Find out everything that’s new with Instagram videos for 2022.
In this article, we walk you through everything you need to know to step up your Instagram video marketing in the coming year.
- How the Fall 2021 updates affect Post videos, Stories videos, Reels, and Live broadcasts.
- How marketers can use Instagram video features and formats to build brand awareness, increase engagement, and boost conversions.
- How to publish Post videos, Stories videos, Reels, and Live broadcasts— including video spec & requirements, plus step-by-step upload instructions for each format.
Bookmark this article so you can refer to all the tools, strategies, examples, specs, and formats that will help make your 2022 Instagram marketing efforts more effective!
Marketers’ Guide To Instagram Videos in 2022
What’s New With Instagram Video?
How To Achieve Your Marketing Objective With Videos On Instagram
- How To Increase Brand Awareness With Instagram Videos
- How To Increase Engagement With Instagram Video
- How To Increase Conversions With Instagram Video
How To Use Instagram Post Feed Videos
How To Use Instagram Videos In Stories
What’s New With Instagram Video?
Instagram’s Fall 2021 video updates affect all brands that publish videos on the platform.
The good news is that many of the changes give marketers more freedom to promote their brands.
Longer video lengths, longer previews, and a new video tab on your profile page are some of our favorite new features!
We cut through the fluff and take you straight to the top ten Instagram video updates for marketers below.
IGTV Video Updates
If you skimmed headlines in November ‘21, you might conclude that IGTV was removed.
Despite several misleading headlines, IGTV is not gone.
However, the app was rebranded, and Instagram made a few small changes that are likely to affect your campaigns in a positive way.
#1: IGTV Rebranded To “Instagram TV”
The IGTV app now exists under the rebranded name “Instagram TV.” The app will continue to host IGTV-formatted videos and Instagram Live videos.
#2: IGTV Icon Removed From Instagram
99% of Instagram users ignored the IGTV app and very few were clicking on the icon in Instagram, so the icon removal is likely a non-issue for brands and users alike.
#3: New Video Tab On Instagram Profile Page Replaces IGTV Tab
In addition to the pre-existing Reels tab, profiles now include a video tab that allows users to browse your brand’s Feed and “Instagram TV” (IGTV) videos in one place.
This new video feed replaces the IGTV feed in the Instagram app.
Instagram Post Videos Updates
Instagram post videos got a couple of helpful updates that provide more freedom to marketers.
#4: Longer Videos In Instagram Posts
Good news! Post videos that show up in users’ feeds are no longer limited to 60 seconds or less.
Now you can publish videos that are up to 60 minutes long in your Instagram posts.
#5: Longer Previews For Post Videos
Videos posted to the main Instagram feed now show 60-second previews instead of the previous 15-seconds.
Note: longer preview times do not apply to monetized content.
#6: Collabs Feature Enables Co-Publishing
The new Collabs feature allows you to co-author feed post videos (and Reels) with another account.
When you and another account agree to collaborate on a post, the Collabs feature allows you to join forces — sharing followers, views, likes, and comments.
Collabs content goes live on both accounts (including in your profile grid) and both of your names show in the header.
Instagram Stories Videos Updates
Stories videos got a couple of super-helpful upgrades!
#7 Link Stickers In Stories For Everyone!
All businesses now have access to link stickers for Stories. Previously, link stickers were only available to brands with at least 10,000 followers.
That means all businesses can now link directly from Stories to a website, product page, or landing page.
The addition of link stickers in Stories for everyone gives businesses, especially smaller ones, a chance to compete more equitably on the Instagram platform.
#8: Add Yours Stickers In Stories
The new Add Yours sticker for Stories is an exciting development for marketers!
Add Yours stickers allow you to create a public thread in any Instagram Story that prompts people to reply with their own videos (or photos).
Add Yours makes user-generated content a breeze!
For example, Moomba Boats included an “Add Yours” sticker to a post to encourage viewers to add images of their Moomba boats.
The Add Yours sticker is an excellent way to encourage user-generated content for your brand on Instagram!
