If you asked marketers for the last 5 videos what videos you should make for your brand, the answer was probably short-form videos. For better or worse, the internet’s attention span has diminished as every platform pursues short-form video—even YouTube with Shorts. It’s ironic that we see Instagram pursue long-form video options as it seeks to attract video advertising brands who love YouTube’s more advertiser-friendly formats. Learn what this means for video marketing.
Instagram’s 90 Minute “Feature” Videos
Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, announced in an Instagram video their new video type: Features. These videos, which can run up to 90 minutes, are designed to keep creators on their platform for one very simple reason: advertising money. YouTube is the best platform for brands to make money by selling ad space because longer videos mean longer and more frequent ads, something that just isn’t possible with short-form video.
Instagram Wants Better Video Advertising
As mentioned in the video, content creators on Instagram are currently paid mostly by brands to promote content directly or by fans. There is a performance-based program, but as Adam says, “…we spend more money than we make back by a long shot, and so it doesn’t really make sense to scale up because we’re just burning capital.” They are hoping to take the YouTube model that benefits both creators and advertisers, and that means longer videos.
If you’d like to hear more from Adam, check out his YouTube interview on the Colin and Samir Show.
Short-Form vs. Long-Form Video Marketing
So, what does that mean for you and your video marketing? It largely depends on what you are selling, how much time you’ll put into your videos, and what your goals are. To break it down into general terms:
- Content Creators: If you make your revenue by creating video content, the main question is: can you pivot to long-form video? If you’re already producing long-form content on YouTube, it’s an easy choice, but if you’re new to the scene, you need to figure out if there’s even a market for your content as long-form.
- Personal Brands: If you use your content as a gateway to your services, it’s a balancing act. Give too little, and your video won’t be long enough (or useful enough) to make people click through. But you also don’t want to give it all away. If you can find the middle ground, this can be another funnel to use.
- Business Marketing: For businesses that sell products and services, while you can be successful from the content creation side, it can potentially be far more useful from the video advertising side. Longer ad space means more time to pitch, and longer attention spans mean more eyes on your ads instead of clicking away.
What this change on Instagram shows is a change that will benefit both content creators and advertisers if it works well, and new demographics being exposed to both long-form video and the advertising that comes with it. If you want help navigating this new market from either side, it’s time to contact Vision. We can help on all fronts, from content and ad creation to better websites to funnel users to. Learn more on our Vision blogs, enVisioning Success podcast, and downloadable Marketing Strategies Playbook.
