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Instagram has only been around for eight years, but in that time it’s made a name for itself with short-form content and has revolutionised the way we display that content. You can post that great selfie to your feed, or if it’s great, but not feed worthy, then post it to your Instagram Story instead.
But now the app seems to be making a shift towards longer form content in the form of IGTV. Basically it’s a place where you can upload videos that are up to an hour long (depending on the amount of followers you have) for all your followers to see. Prior to this, videos on IG were only allowed to be 60 seconds long.
TechCrunch says the videos will uploaded to the app through IGTV and will be full screen and vertically-orientated and of good quality. So it’s basically like having a YouTube channel on your Instagram. Now people can express themselves in videos that last anywhere from one minute to one hour. TechCrunch also notes that Instagram predicts users will most likely hit a sweetspot of 10 minutes so it’ll be like watching YouTube clips in your Instagram app.
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Instagram has also created a stand alone app for IGTV which has more features for videos, and can help you keep your channel separate from your Instagram if you so wish.
Instagram also tapped some big ‘gram stars for the launch of the new feature so users would immediately have content to play with. Bryce Xavier and Lele Pons, for example, agreed to shoot videos for IGTV. IGTV also has a built in “swipe up” function for big names and brands so they can still send you to their websites via the videos so you can view more content.
So, what do you need to know about the new feature if you’re trying to be an influencer? Well, let me tell you.
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But that doesn’t mean you should feel despondent about trying to make your channel work when you only have a small following. You can still post as many videos as you like and your profile page can be made into your very own channel so you have total control over your network.
Once you tap the icon, it will start playing video content just like a TV. There, you can search four different categories: For You, Following, Popular, and Continue Watching. You can swipe through friend’s videos, stranger’s videos or suggested ones that pertain to your interests.
To create a channel all you need to do is click the wheel icon/ settings tab and you’ll be prompted to create your own channel. Then it’s there!
Then you’ll be directed to your video library which has videos you’ve shot or saved to your camera roll. Pick anyone and share it.
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Various brands have already started using it to share clips from TV shows, create extra content that add to already existing content on their sites, or just simply engage with their fans.
So you can share your videos from your last holiday, or talk about that really awesome make up product you tried yesterday, or take your followers with you around a party – it’s whatever you decide to do.
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