How to Use Instagram Video for Online eCommerce Stores

Instagram, owned by Facebook, has become the prime destination for users to interact with video content. And the introduction of “Reels” which is Instagram’s edition of Tik Tok has added fuel to this fire. Not just that, Instagram also has a story and IGTV in its arsenal that allows creators to post engaging videos to attract more and more users.

The chief marketing officer of Gooten – a Print-on-Demand Service – Mark said that the rise of Instagram Stories and Tik Tok has made the consumers focus on video and have found them more engaging than other forms of content. And eCommerce store can do well with video marketing as it’s able to show products in a more convincing way.

And looking at the revolutionary consumption of the video content, we have brought to you a detailed guide on how to use the Instagram video for online eCommerce stores.

IGTV (Instagram TV):

First, let’s start with IGTV. Instagram allows you to post long videos on its IGTV platform. It resembles with long-form video posting platform YouTube by Google. The video posts on IGTV can be as long as 10 min for normal business accounts and up to 1 hour for verified accounts. While this limit is capped at 15 sec to 1 min in other forms of posting.

ECommerce brands have the perfect way to showcase their products in a more detailed way. Here, you can post tutorials, new product launches, how-to videos, and other types of videos. Also, using prominent personalities and influencers get a high engagement rate. The use of IGTV to not only promote but showcase the use-cases of your products can drive more consumers and customers.

You can also post the live Q&A sessions with a more humanistic approach, for instance, if you have an online restaurant chain, then you can post videos showcasing the recipes and behind the scenes of cooking and other stuff.

Instagram Stories:

This feature of Instagram to post images and videos of 15 sec as stories that last for 24 hours from posting is similar to the feature first introduced by Snapchat. As per Instagram’s one statistic, more than 500m users check the Instagram stories daily. The 15-sec videos posted on the story make it simple for users to consume your videos in bits than staying for longer as in the case of IGTV.

Also, the attention span of users has significantly reduced thus, chances are they may bail out of your long IGTV videos if they don’t find it engaging.

However, stories also have chances of being boring because most consumers use Instagram for a fun activity. So, be creative and bring out the fun in every video you post on the story. For example, behind the scenes is a great fun video your users would be interested in seeing. Also, Instagram offers many interactive items such as stickers, filters, geo-tags, music, etc. to make stories more exciting and fun. The right use of stories can bring more fun, more users, and more sales.

Live Streaming:

Instagram also provides an option to live stream any event, Q&A, etc. to attract and excite users. Instagram live allows you to apply filters or any other strategy, but all have to be streamed live instead of any pre-recorded or scripted thing.

The live-streamed videos will disappear unless you choose to share on IGTV or story. Another popular way to use Instagram live feature is to chat with your customers about your product and how they found it helpful. Also, you answer any doubts other users might have. Record it and post it on your IGTV for those who could not attend your live stream.

Live product launch or streaming any event of your company or birthday celebration of members will help you tremendously. To get more and more audience on your live session, you can post reminders on your story and create a post as well. You can also regulate your live streaming by scheduling it on weekends or other days to get a high engagement rate. This will surely help you with boosting your eCommerce brand and its sales.

Instagram Feed Post:

Instagram allows you to post videos of up to 1 min on your wall or feed post. Anything longer than that will be shown on the IGTV. The main advantage of posting videos here is that they will get to be in the main visual feeds of your account where users can easily access it.

Here, you have a chance to post your IGTV videos after trimming their length to 1 min. Another benefit of posting 1 min videos is that they get higher reach than your IGTV videos. And also, users will get more intrigued about what you have to say. You can also post video user reviews which creates social proof of your brand and helps others to take action as well.

Instagram Reels:

As mentioned earlier, Instagram reels are the newest addition of crafting and sharing 15-sec Short Tiktok style videos using Instagram Reels. This short-form video sharing feature hit like a storm and most users are using it in a crazy way. Reels provide users a better way to express themselves.

And their engagement rate is also high which presents another way for online eCommerce brands to promote their products. However, they haven’t yet adapted to it entirely.

Make funny, dance, everyday life videos for Reels using your products as a prop. We are stressing on funny videos because they are what most people find more appealing and get high engagement on any platform. You can also cut down the funny parts of your IGTV/Live videos and post them as Reels.

Summing Up

Videos are the most economical way to represent your brand in good faith and light. You might not need experts or professionals thus saving much-needed dollars. However, you can go for prominent personalities or influencers that get the work done faster.

Make sure that you regularly post DIY (Do-It-Yourself) How-tos, tutorial videos. Also, you can go for infotainment, educational, and storytelling videos. There is no such rule to post only one kind, you can mix whatever feels right to get more engagement and boost your sales & conversion. You can contact us if you need help with planning a workable marketing strategy for your brand that guarantees to increase your brand visibility and sales on social media platforms. You can also consult our eCommerce Expert for personalized sales and marketing strategies for your business.