Remember to share user-generated content to your feed! Find out how here: How to Repost on Instagram: The Ultimate Guide
Reels Videos Updates
Instagram’s version of short-form videos, Reels, just got a marketing-friendly boost called “Collabs.”
This is the same Collabs feature mentioned above in the post videos section, as the new feature can be used in both Reels and post videos.
Collabs stickers can expand your brand reach, increase engagement, and help you gain new followers.
Invite other accounts to join you using the Collabs feature, and you get the benefit of shared likes and comments on the content!
Like with Collabs post videos, Reels Collabs mention both your account names in the headline and exist on both your profile grids.
Live Stream Videos
New Instagram tools make it easier for marketers to promote live broadcasts on Instagram.
#9: Live Shopping Broadcasts
U.S. businesses with checkout on Instagram can now tag and sell products in live broadcasts.
Live shopping allows brands to interact and engage with viewers in real-time while tagging products and selling directly from the app during the live broadcast.
#10: Live Broadcast Advance Scheduling
Advance scheduling allows you to schedule and promote your live stream broadcasts up to 90 days in advance with the Live Creation form.
90-day scheduling of live video means you can begin sending notification reminders to attendees sooner.
Share your upcoming live video broadcasts using the brand new Stories sticker, then use feed post videos to encourage viewers to sign up for your live broadcast reminders.
What’s Next? Instagram Leans Into Video
Expect more changes to Instagram Video as we progress through 2022.
In his announcement on Twitter, Instagram head Adam Mosseri mentions that the Instagram team is still trying to figure out how to:
- Reconcile Reels
- Do better by vertical video
- Get better at rankings
“I’m not yet happy with it,” Mosseri explained in a Verge podcast.
“We’re growing both in terms of how much people are sharing and how much people are consuming, but we have a long way to go. And we have to be honest that TikTok is ahead.”
One likely improvement, perhaps sooner rather than later, is longer video lengths for Stories.
According to a report by Social Media Today, Instagram is testing 60-second videos in Stories.
With the launch of all its fall ‘21 updates, we begin to see the benefits of Instagram’s new focus on video.
The new video updates help marketers create and promote Instagram video content more freely than ever before.
Hopefully, the platform continues to evolve beyond its attempts to keep up with TikTok. In 2022, we’d love to be surprised with even more creative features that put Instagram back into a category all its own.
Whether you’re aiming to expand your reach, grow your audience, or increase your engagement rates, the latest round of Instagram video updates is sure to help make your job as a marketer more profitable.
Want to make your job even easier?
Sharelov helps your team develop, publish, and promote Instagram content more quickly!
Your team will love all the tools and features that help them publish effective social media content more easily.
How To Achieve Your Marketing Objectives With Videos On Instagram
With so many new video features, it’s easy to get sidetracked by all the new “toys” for marketers.
Before you jump into creating new videos, review the tips below to ensure that everything you produce has a purpose.
If you’re relatively new to Instagram or haven’t built a large following yet, consider focusing on only one of the following goals: brand awareness, engagement, or conversions.
How To Increase Brand Awareness With Instagram Videos
You can use Stories videos, post videos, Reels, and Live video to increase your brand awareness — as long as you publish the right type of videos.
To increase brand awareness on Instagram, publish the following:
- Reels videos that show off your company culture with behind-the-scenes filming of your company
- How-To content and guides in video posts, Reels, and Stories videos
- Valuable tips to solve your audience’s problems, published in Stories and Reels
- Entertaining, humorous, or viral-worthy video content in Post and Reels videos
- Interviews with people who interest your target audience.
For example, Boxycharm uses Reels to share countless beauty hacks, tips, and how-tos.
Boxycharm’s Reels attract a lot of attention from its 2.6 million followers, with posts frequently getting more than 200,000 views and 2,000 – 4,000 likes.
Oreo brand uses a video in Stories to show viewers around its “Oreo Cafe.” The video is pinned to Oreo’s Instagram profile as a Highlight titled “Orea Cafe.”
