.

1. Open your Instagram app and press the icon with a plus signal (+) within the heart of the controls.

2. Right here, you may both add a video out of your library or create one within the app. As talked about, we’re creating a brand new one proper now. To do that, click on the little digicam icon on the backside of your new put up preview.

3. Press and maintain down the middle button to document your video.

When you launch your maintain, Instagram will cease recording and replay what was simply captured on the display screen.

4. Now, you may edit your video utilizing the built-in Instagram video editor. (The identical one you’ll use for making a Reel).

You possibly can swipe so as to add a filter in addition to add:

• Music
• A Voiceover
• Captions
• Stickers (Interactive and Static)
• Visible Results

You may also shorten and add clips or save what you’ve recorded.

5. After you’re achieved enhancing, hit “subsequent.”

6. Right here’s the place you optimize your Instagram video for search and getting discovered.

This will embody including your video caption in addition to:

• Selecting your video cowl
• Tagging folks, a location, and merchandise
• Choosing an viewers (Everybody vs “Shut Associates”)
• Choosing the place you desire to the video displayed (Foremost grid and Reels or simply Reels)
• Attaching an occasion reminder or fundraiser

Underneath “extra choices,” you may schedule the put up for later and get extra granular about how folks interact with the video and what you share (e.g., whether or not you show “like” counts or enable folks to make use of your video as a template).

7. Hit “Share” — and also you’re all set!

For an much more in-depth breakdown of methods to put up on Instagram, take a look at the article “How to Post on Instagram: A Step-by-Step Guide.”

How one can Put up a Video to Instagram from Digicam Roll

To add a video out of your digicam roll to Instagram, comply with the identical steps as above, besides choose a video out of your library in step 2. After that, soar to step 4, and the remainder of the method would be the similar.

Once more, when you add a video as part of a carousel put up, issues change barely. You’ll merely full step 2 after which soar to step 5.

Now that we all know methods to share a video on Instagram, what does an ideal video appear to be?

How one can Make Good Movies for Instagram

What qualifies as “good” content material is mostly a matter of opinion.

For instance, within the early 2000s, slightly sequence named Jackass was in style on MTV and even led to a function movie — however I simply couldn’t get behind it. What can I say? I used to be a baby with a refined palette.

Right this moment, social media is filled with equally questionable video content material that manages to seek out an viewers and achieve success. And that’s all that issues in the long run.

As a model and enterprise, the one individuals who want to love your movies are your audience or purchaser persona.

Balaji suggested, “It is vital to maintain the viewers in thoughts fist. A simple litmus check is asking your self, ‘Am I creating this piece of content material as a result of I wish to share it or as a result of I imagine my viewers will achieve worth from it?” If the reply is the previous, chances are you’ll wish to rework your technique if neighborhood progress and stickiness are the purpose.”

The easiest way to know what’s “good” by their requirements — learn grows your model consciousness, will increase engagement, and aids enterprise — is by experimenting.

According to a study by GWI, Instagram customers described the content material they appreciated most as humorous, inventive, informative, and stress-free, amongst different methods. That will help you seize these sentiments in your Instagram movies, I’ll share 13 tips you can start testing.

Notice: If you need a fair examples and steering on what to put up, take a look at:

1. Share inspiration or motivation.

GWI additionally discovered that “inspirational” content material was in style amongst Instagram customers. In as we speak’s usually hectic world, persons are searching for optimistic power, motivation, and one thing to aspire to.

Creating movies for Instagram is a method your model will help ship it.

INBOUND is not any stranger to sharing inspiration or motivation for entrepreneurs or entrepreneurs on Instagram. Even higher, most of this content material comes from moments on the occasion itself.

2. Capitalize on tendencies and memes.

Memes could look like simply enjoyable and video games, however they’re additionally efficient in selling your model tradition, mission, and merchandise.

Incorporating trending matters, music, or memes into your Instagram movies helps you be part of and have interaction in present shopper conversations somewhat than making an attempt to start out a brand new one. It reveals you’re updated with what’s taking place round you and in addition reveals persona, making you extra relatable.

VaynerMedia, Gary Vaynerchuk’s inventive company, is not any stranger to utilizing tendencies and memes when creating movies for Instagram.

Professional tip: Unsure what’s in style proper now? A whole lot of Instagram video tendencies truly begin on TikTok, so you may at all times do some scrolling there. However yow will discover tendencies proper in Instagram, too.

Merely hit the (+) button as if creating a brand new put up. Slide to “Reel,” then hit “Templates.”

Right here, you will note a feed of suggestions adopted by “trending” movies.

