How to Post Videos on Instagram (All Formats)

Video content reigns supreme on social media, but each platform has quirks. You might wonder what works on YouTube won’t fly on Instagram. Not so fast. Many video strategies overlap. When it comes to Instagram, focus on short, eye-catching clips. They’ll boost engagement and reach. For more on this, check out our YouTube marketing tips.

Benefits of Posting Videos on Instagram
How to Post Videos on Instagram (All Formats)
Types of Videos on Instagram
12 Content Ideas for Instagram Videos
Create Viral Shorts In Seconds With Crayo

Benefits of Posting Videos on Instagram

1. Instagram: The Discovery Powerhouse

Instagram boasts over 1 billion monthly users, with 500 million active daily participants. This enormous reach gives brands access to vast audiences who may not see their marketing elsewhere. Interestingly, 90% of Instagram users follow at least one business. Video can introduce your brand, showcase its personality, or highlight product features to engage potential customers. Video marketing can also help ease the minds of hesitant buyers, guiding them from the research phase to the purchase decision.

2. Engagement: Connect With Your Audience

A friendly smile or familiar face builds trust and helps users connect with your brand more personally than traditional, cold marketing. Video marketing on Instagram can humanize your business and create a positive community around it. To engage your audience, post a Reel introducing the founder, share a Q&A with the social media team, or tease an upcoming product drop. Be sure to include captions to make your content accessible to all viewers.

3. Video: Convert Viewers Into Customers

Video marketing can be a powerful tool for driving sales. 93% of marketers say they’ve gained a new customer after sharing a video on social media. Additionally, 1 in 3 Instagram users report becoming more interested in a brand after seeing its content on Stories. Video allows brands to showcase their products in a fun and engaging manner, helping customers visualize how items look and work. This leads to more informed buying decisions and repeat customers.

4. Video Content Drives More Engagement Than Photos

Video marketing is an underutilized asset for brands on Instagram. Research shows that video posts generate up to 21% more engagement than photos, even though static images remain the most widely used content type. To boost your engagement metrics, prioritize video marketing on Instagram. There’s no better way to boost essential metrics than creating high-quality video content that resonates with your target audience.

5. Get Ahead of the Curve: Instagram Is Prioritizing Video

Want to stay ahead of the competition? Now is the time to invest in video marketing on Instagram. A recent study found that 32% of consumers visit a brand’s social media account before heading to its website. This means it’s crucial to make a good first impression. Engaging video content allows you to stand out and capture the attention of potential customers.

6. Video Has a Longer Shelf Life Than Other Content Types

In addition to increasing engagement and driving sales, video content offers the potential for long-term visibility. Users can discover and view popular Reels weeks or months after their initial post date. If a video receives consistent engagement, Instagram will continue to promote it within the platform, increasing brand awareness and exposure. This prolonged reach is especially beneficial compared to the limited lifespan of static posts.

7. Repurpose Your Video Content Across Platforms

Don’t let valuable video assets go to waste; post them only once on Instagram. Instead, maximize their reach by sharing them across platforms and formats. For example, you can post a Reel teaser in your Stories or share it on TikTok to reach new audiences. The more exposure your video gets, the greater its return on investment will be.

8. Video Popularity Is on the Rise

On average, social media users spent 53 minutes on Instagram daily in 2021, up from 30 minutes in 2020. This increased usage may be attributed to the pandemic, but the trend shows little sign of slowing down. Consumers increasingly turn to social media for entertainment, expecting brands to provide engaging, exciting content. In a world with short attention spans, video is a great way to keep users interested and focused on your brand.

9. Use Instagram Stories to Highlight Urgent Promotions

If you want to promote a limited-time offer, Instagram Stories are the ideal place to do it. Their temporary nature makes them perfect for advertising content that isn’t evergreen. You can also use Stories to give your followers early access to sales, encouraging them to engage with your video content. Higher interactions lead to more visibility, creating a win-win for your brand.

10. Build Your Email List Through Live Video

One of our favorite video marketing tips involves collecting emails through live broadcasts. Promote an Instagram Live Q&A session where users can submit questions to be selected. As you answer inquiries, request permission to share their email addresses for future communication. Your email list will grow, allowing you to leverage this audience in future marketing efforts. Email remains a powerful tool for engaging customers and driving conversions.