Buzzfeed shares a combination of life hack and entertainment videos in its posts.
For example, one post video includes the infamous pug “Noodles” deciding whether people across America will have a “bones” or “no-bones” day.
Since Buzzfeed is a publisher that covers all types of trending stories, entertainment is an easy match for its content.
Not all brands can, or should, attempt humor.
To find out what’s working in your industry, consider monitoring your competitors’ social media strategy. Find out how in this Sharelov guide: How To Monitor Your Competitors’ Social Media Strategy
Vanity Fair knows what its audience likes and delivers it straight to them.
Using clips from its interview with Dwayne Johnson, one video entertains with highlights that delight and inspire the Vanity Fair audience. The piece is an excellent example of how to tailor video content to a target audience.
The key to choosing video topics for your brand depends on your ability to anticipate what attracts your target audience.
Analytics are a massive help when trying to determine what type of videos your audience will respond to.
By watching the video metrics closely, you can discover which of your posts get watched, rewatched, shared, and commented on the most.
Analytics help you learn what type of content your audience will watch and share.
Remember to share your best brand awareness videos as Highlights on your profile page. Need help? Find out how to use Stories and Highlights to create an irresistible Instagram profile page: Ultimate Guide to Instagram Stories Highlights
Instagram post videos, Instagram Stories, Reels, and profile Highlights are excellent places to publish your brand awareness videos.
Tip: Consider using the Collabs feature in Stories to expand your reach and help boost brand awareness!
Find out more about Instagram analytics in our guide:
The Ultimate Guide to Instagram Analytics
How To Increase Engagement With Instagram Video
On Instagram, when your posts get decent engagement rates, they get shown to more of your followers in their feeds.
Engagement leads to even more engagement, reach, and conversions.
Gaining followers helps grow your audience, but unless you keep people engaged with your content, follower counts don’t mean much.
Growing a giant audience without concern for the type of people in it — would be like trying to sell hot dogs to health food enthusiasts. No one responds.
Engagement is the metric that tells you whether you’ve reached and connected with your target audience.
When you want to boost engagement on Instagram, consider the following types of videos:
- Product demos
- Employee videos
- Behind-the-Scenes
- How-to tips and videos
- Round table discussions, live events, and breaking news of interest to your target audience
- Videos that spark discussion
You can publish engagement-focused videos in any format: Feed posts, Stories, Reels, and Live videos.
For example, Netflix prompts viewer engagement in Stories with polls and slider stickers placed in and between 15-second video clips.
Sephora engages viewers with a live stream chat, then saves and posts the video so more people can view it later.
Encourage your team to post videos of your company culture to their personal accounts — it’s an excellent way to engage viewers and reach new people.
Get tips for keeping your team creative, inspired, and motivated while working from home: Remote Work Tips For Marketing Teams: 4 Secrets To Success
Videos in Stories are an excellent tool for prompting engagement from your viewers, thanks to Stories stickers. Use them often!
You can learn all about Stories stickers in the Sharelov guide: The Ultimate Guide to Using Instagram Stories Stickers!
If your engagement rates don’t get a boost after using the best videos and formats, consider rebuilding your audience with targeted brand awareness campaigns.
For tips and examples on how to boost your engagement rates on Instagram, check out 23 Instagram Engagement Tips For Brands
How To Increase Conversions With Instagram Video
Once you’ve built an engaged audience on Instagram, you’ll want to focus on conversions: sales, signups, or trials.
To consistently convert Instagram users:
- Build trust with potential customers
- Make it easy to buy your product
If you have a sizable target audience that frequently engages with your videos, convert them to customers by building trust and making it easy to buy your products.
Build Trust With Potential Customers
Before consumers purchase from a new company, they want to see videos that build their trust, such as:
- Customer reviews
- User-generated content
- Customer testimonials
- Case studies
Building trust is essential to conversions.
Nearly all customers (89%) read reviews before making an online purchase and 79% say they trust online reviews.