3. Collaborate with influential manufacturers and creators in your house.

Matter Communication discovered that 69% of consumers belief data from influencers, pals, and household greater than manufacturers. In different phrases, word-of-mouth issues.

With this in thoughts, look into influencers, creators, and related companies your patrons comply with. Maybe you may collaborate with them to get in entrance of potential new followers, boosting your discoverability, attain, and social proof.

YETI does an admirable job with this of their video advertising and marketing on Instagram.

Right here, the producer posted a video of one among its ambassadors, Matt Pittman of @meatchurch, utilizing and recommending a YETI product to his 900k followers.

On this one, beverage advisor Robert Björn Taylor shares a recipe ready in YETI’s Rambler™ Pitcher.

Each are good examples of methods to present the corporate’s merchandise in motion and attain a big, new viewers of potential prospects.

4. Inform relatable human tales.

How does your product or model affect lives? How does it change them for the higher?

Instagram movies can deliver these human tales to life and have interaction your viewers on a deeper emotional stage. Shoppers join with relatable content material.

In truth, our research reveals that relatable content material is the second-most efficient sort of video for accomplishing marketing goals.

It helps folks envision themselves as a shopper of your services or products and perceive the worth it could actually provide them.

On this Instagram video, Microsoft tells the story of how their know-how helps fishermen full their jobs extra successfully.

Whereas we often consider Microsoft software program and merchandise in conventional workplaces, this video expands the perceived scope of their affect. It helps much more folks see themselves within the model. 

Relatable content material also can create a way of neighborhood.

Balaji shared, “For my startup, a non-alcoholic beverage market, we regularly use humor and shared experiences in our movies. It helps join with our neighborhood and make folks really feel extra seen and fewer remoted.” 

One other approach to spotlight human tales in your Instagram movies is thru case research (like Shopify), testimonials, or interviews with completely happy prospects.

Professional tip: Be thoughtful of range and inclusion.

Instagram is a world platform that reaches folks from all walks of life.

Occupied with diversity and inclusivity will help attain a bigger viewers by wanting previous preconceived notions of gender, age, race, revenue, sexuality, and so forth. to spotlight how your services or products can provide worth.

One model that has been a pacesetter on this house for years is Dove. I like this Instagram video that includes ladies of a sure age, who occur to purchase Dove, dwelling their greatest lives.

It’s not simply enjoyable and inclusive, however aspirational. It prompts the thought, “Hm. Perhaps I could possibly be one among these completed, thrilling ladies sooner or later if I exploit Dove too.”

5. Tease what’s coming (New product launches, options, and so forth.)

An effective way to construct hype round upcoming merchandise or options is to put up them on Instagram.

You don’t should do a full-fledged business to make an affect.

On this Instagram video, Google merely reveals somebody utilizing their latest telephone and describes options with a voiceover.

Duolingo, alternatively, shares product updates utilizing pattern screenshots, textual content, and playful music:

Shopify discusses new options with a speaking head video.

None of those examples are excessive manufacturing worth or sophisticated, however all of them successfully present audiences what they’ll stay up for from the upcoming releases.

Professional tip: When posting movies about future merchandise or futures on Instagram, benefit from the “Remind me” function.

With this, individuals who see the video can faucet on the bell icon within the backside left of video to decide into receiving notifications reminding them of the upcoming launch. As soon as they do, they’ll obtain three notifications for the occasion:

• An exercise feed notification 24 hours earlier than the occasion.
• An exercise feed and push notification quarter-hour earlier than the occasion.
• An exercise feed and push notification on the time of the occasion.

The ultimate notification may even coincide with a follow-up piece of content material formally saying the brand new merchandise.

(HubSpot’s social media tools can help you schedule this.)

General, this can be a nice approach to preserve your launch high of thoughts and construct pleasure.

Learn more about setting up event reminders on Instagram here.

6. Share methods to use present merchandise.

Your present merchandise could possibly be given comparable therapy. Potential prospects won’t pay attention to the extent of your catalog and even methods to use the whole lot the fitting method.

Bringing these merchandise or makes use of to their consideration as an alternative of leaving them to look or surprise not solely improves their consumer expertise however could even sway undecided patrons to make a purchase order.

Dyson Magnificence usually teaches folks methods to use its instruments and haircare merchandise on its Instagram account utilizing video.

Demonstrations, hacks, and ideas like these are different in style forms of Instagram movies, particularly for manufacturers. Extra on that shortly.