Instagram is an essential tool for sharing videos with your audience, whether they are friends or business connections. This guide will walk you through posting videos on Instagram, including in-feed videos, Reels, Stories, and live broadcasts. Follow these steps to share your content smoothly.

How to Post an In-Feed Video on Instagram

1. Open Instagram

Launch the app and sign in with your username and password if you’re not logged in.

2. Go to the Upload Screen

To begin uploading, tap the “+” icon at your profile or homepage's top right or bottom center.

3. Select Your Video

A screen will appear showing your recent photos and videos. Choose the video you want to post. To avoid any issues with compression or cropping, ensure your video has an aspect ratio of 4:5 for portrait mode and 1.91:1 for landscape mode.

4. Edit Your Video

Click “Edit video” at the bottom left of the screen to make adjustments. You can also use the buttons at the top right to add music, text, and other features like captions.

5. Preview Your Video

After editing, preview your video and select the thumbnail image you want. You can tag users, write a description, and include relevant hashtags.

6. Upload Your Video

Click “Post” at the bottom of the screen to publish your video to your feed.

How to Post an Instagram Reel

1. Go to the Upload Screen

Tap the “+” icon at the screen's top right or bottom center and select “Reel” to start uploading.

2. Choose Your Video

If you’ve already edited your Reel using an app like CapCut, select it from your camera roll. You can tap “Camera” to record a new video, access a Reel from your drafts, or choose a template.

3. Adjust Video Clips

Edit individual video clips using the tools at the bottom of the screen or customize playback speed through the left sidebar. After making adjustments, select “Add.” This will place the clip in your post queue and redirect you to the upload screen, where you can record additional segments or add another clip. To skip this step, click “Next.”

4. Edit Your Video

Add music, filters, and stickers to your Reel. Since your video must be 90 seconds or shorter, you may need to trim it at this stage. Once finished, click “Next.”

5. Share Your Reel

The app will take you to the share screen, where you can edit your cover image, add a caption, and tag users. At this point, you’ll also choose whether your Reel appears in your regular feed or only in the Reels section of your profile. Tap “Share” to post your video.

How to Post a Video to Instagram Stories

1. Go to the Upload Screen

Tap the “+” icon at the top right or bottom center of your profile or homepage, then select “Story.” Alternatively, tap your profile picture to upload a Story.

2. Select Your Video

You can either record a new video by tapping “Camera” or choose an existing video from your camera roll. If the video is longer than 15 seconds, Instagram will automatically separate it at each 15-second interval, so try to keep it shorter. Additionally, ensure your video fits a 9:16 ratio.

3. Edit Your Video

In the preview screen, you can toggle audio on or off, create a Boomerang, and add text, music, and other features to enhance your Story. Draw on your video by clicking the ellipses in the top right corner, or save your video to your camera roll.

4. Upload Your Story

Click “Your Story” to share directly to your Story, or tap “Close Friends” to share with a select group of users, which you can choose in your settings.

How to Go Live on Instagram

1. Go to the Recording Screen

Tap the “+” icon on your profile or homepage, or tap your profile picture. Scroll down and select “Live” to access the live broadcast feature.

2. Add a Title

Enter a title for your live stream and add collaborators if necessary.

3. Start Your Broadcast

Tap the “Go Live” icon at the bottom of the screen. A countdown will appear, and viewers will join your live broadcast at the bottom of the screen. This area also displays comments and likes.

4. End Your Broadcast

Tap “End” to conclude your stream. You can save your video to your camera roll or discard it.

Types of Videos on Instagram

making insta reels - How to Post Videos on Instagram

The Complete Guide to Instagram Video Formats

Instagram has various features to help you connect with your audience through video. Here’s a breakdown of the different Instagram video formats and how to use them:

Instagram Stories: 24-Hour Video That Captivates Your Audience

Instagram Stories are short, 15 to 60-second videos that disappear after 24 hours. This ephemeral content has become a popular way to showcase raw, casual, authentic, and quirky content, in contrast to the more polished in-feed marketing videos. Instagram Stories feel more accurate and less manicured.

The maximum length for an Instagram Story video is 6 seconds. However, you can create a series of Stories in a slideshow narrative. Photos in Stories appear for 7 seconds.

