Instagram Video Continues To Surge With Marketers

Marketers and advertisers are finding success on Instagram with video, a format the social media platform.  Instagram, owned by Facebook, added video to this mobile platform clear back in 2013 when everyone thought what the heck can anyone do with this?  Now we know.
According to new data from social media analytics firm NewsWhip, photos are typically still generating higher engagement levels than videos among Instagram users but video is fast catching up.
Some news and media organizations appear to be taking note of video’s appeal among Instagram users, and a select few have been adding such content at a furious pace. Sports Illustrated, for example, posted just eight videos to its Instagram account in May 2016, but upped that figure to 325 this May. ESPN, for its part, more than doubled its number of Instagram videos over the same period.
There’s an obvious reason for the spike in the number of videos posted to these media properties’ Instagram accounts: Publishers have increasingly been turning to video ads to bolster their bottom lines.
The trend of increased social video advertising is reflected in those responsible for overseeing ad budgets.
Instagram has also done its part to encourage spending on its video ads. In February 2016, the Facebook-owned property extended the maximum length of video ads to 60 seconds, up from 30 seconds, to give advertisers more leeway with their creative. And in January of this year, Instagram opened up its Stories sharing feature to full-screen, auto playing video ads for the first time.  So the question is, What are is your business doing to use Instagram for your marketing and advertising?
 
-Roy