Instagram made trust-building easier with its recent addition to Stories — the “Add Yours” sticker.
“Add Yours” in Stories encourages viewers to add their own content to your Stories. Use it to solicit videos of customers using or talking about your product!
Contests and giveaways are an excellent way to encourage user-generated content that provides the social proof you need to increase conversions.
Ask customers to post a video or image of your product with your branded hashtag in their caption — which enters them into a contest to win money or prizes.
Responding to all customer comments and reviews is critical to building trust with future customers.
- More than half (53%) of customers expect you to respond to a negative review within one week, and 1 in 3 expect a response in 3 days or less.
- Quicker response times are linked to a positive reputation.
- Responsive industry leaders get higher ratings because faster response times, to negative reviews, are closely linked to having a positive reputation.
Stories is an excellent video format for trust-building videos, since you can pin them as Highlights to your profile.
This provides easy access to social proof for people who are considering their first purchase.
Learn how to respond to all types of customer comments — even the negative ones!
How To Manage Instagram Comments To Increase Followers And Engagement
8 Tips To Increase Instagram Conversion Rates With Video
- Add clips from customer testimonials and reviews to videos in Stories and posts.
- Use the “Add Yours” sticker in Stories videos to encourage viewers to add videos and images of them using or talking about your product.
- Include images of positive reviews in your videos.
- Use videos to tell stories about your customers and how your product helps them.
- Ask your employees to talk about why they’re proud to work for your company and turn it into a Reels video.
- Ask your employees why they’re proud of the products they make and add the video to a Story. Then, turn the Story into a profile highlight so new visitors can always see it.
- Hold an in-person event and let people sample your products or services. Record their interactions on video and share it to Stories.
Then create a Reels video that highlights the most funny or surprising moments. - Respond to all customer comments quickly – including negative reviews.
Tools such as Sharelov can help you organize and manage comments so that you don’t lose track of any. - Add shopping tags to your live video broadcasts and in post videos.
- Always include a CTA in your videos, so viewers know what you want them to do next.
If your goal is conversions on Instagram, provide social proof and use the tools and features Instagram provides to help you convert viewers.
Find out more about how to make your social media stand out with the ideas, examples, and tips in this guide:
How To Use Instagram Video Formats
In this section, we show you how to publish Instagram Stories videos, post videos, Reels, and Live video.
We’ve also included examples of how other brands use video formats to achieve marketing objectives.
How To Use Instagram Post Videos
Instagram Post videos are videos that show up in posts on your feed.
How To Upload Or Record A Post Video
1. Tap the “+” icon in your Instagram app.
a. Select a video from your device’s library, or
b. To record, tap the camera (record) icon above your library, then tap and hold the record button to begin. Lift your finger when you are done recording.
2. Tap “Next.”
a. Add filters or trim your video.
3. Tap “Next.”
a. Tap “Cover” and select a cover image.
4. Tap “Done.”
5. Write a caption for your post; this is also the time to add hashtags, location, and tags – or add your video to a series.
Learn all you need to know about Instagram hashtags in The Ultimate Guide to Instagram Hashtags
6. Tap “Share” to publish your video post.
For tips on writing captions that engage, check out How to Write Instagram Captions In 2021 – A Guide For Brands And Marketers.
You can do more with your post videos tapping the Advanced Settings at the bottom of your screen.
- “Edit Preview” to adjust the preview appearance (only for 9:16 videos). The first 60 seconds are automatically used as the video preview.
- “Edit Profile Cover” to adjust the appearance of your video’s cover image.
- Use the slider buttons to adjust publishing options such as whether you want to hide comments, share your post to Facebook, or auto-generate captions.
Instagram recommends the following video guidelines for feed post videos.
Standard Guidelines For Post Videos
- Aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 9:16
- Minimum frame rate of 30 FPS (frames per second)
- Minimum resolution of 720 pixels.
