Using IGTV for business is still new territory for a lot of brands.
It’s a shame, really. IGTV can be an incredible channel to showcase products, DIYs, tutorials — the kind of content that really resonates with audiences and can help build long-term relationships!
Whether you’re still on the fence about IGTV, struggling to find inspiration, or you simply aren’t sure how to incorporate the platform into your social strategy, we’re sharing 10 brands that are killing it with IGTV videos:
Getting Started With IGTV for Business
If you haven’t created an IGTV channel yet, you might want to check out our Ultimate Guide to IGTV first — we cover everything from creating your channel to uploading your first video and analyzing your performance.
But if you’ve already dipped your toes in the IGTV pool and you’re looking for some inspiration, here’s a little something to help get you started:
IGTV for Business #1: Start an IGTV Series Like Mejuri
One of the main reasons why IGTV has taken off is because of a new feature that lets users create “series” on IGTV.
Whereas in the past, every video had to be published as a one-off, the new series feature allows users to create TV-like “episodic” content centered around a specific theme or topic.
A great branded example of this comes from Mejuri. The everyday fine jewelry brand hosts a weekly series on IGTV called Inbox Stories where they spotlight influencers and get the stories behind their favorite pieces of jewelry.
Each of Mejuri’s IGTV videos is thoughtfully-produced, engaging, and helps build a connection between the brand and its audience.
This move towards episodic content on IGTV is really popular right now.
We even launched our very own IGTV series called Screen Time with Later where we recap the top trends, cultural moments, and social media news of the week!
The reason so many brands like Mejuri are using IGTV to share episodic content is because it can help get your audience in the habit of coming back to your profile.
According to Mel Brittner, Later’s social media strategist, “When it comes to episodic content on IGTV, if you can get people in a habit of coming back to your profile, eventually, you’ll be a part of their weekly routine – the same way people tune-in to television shows.”
“Basically, it puts you in the driver’s seat. When people are purposely coming to your profile to watch your latest episode, you’re no longer just at the mercy of the algorithm,” Mel says.
IGTV for Business #2: Share How-To’s and Product Tutorials Like Tarte Cosmetics
It’s no surprise beauty brands have taken off on IGTV — given their enormous success on YouTube, video is a tried and tested format to reach their audiences!
Tarte Cosmetics has gone all in, featuring makeup artists sharing weekly makeup hacks, product tutorials, “inspired looks,” and more.
Tarte Cosmetics also makes sure to stay on top of the trends, constantly creating highly-relevant content that will resonate with their audience. Tarte’s IGTV demonstrations of recent or popular makeup trends help their viewers recreate the look using their products:
And the push out so much content! Since the beginning of May, Tarte Cosmetics has published over 30 videos to their IGTV, including how-to’s, Q&As, product demos, and so much more.
If you have the bandwidth to create that much content for IGTV, go for it! But don’t feel pressure to publish new video content every day (or twice a day like Tarte!). IGTV videos don’t have to be super polished to perform well, but they should be driven by a specific goal or strategy — not just created for the sake of putting out more content.
Tarte Cosmetics balances this really well. They push out a ton of IGTV content, but it’s consistent in theme and style, and it’s all really engaging to their audience.
IGTV for Business #3: Maintain a Consistent Aesthetic Like The Lily News
A revival of the first-ever newspaper run by women, The Lily News dishes on topics that are important to their community on IGTV — like their Nora Knows What to Say series, where podcast host and author Nora McInerny lends advice to Lily readers over the phone:
Beyond their incredibly engaging content, what we love about The Lily’s IGTV content is that they maintain a really consistent aesthetic to match their Instagram feed and stories.
They often edit their videos in black and white or blue, with pops of color throughout — and they incorporate these colors in unique ways, whether in text, graphics, or other unexpected places:
TIP: By now you know how important it is to maintain a consistent aesthetic on your feed and stories, but this goes for your IGTV too! Creating a cohesive Instagram aesthetic is one of the best ways to attract your target audience and get more followers.
However you decide to carry over your Instagram aesthetic to your IGTV channel, make sure you do it in a consistent and cohesive way. Your IGTV viewers should know exactly whose video they’ve tuned into when scrolling through their favorite channels.
Need some help creating a great Instagram aesthetic? Watch our free course on How to Create Your Instagram Aesthetic, and learn everything you need to know in 30 minutes!
#4: Create Branded Slides for IGTV Like ESPN
ESPN is a powerhouse on IGTV — the popular sports network features behind-the-scenes interviews with athletes, “best of” content, game recaps, and a lot more.
But despite the variety of content ESPN publishes, it all feels very cohesive thanks to their use of branded covers and slides!
ESPN’s IGTV is cut down into easy-to-watch segments, with slides including graphs, timelines, and text cues that help audiences follow along.
This makes their video super watchable — animated graphics are great for helping viewers better visualize what the narrator is talking about.