7. Carry consideration to promotions or gross sales.

According to Capital One, 89% of Individuals say worth performs a significant position of their buy choices, greater than every other issue. In truth, the corporate discovered reductions are a significant component for 74% of U.S. internet buyers. And this serial couponer believes it.

Everybody likes to save cash, so don’t let your gross sales come and go quietly.

Use Instagram movies to spotlight any promotions or gross sales you’re operating. Amazon does an ideal job with this for Prime Day. They even teamed up with in style creator Zach King:

8. Make folks snicker.

The preferred content material on Instagram is humorous. Humor is relatable, shareworthy, and in addition memorable. Due to this, discovering methods to include related, on-brand humor into your Instagram video content material may be extraordinarily beneficial to a enterprise.

Now, I do know: Being humorous is difficult. If it weren’t, there wouldn’t be so many failed comedians.

However don’t let this cease you.

Your laughs may be unique (like Duolingo or our pals at A Recent Sip) or curated.

So long as the humor is related to your viewers, it will likely be appreciated.

9. Educate your viewers (i.e., how-tos, ideas, hacks)

Folks comply with and belief manufacturers that provide actual worth, and few issues are extra beneficial than training today.

Take a while to consider what your online business or model can uniquely train your viewers.

What do they should find out about your trade or when making a purchase order determination? What information and experience are you able to provide to assist them obtain their targets or enhance their every day lives? Higher but, what insights are you able to share that nobody else can?

Form your Instagram video technique round these matters.

For instance, hair care model AAVRANI goes high-level, educating folks what a clarifying shampoo is.

Although this isn’t immediately selling their product, it educates folks on what it’s and what it solves. It additionally provides them the possibility to say, “Hey, I feel I would like that.”

At HubSpot, we’ve taken an identical strategy, sharing e-mail advertising and marketing ideas anybody (HubSpot customers or not) might implement.

In the meantime, WIX zeros in on present customers, sharing “hacks” to get essentially the most out of their instruments.

Whether or not you communicate to your providing or your house usually, sharing instructional movies positions you as an knowledgeable and useful useful resource — one folks can belief, wish to comply with, and doubtlessly even work with.

10. Share and encourage user-generated content material

As we talked about earlier, persons are more likely to believe what others say about you than what you say about your self. I imply, give it some thought: If I stated I’m the world’s greatest pastry chef, why ought to anybody imagine me?

Posting user-generated content (UGC) movies successfully gives social proof of your claims and reveals appreciation for present prospects.

This can be a staple of GoPro’s Instagram technique.

The tech firm usually shares content material utilizing its merchandise on its Instagram profile, giving prospects publicity on the model’s giant platform and in addition highlighting what its merchandise are able to.

The awe-inspiring movies are additionally extraordinarily shareworthy.

11. Complement your efforts with synthetic intelligence (AI).

Let’s face it. Video advertising and marketing takes effort and time, and never each advertising and marketing workforce has the mandatory sources. Fortunately, there are many AI tools to complement your efforts and enable you to get extra achieved with much less.

In response to our analysis, the #1 method entrepreneurs at the moment use AI of their video technique is by serving to with captions, descriptions, and different text-based components. Following intently behind is bettering visible results on movies. (Suppose filters and results on Instagram.)

However the prospects don’t cease there. Utilizing free instruments like Clip Creator from HubSpot, you may convert textual content into skilled movies with only a few clicks.

All it’s a must to do is reply a number of easy questions and choose a template, and the device generates a clip you should utilize for Instagram or every other video-supporting platform.

It’s free, and you’ll even edit textual content and pictures to satisfy your wants.

12. Suppose short-form first

Whereas Instagram helps movies as much as 60 minutes lengthy, our analysis reveals that 71% of entrepreneurs say short-form video delivers the very best ROI. 66% additionally stated it will get essentially the most engagement, whereas 60% stated it drives essentially the most leads.

With this in thoughts, lean into shorter movies (30 seconds to 2 minutes). Whether or not your video is targeted on training or leisure, this size tends to be simply lengthy sufficient to maintain your viewers engaged but additionally wanting extra.

On this user-generated video, Amazon Prime reveals simply how candy and efficient quick video may be:

Professional tip: That is one other space the place Clip Creator can help.

13. Take note of manufacturing high quality

One optimistic of the COVID-19 pandemic is that lowered the taking part in area by way of social media video manufacturing. Right this moment, you don’t want fancy video, sound, or lighting tools or perhaps a studio. However that doesn’t imply you may neglect manufacturing high quality altogether.

How your video appears and sounds can closely have an effect on how your message is acquired and if folks even stick round to listen to/watch it. So, ensure that to place your greatest foot ahead.

