What is IGTV?
Jun 29, 2018
If you’re an Instagram user, which we think you probably are, as the app amasses over 800 million users, you may have noticed the brand-new button for IGTV.
IGTV is a new app within Instagram that features full-screen, hour-long videos that have been created by brands, celebrities and the users you follow. Whilst the app runs within Instagram via the small TV icon in the top right, you can also download the IGTV app separately if you prefer.
Instagram’s founders and creators made the IGTV app to be viewed in the same way we use our phones. Unlike YouTube, videos in IGTV are vertical and unlike videos that can be uploaded to Instagram profile pages, each video on IGTV can be up to an hour in length.
IGTV is designed to act like a real TV; the app starts playing videos as soon as it is opened, meaning you don’t need to search for the content you want to watch before it is played to you. To keep things social, users can still like, comment and send videos to their friends via direct messages. Also similar to real televisions, IGTV has different channels based on creators. When a user follows someone on Instagram, their channel will be on their profile ready for you to view.
You don’t need to have a huge Instagram following to be an IGTV creator; anyone has the ability to upload their own IGTV in order to start their own channel.
But will IGTV overtake video-sharing website YouTube? Whilst it’s unlikely IGTV will take over YouTube on desktop, it could have what it takes to dethrone YouTube’s app position. Why wouldn’t a user just watch videos from the people they follow via the Instagram app without the need to swap to YouTube? IGTV’s aim is to be at the forefront for video sharing on mobile and believes its users would prefer watching a video without making their phones landscape.
YouTube has over 1 billion users each month, so IGTV has a lot of work to do if it wants to accumulate that sort of interest. However, with it being such a popular app already, it’s definitely possible, and with Instagram having already introduced the extremely successful livestreams and stories, YouTube should be shaking in its boots!
IGTV can be used in your business for a number of reasons including product demonstrations, training videos and advertising to name a few. If you need help setting up an Instagram for your company, we can help.
At The Creation Lab, we can offer customer designed social media accounts to fit with your companies branding. We’ll work with you to schedule updates that attract and engage your target audience, helping to build up a following of existing and potential clients.
For more information, you can contact us today by visiting our contact page or by giving us a call on 0800 644 7070.
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