Instagram videos have emerged as a powerful way to promote products and services. In-app checkouts, product tags, and other business-specific features give the brands a solid foundation to market their offerings to millions of consumers. But this isn’t as easy as it sounds.
There are 2 million advertisers and 25 million businesses on Instagram competing for the users’ attention. How can you as a brand with a new product rise above the din and build buzz?
Nowadays, retail and DTC brands are using visual content such as product demo videos adnd how-to videos to make an entry into consumers’ hearts and minds. So, why should you use Instagram videos and how can they create buzz? Let’s find out.
Reasons to Use Instagram Video Content
People are captivated by videos; they can’t seem to get enough of them. The growing demand for video content has changed the entire social media industry. More people are logging on to Instagram to watch videos than ever before.
- Time spent on watching Instagram videos has jumped up 80%
- Instagram has seen a 400% increase in video production per day
- Compared to photos, video posts on Instagram generate 3x times more comments and 38% more engagement
- 84% of people are eager to find new products on the social media platform
What can we infer from the stats listed above? Brands need to use video content to generate hype about their new product.
The Many Ways to Build Product Buzz
Product Videos
Product videos have many advantages. You can drum up excitement and support, for example, by using product tour and how-to videos. If you can pique their curiosity by making the product video fun and exciting, you not only interest visitors but get them to share it.
These videos work because they mitigate uncertainty around a new product. A 2D photo doesn’t reveal much. Although Instagram users can’t touch, feel or lift it, they can see it from all angles. Product videos also highlight features, functions and accessories.
Well-made product videos build trust with your brand. It’s impossible to create buzz without including them in your Instagram marketing plan.
Lifestyle Videos
A new product launch is an exciting time for a brand. Everybody’s focus is on that product, but that won’t create the necessary buzz. It isn’t enough to bombard the audience with details, features and discounts.
Your focus must be on what your audience wants. They may not be curious about the product per se, but are very much interested in how it will promote their lifestyle.
Lifestyle videos use visual storytelling to promote products by highlighting the quality of life associated with the product. They’re also effective if they target the audience’s interests, presenting the product story and relevance in an interesting way, and moving them through the sales funnel.
User-Generated Video Content
UGC video is trusted by most consumers because it combines authenticity, personalization and the visual medium. According to a survey, more than 70% of people trust their peers more than the brands.
Ask customers to create unboxing and review videos that can be used as UGC on Instagram. Make sure the content entertains, educates and informs.
Team up with Influencers
Up until a decade ago, influencers were mainly celebrities such as actors and famous athletes. The rise of digital marketing and social media has created a new crop of internet celebrities. They may or may not be experts, but they have a dedicated social following.
There is a relationship of trust between influencers and followers. Nowadays, influencers are highly sought after by brands because any recommendation from them is considered social proof by their large followings.
In marketing, not any influencer will do. You should only hire influencers that drives sales. For that to happen, there needs to be convergence at some level between your target audience and the influencer’s social fan base.
On Instagram, the influencer marketing landscape has seen a sea change in just five years, with an astounding 1 billion on the network. Some have taken influencer marketing as a career option. Today, it’s easier for brands to reach out to their target audience through influencers. You can find influencers, partner with them and have them post recommendation videos.
Conduct Q&A Sessions
Since your product is still new in the market, your target audience is bound to have plenty of questions. Don’t wait for them to visit your FAQ page. Address them on social media via video Q&A sessions.
The sessions can be live or recorded and published on your IGTV channel, and help consumers understand the product better. With the help of Instagram stickers, you can collect questions and create a video session based on them.
In the case of video marketing on Instagram, every bit of effort counts. The Q&A sessions are as important as high-quality animated product videos developed by a professional studio.
Final Thoughts
Combine video content with the multiple tools of Instagram to research, develop and execute your Instagram video marketing strategy. This can provide instant recognition for your brand and product.
Cristian Stanciu is a freelance video editor, owner and post-production coordinator with Veedyou Media