When creating movies for Instagram, use instruments like a tripod, telephone stand, or perhaps a pop socket to maintain your telephone regular and keep away from shaky footage.

Discover a quiet house or use software program like krisp.ai to cut back noise and preserve your sound clear and targeted on what must be heard.

Along with that…

Professional tip: Comply with Instagram tech specs and necessities. When Instagram launched movies in 2013, they may solely be 15 seconds lengthy and seem within the feed. Right this moment, they’ve taken on an entire new life.

To make sure Instagram can share and show your content material as deliberate, ensure that your movies are optimized from a technical standpoint. This implies following Instagram’s technical specs and necessities.

Let’s wrap up by going into element about these.

Since Instagram is a mobile-first app, when you shoot proper from an iPhone or Android, your movies ought to robotically match inside these specs. The most recent iPhone 16, for example, can shoot as much as 4K at 120 fps.

Side ratios are a unique method of wanting on the dimensions of movies.

Understanding them is vital as a result of it immediately impacts how your content material seems on completely different gadgets and platforms. The commonest facet ratios on Instagram are:

• Panorama video – Side ratio 16:9
• Sq. video – Side ratio is 1:1
• Portrait video – Side ratio 4:5
• Vertical video – Side ratio 9:16

Notice the distinction between portrait video and vertical video. When you could often consider these items as the identical, on Instagram, they aren’t. Movies posted in a carousel with different content material comply with portrait pointers, whereas solo movies comply with vertical pointers like Reels and Tales.

• File sort: MP4 or MOV
• File dimension restrict: 650MB for movies as much as 10 minutes and as much as 3.6GB for movies as much as 60 minutes​
• Size: Three seconds to 60 minutes; longer movies seem as previews within the feed, with the complete video viewable in your profile.
• Minimal body charge of 30 fps (frames per second)
• H.264 codec
• AAC audio
• 3500 kbps bitrate

How one can Compress Movies for Instagram

With the more and more spectacular high quality of cell video comes bigger video recordsdata. Whereas Instagram sometimes evolves to accommodate these, typically you should still must optimize your recordsdata to share them successfully on the platform.

Typically this implies compressing, or shrinking the file dimension, of the video to make it simpler to add, sooner to stream, and inside the 4GB restrict.

Compression can typically take its toll on decision high quality or sound readability, however respected instruments will help fight this.

Kinds of Compression

A video coder is used to compress bigger video recordsdata into completely different codecs. Two widespread codecs are mp4 recordsdata and WMV, Home windows Media Video recordsdata. There are two various kinds of compression: lossless and lossy.

Lossy Compression

Lossy compression compresses video by eradicating sure knowledge from the video recordsdata with out compromising the message. As an example, it might take away repeated photos or sounds. Lossy compression is aptly named, however it’ll make your file extraordinarily small.

Lossless Compression

Alternatively, lossless compression produces a near-identical compression of the unique file, as a result of knowledge is just not misplaced within the course of. Lossless received’t have as huge of an affect on file dimension as lossy, however it’s nonetheless helpful for smaller movies.

Widespread lossless codecs are:

• Home windows Media Audio Lossless (WMAL)
• Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC)
• Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC).

When your file must deal with high quality, use FLAC since you received’t lose any high quality within the compression course of.

There are a number of video compression instruments that can compress movies for you. For instance, UniConverter has a straightforward and free Instagram compression device.

In the meantime, Free Convert and Clipchamp robotically take away sure knowledge particulars of your video (lossy compression), but additionally permit you to make a number of changes to satisfy your wants.

Greatest Adobe Premiere Professional Export Settings for Instagram

When you’re enhancing your video utilizing Adobe Premiere Professional, you already know Adobe likes to debate the specifics of exporting. Here is data on methods to get crystal-clear photos when exporting your Instagram video.

Open “Export Settings” within the “Format” drop-down field and choose “H.264’ and “Match Supply Excessive bitrate” within the preset field.

These two settings will match Instagram’s video settings.

The “Use Most Render High quality” checkbox fixes the scaling of your video robotically, so be sure you verify that field as effectively.

Image Source

As soon as these settings are saved, your put up will probably be Instagram-ready. As a result of you may’t add movies on to Instagram by way of desktop, think about a third-party app like HubSpot or Later. These will allow you to add and schedule the video to publish later.

You may also ship the video to your telephone and add it there.

Prepare in your close-up on Instagram.

Whether or not you’re huge or small, B2B or B2C, Instagram movies have a lot to supply your online business. Take the information and pointers shared on this article and begin experimenting to be taught what works greatest in your viewers and your targets.