Brands can post as many Stories as they like. Like TikTok video content, Stories display vertically, taking up the entire mobile screen. There are four types of Stories you can use:

Standard: The default option for a Story, ‘Standard,’ is an image or video that can include filters.
Create: You can add text or stickers; this format is excellent for asking questions or telling stories.
Boomerang: This format loops so the Story repeats constantly.
Dual: You can use front and back cameras to flip viewpoints to show an audience what you are doing, e.g., for a quick walkthrough.
Layout: This can contain several images in a collage.

You can also enhance your Stories with stickers, text, filters, polls, and emojis. There’s also an Instagram Story Highlights section where you can keep Stories on your profile as a collection (e.g., testimonials or upcoming events).

Stories are an excellent way for brands to experiment with different types of content, as unlike your feed, stories disappear in 24 hours.

They are also an effective way to attract users’ attention and boost brand awareness. This format taps into FOMO as people want to check out the video before it disappears.

Instagram Stories Case Study: The Economist

The Economist uses Instagram Stories to drive more traffic to the news articles published in its magazine and online.

The news site uses the Stories Highlights function to promote content and encourage people to click through to read. By curating content, its Stories stay around for longer and can drive more engagement.

The Economist uses categories to help people find the content they may like, such as ‘Weekly Reads’, ‘The Future of AI’, ‘The Most Popular Reads of 2024’, and ‘Culture’.

As a respected newspaper, the Economist has a known brand and sticks to it across Instagram. Posts use the same font, layout, eye-catching images, and clear titles to encourage people to click.

Instagram Reels: Short-Form Video That Entertains and Engages

Reels are Instagram’s take on the vertical-video format popularized by TikTok. Unlike TikTok, Instagram has created full-screen, portrait-oriented videos.

Videos you upload are automatically posted as Reels. This means there is no option to create a standard video post. The good news is that you can post longer and larger videos.

Reels are multi-clip videos between 15 seconds and 15 minutes long. However, Instagram caps video length based on how long a reel should be to perform well. So when filming in the app, you can choose 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 60 seconds, and 90 seconds. Anything over 90 seconds can be uploaded as a video, becoming a Reel.

Reels are ideal for showcasing creative content using effects and music, as they offer AR filters, timed text, and green screen mode. Users can discover Reels in the ‘Reels’ tab on their profile or the Explore tab of their Instagram feed. Reels are very popular with Millennial and Gen Z users.

Reels are typically the top-performing video content on Instagram, getting an average engagement rate of 1.48%, according to Social Insider research. However, engagement on Reels has gone down by 20% so it’s important to keep an eye on the popular trends to tap into Instagram’s Reels algorithm.

It can be tempting to re-use your TikTok content for Reels simply. However, remember that your Instagram followers are likely older than your TikTok followers.

You can use Reels to showcase engaging aspects of the brand’s personality, and you can include hashtags and product tags. Users often regard Reel content as more ‘authentic’ than professional video content.

Instagram Reels Case Study: Apple

As the creator of the iPhone, Apple can use Instagram users' creations to showcase amazing Reels.

User-generated content from artists, film directors, and photographers is featured on Apple’s Reels, showcasing terrific videos demonstrating its technology's use. The videos are tagged #ShotoniPhone, which currently has over 30 million posts.

Apple also commissions projects such as portraits and videos to showcase exceptional environments or people, which creates a wealth of fantastic video content on Instagram.

Instagram Feed Videos: The Basics of Video Posts on Instagram

Historically, Instagram videos combined IGTV and in-feed videos.

Instagram feed videos are now joining these obsolete features as videos are posted as Reels (although videos still feature in a company’s IG feed).

An exception is videos included in Instagram carousels, which can feature up to 10 photos and videos and appear in the feed.

Instagram Live: Real-Time Video for Authentic Engagement

Instagram Live enables you to broadcast videos to your followers in real time. Followers can watch live while you’re streaming or catch it later as a Story.

It takes courage to broadcast live, as so many things can go wrong! However, it’s worth trying, as live video is a highly engaging format that enables you to be more ‘authentic’ and ‘in the moment.’ You can show people sides of your brand that they wouldn’t usually see.