- Maximum file size:
- 10-minute or less videos: 650MB maximum
- Longer videos up to 60 minutes: 3.6GB maximum
- Cover Photo Size (recommended): 420px by 654px (or 1:1.55 ratio)
- Cover photo file format: png or jpg
You can use post videos to connect with your audience, expand your reach, and drive viewers to your products.
Examples of Post Videos
Denny’s Diner consistently employs a quirky sense of humor that resonates with its target audience.
GoPro uses Feed Posts to share GoPro action videos (typically user-generated content) that its audience can’t resist.
Rolex uses Feed Post videos to show off its products in detail.
Feed videos show up in user feeds and on your profile, PLUS on the brand new video feed in your profile.
Show off your videos and peak interest in your brand by arranging a beautiful profile grid!
You can easily arrange a profile grid with Sharelov’s grid tool. Give it a try and watch your analytics to see if it helps engage your viewers!
Find out everything you need to know to create a compelling Instagram profile for your brand:
6 Tips to create the perfect Instagram Bio
Plus, discover tips on using analytics to increase your reach and engagement:
Best Times to Post on Instagram — A 2021 Guide for Marketers
How To Use Instagram Videos In Stories
In this section, you’ll find instructions, specs, and examples for Stories videos.
How To Upload Or Record Instagram Stories Videos
To share a video to an Instagram Story:
- Tap the “+” icon in your Feed.
- Scroll to Story at the bottom.
- Choose a video from your device’s library by swiping up anywhere on the screen, or tap and hold the circle icon to record a video.
- Add stickers or text to your video.
- Tap “Share” to publish your Story.
- If you want the Story posted to your profile, add it as a Highlight before it disappears from your feed in 24 hours:
a. Go to your profile page and tap “+” or Story Highlight.
b. Tap “+” to select your Story.
c. Select a cover photo and enter a name for your Story Highlight.
Instagram Stories Videos Requirements
The requirements for Stories videos are the same as feed post videos.
- Aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 9:16
- Minimum frame rate of 30 FPS (frames per second)
- Minimum resolution of 720 pixels.
- Maximum file size:
- 10-minute or less videos: 650MB maximum
- Longer videos up to 60 minutes: 3.6GB maximum
- Cover Photo Size (recommended): 420px by 654px (or 1:1.55 ratio)
- Cover photo file format: png or jpg
Examples Of Instagram Stories Videos
Red Bull uses a combination of standard video and animated video in its Stories, then adds Stickers to encourage engagement.
Billboard magazine shares clips of live events that interest its target audience, and includes a location sticker to reach local people in the area.
In the example above, you can see how Billboard incorporates social justice support into a co-promotion with a Story video by tagging @realblackcoffee. Tapping on it takes the viewer to the @realblackcoffee Instagram profile.
@realblackcoffee also promoted Billboard in its Instagram Story of the upcoming event.
These types of co-promotions help brands reach a wider audience, and are now even easier to launch, thanks to the “Collabs” feature.
Starbucks adds stickers to its Stories videos to prompt engagement from its audience.
In a Stories video, Pottery Barns shares a behind-the-scenes look at the design process.
Stories videos are an excellent way to show off your products and prompt engagement and conversions!
How To Use Instagram Reels Videos
Instagram Reels are short-form videos, similar to TikTok.
For ideas on how to use Reels for your brand, turn to TikTok!
Or, check out any one of our TikTok guides, which contain tips, examples, and creative ideas for marketing your brand with short-form video.
95 Tips to Help Your Brand Go Viral On TikTok
Marketer’s Guide to Brand-Building on TikTok
How to Get More TikTok Followers – 60 Tips For Marketers And Brands
7 Ways To Drive More Traffic And Sales From Tiktok
Do you use multiple social media platforms to publish your videos and marketing content? Sharelov makes it easy! Check out the tips, examples, and tools in: How to manage multiple social media accounts with Sharelov
How To Upload Or Record Reels Videos
To publish a video you’ve already recorded as a Reel:
- Swipe right within the app (or tap the camera icon).
- Choose “Reels”
- Swipe up to open your camera roll.
