CR Magazine – Autumn 2018

HOW TO
LEVERAGE
INSTAGRAM’S
NEW VIDEO
VERTICAL: IGTV
In late June, Instagram reached their 1 billion active monthly user
milestone. They also launched a new app: IGTV, a new way to
watch long-form, vertical video from Instagram users and creators.
Instagram’s no stranger to app redesigns and increased
functionality — most notably, with the addition of the popular
Stories feature that’s bringing users back from Snapchat. Now,
with the launch of IGTV, it’s trying to find a way to keep users
engaged and all in the family.
IGTV: WHY IT’S DIFFERENT
Instagram built out IGTV to seamlessly fit with how you actually
use your phone. To that end, videos are vertical (rather than
horizontal) and full screen. No more turning your phone sideways.
No more tiny horizontal screens within the vertical screen. IGTV
is full screen and starts playing as soon as you either open the
standalone app or click over on the TV icon within the Instagram
platform (just like an actual TV). This particular feature is
Instagram’s attempt to capture the massive amounts of people
who watch videos on their smartphones — something other
media apps are being slow to adapt to for video.
IGTV also expands the types of content that work on the
Instagram platform. Previously, Instagram users were restricted
to one-minute videos when posting — less for Stories. But with
IGTV, videos can be up to 10 minutes — an hour if your profile is
verified. And, you can link to your IGTV page directly from your
Instagram profile page.
WHY IGTV IS EXCITING FOR
REAL ESTATE
This is widely viewed as Instagram’s shot at YouTube — and
for good reason. The big benefit to IGTV is that it keeps your
followers in one app.
As a REALTOR ® , IGTV can be one more tool in your toolbox to
help you achieve your business and growth goals.
Posting is simple:
1. Open the Instagram app and go to your feed.
2. Look to the top right-hand corner and tap the icon that
looks like an old school TV.
3. Create your channel by tapping the settings icon. Tap
“create channel,” read through the description slides, and
then you’re in!
4. Upload a video by tapping your profile picture on the
right-hand side. Then, hit the plus sign to open your video
library. Only videos between 15 seconds and 10 minutes
will show up here.
5. Select the video you want to upload, and add a title and
description. This is a good opportunity to change the
cover image that will serve as the video preview.
6. Tap “post.” Congrats, you posted your first IGTV video!
The biggest perk is that your audience is already built in. Unlike
an entirely new video platform, where you’d have to build your
following from scratch, IGTV ensures that you automatically
12 Chicago REALTOR ® Magazine