This type of video is ideal for:

Brand events
Product or service demos
‘A Day in the Life’ series
Live tours
Behind-the-scenes videos
Live classes (e.g., a weekly yoga class or cookery class)
Live Q&As with experts, company leaders or employees.

You can make live videos interactive by inviting viewers to comment on the video or submit questions.

Although you don’t want your live video to be too scripted, you do need to prepare for it carefully (making a video script outline could help you stay on track). Ensure you have a strong internet connection and aim to make your broadcast as clear, high resolution, and stable as possible.

Plus, ensure you have a straightforward narrative before you go live. Your live video should include an element of storytelling to engage a prospect or customer.

And if things go wrong on the day, just incorporate the mistakes into the live experience!

12 Content Ideas for Instagram Videos

woman laughing on phone call - How to Post Videos on Instagram

1. Educate and Engage Your Audience with a Whiteboard Video

When you need to clarify a concept for your audience, a straightforward whiteboard explainer video is an effective solution. The blend of spoken and written content helps deliver your message engagingly and memorably. Additionally, this style of video is cost-effective and straightforward to create. You only require a smartphone camera, a tripod, and a whiteboard.

2. Discuss Hot Industry Topics with an Expert Interview

Are you looking to establish your brand as an authority in your field? Interviewing an expert can enhance your credibility, mainly if they are well-known. The intriguing insights they provide can assist you in crafting a captivating and shareable piece of content.

3. Summarize Blog Posts to Drive Traffic Back to Your Site

If your blog content performs well, consider transforming it into a video. Develop a script that condenses the post’s main points and incorporates visual elements such as transitions, stock footage, and motion graphics to enhance understanding. Then, encourage traffic back to your blog by concluding your video with a call to action to read the full post.

4. Let Your Customers Speak for You with a Testimonial Video

Video is an excellent medium for promoting your products or services, and the message feels more genuine from actual users. Before filming, consider the questions you’ll pose to your customer. These should elicit thought-provoking answers that are valuable to your target audience.

5. Create an Entertaining Animated Video

Animated marketing videos may not always be easy to produce, but they can yield significant results as they are often enjoyable, brief, and engaging. You can develop your animated video on nearly any subject, but they are particularly effective for explainer videos, as on-screen animations can help clarify complex topics.

6. Share Your Company’s Story by Interviewing Your Founder

Today’s consumers want to know the backstory of the companies they purchase from. How often do you hear tales of large corporations beginning in their founders’ garages? If your company has a compelling or unique origin story, consider recording an interview with your founder to share with your audience.

7. Weigh In on a Hot Debate to Spark a Conversation

All video marketers aim to generate many comments, reactions, and shares. Sometimes, the most effective way to achieve this is by inciting debate. Exercise caution: venturing into broad topics solely for clicks is unwise. However, if there’s a trending issue impacting your business or industry, and you have something valuable and original to contribute, don’t hesitate to initiate the discussion.

8. Connect With Your Audience Through a Live-Streamed Q&A Session

When discussing video marketing, we typically refer to pre-recorded videos uploaded to websites or social media platforms. However, live video can be a powerful tool for engaging your audience in real-time and demonstrating the human aspect of your business. Q&A sessions are an excellent application of live video, as they naturally include opportunities for your audience to interact and connect with your brand.

9. Record Your Screen for a Simple Tutorial

If your company offers software, your customers likely have questions about it. Consider creating a straightforward tutorial showcasing its features to help them maximize their experience with your product. The best part? You don’t even need a camera!

10. Do Some Myth-Busting to Clear Up Confusion

A video debunking common misconceptions in your industry can effectively drive engagement beyond your typical audience. It also helps generate views, as people are curious about things they may have misunderstood.

11. Build Hype With an Event Teaser

Do you have an upcoming event to promote? Create an engaging event teaser video that serves as a promotional tool and sparks interest. The key is to provide just enough details about the event to intrigue viewers while concluding with a compelling call to action to boost registrations.

12. Share Unique Product Use Cases

When potential customers are considering a purchase, they want to know the various applications of the product. Instead of merely presenting standard product demonstrations, explore creative use cases by surveying your customers. This approach can reveal unexpected ways your product can be utilized, providing valuable insights for prospective buyers.

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