- Choose your video and trim it if needed.
- Add audio, text, and other effects.
- Publish!
To record a Reel:
- Tap “Create” from within the app
- Scroll to Reels
- Tap and hold record, then tap again to stop recording.
- Tap “Done.”
- Tap “Next” to add stickers, text, and drawing or to download to your device.
- Tap “Share.”
- Tap “Cover” to change the cover photo and add a caption.
- Tap “Share” to publish OR if you’d like to share your Reel to a Story instead of Explore, tap “Stories.”
Instagram Reels Videos Requirements
The requirements for Reels videos are the same as feed post, Story, and Live videos.
- Aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 9:16
- Minimum frame rate of 30 FPS (frames per second)
- Minimum resolution of 720 pixels.
- Maximum file size:
- 10-minute or less videos: 650MB maximum
- Longer videos up to 60 minutes: 3.6GB maximum
- Cover Photo Size (recommended): 420px by 654px (or 1:1.55 ratio)
- Cover photo file format: png or jpg
Examples Brands Using Of Reels Videos
There are so many ways to use Reels! However, if you’re not familiar with TikTok, you might wonder — why bother?
Reels can be used for all for all the same reasons you use other video formats on Instagram – to inform, entertain, and connect with your target audience.
The shorter format, however, demands that you make every second count — and this is why Reels is fun for users. Reels videos are meant to be more entertaining and music-driven, even when covering serious topics.
For example, Oreo uses Reels to make its viewers more hungry with creative ways to eat its cookies.
Apple takes many approaches to its Reels video topics, but all have one thing in common: the visual effects are captivating.
Spotify uses Reels to tease and promote its onsite content and events.
Reels videos are a fantastic opportunity to benefit from the massive amount of people who are in the mood for entertainment, rather than serious content.
For more Reels examples and to learn how to use Reels for your brand, check out:
How To Use Instagram Live Videos
Instagram Live videos are an excellent way to connect with your audience in real time.
How To Schedule A Live Broadcast
- In your Instagram Feed, swipe right, then scroll to the bottom for “Live.”
- Tap the calendar icon.
- Input the name of your live broadcast and select a date and start time.
- Tap “Schedule Live video” at the bottom.
- Share!
Note: you’ll receive a reminder 24 hours and 15 minutes prior to your broadcast.
How To Start A Live Broadcast
- In your Instagram Feed, swipe right, then scroll to the bottom for “Live.”
- Tap “Title” to add a title > enter title > tap “add title.”
- Tap the broadcast button to begin your live video.
- When your broadcast is complete, tap “End” and confirm – then save it to your camera roll (if you want to) by tapping the download icon in the top left. This only saves the broadcast — not the comments, likes, and views.
Instagram Live Videos Requirements
Instagram Live video requirements are the same as Post and Story video requirements.
- Aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 9:16
- Minimum frame rate of 30 FPS (frames per second)
- Minimum resolution of 720 pixels.
- Maximum file size:
- 10-minute or less videos: 650MB maximum
- Longer videos up to 60 minutes: 3.6GB maximum
- Cover Photo Size (recommended): 420px by 654px (or 1:1.55 ratio)
- Cover photo file format: png or jpg
For tips and examples on how to market your brand with Instagram Live, check out:
It doesn’t take long to adjust to the technical side of Instagram video publishing. If you walk through the process correctly the first time or two, publishing videos becomes very easy.
Learning how to publish videos in all the Instagram formats is a wise investment of time for marketers.
Stepping It Up To Compete With TikTok
Instagram shows no signs of slowing down its video efforts, despite fierce competition from TikTok.
And, while you may want to add TikTok marketing as an enhancement to your current strategy, Instagram is on a mission to make sure you don’t need to. Its latest updates prove that you never need to leave the platform to take advantage of the latest trends in video marketing.
We think the continual updates and changes signal Instagram’s dedication to brands and marketers.
What do you think? Does Instagram provide enough features and tools to help you compete in today’s social media environment? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