TIP: Creating graphics to incorporate into your IGTV for business video will help you maintain a consistent aesthetic and keep your audience engaged! Including things like an intro slide, section breaks or subtle watermarks on your IGTV videos will also help you unify your brand aesthetic and give your channel a much more professional look!
Businesses can use free apps like Canva to create branded, cohesive slides to add to your video during the editing process. Not sure how to get started?
#5: Go All-in on Vertical Video Like Food Network
When IGTV first launched in 2018, it was all about vertical video. While this changed last year, IGTV is still designed with vertical video in mind — vertical videos appear larger and more assertive in their design, making them more eye-catching than horizontal videos.
Brands like Food Network are going all-in on IGTV for business, creating videos that are perfectly optimized for the platform. With the featured #TasteTests, restaurant spotlights, and recipes, Food Network’s mouth-watering IGTV channel kills it with their daily features.
Food Network makes it super easy for viewers to buffer through sections of their videos, screenshot steps, or even watch without volume:
It might sound like a no-brainer, but you’ll want to make sure your videos are optimized for IGTV! With vertical video on the rise, it’s important to make sure you’re editing your video content specifically for the platform.
TIP: Adding small details like numbered video markers or captions makes it easy for viewers to follow along and will keep them sticking around to see what’s next. It’s also important to include captions and graphics in your IGTV videos to ensure viewers can still tune in even when they aren’t able to listen.
#6: Share Your Instagram Lives to IGTV Like Bon Appetit
IGTV has gone through a number of changes in the past year, but one of the most recent updates lets you share Instagram Live broadcasts directly to IGTV!
Whether it’s a workout class, cooking lesson, or a simple call between friends – live video has recently become an important way for users to connect with each other.
The numbers certainly don’t lie: In the past month, Instagram Live has seen a 70% increase in use.
Sharing your Instagram Live to IGTV is a great way to get more eyes on your content and reach new audiences. Rather than investing in content that will live on your profile for one day, you can extend the life of your broadcast and continue driving audiences to your video.
And a ton of brands are already jumping on the feature — like Bon Apetit Mag.
In the past few weeks, the food and cooking brand has published 5 live broadcasts to IGTV as part of their Instagram Live Dinner Party series — and people are loving it!
Check out Bon Appetit’s Instagram Live turned IGTV video featuring Carla Lalli and Deandre Jordan:
Not sure how to repurpose Instagram Live content for IGTV? Check out our guide here!
#7: Use IGTV With Your Target Audience in Mind Like Play-Doh
Play-Doh’s IGTV series The Play-Doh Show brings creative, colorful fun to life with this animated IGTV series. While the series likely has kids fighting over their parents’ phones, it’s fun for all ages!
No matter what type of content you’re creating, you should make sure it aligns with your brand and overall marketing goals.
While your intention may be to drive traffic back to your site or make more sales, delighting your visitors with something new (and highly shareable!) will help you create a lasting impression and get people talking about your brand.
TIP: When you take the time to think about what your target audience would like to watch on IGTV, you’re much more likely to get them engaging with your content! It’s important to always be creating content that makes sense for your brand and will resonate with your target audience.
#8: Keep Your Followers Coming Back For More By Creating an IGTV Series Like Elle Magazine
With their #NoFilter segments, Song Association Game, and About Face series, Elle Magazine’s IGTV channel will keep you tuned in for hours.
Elle Magazine ditches the traditional celebrity interview and instead engages with their guests in fun and creative ways. Their various series allows their audience to see a different side of their favorite celebs, leaving them anxiously waiting for the next episode.
For example, Elle’s Song Association Game invites artists to sing their way through the segment, giving them a word and ten seconds to think of a song that has that word in it.
Elle Magazine even invites their viewers to play along and shows off a scoreboard of their best-performing guests, making it even more likely you’ll stay tuned for more than one episode:
TIP: Creating different series or segments will let viewers know exactly what they can expect from your IGTV. When a visitor knows what they can expect from your profile each time you post, they are much more likely to hit that “follow” button and keep tuning in for more.
#9: Optimize Your Video Content like The Crafty
The Crafty’s IGTV for business channel features DIY crafts, tips, and amazing life hacks. The 10-minutes videos are seriously addictive and are broken down into easy-to-watch segments.
The Crafty keeps things simple, switching up the background and soundtrack, and recording an overhead shot of their DIY magic:
Their videos include a number of ”life hacks” per video, however, they typically stay around 10 minutes in length. It seems like this is their sweet spot, as some of The Crafty’s IGTV videos have over 500K views!
TIP: It’s important to not only think about the content, but also the length of your IGTV videos. Too short and your audience may not have time to fully engage, too long and they may lose interest and swipe away the next channel.
While the “perfect length” will vary, it’s important to figure out what works best for you and your audience. One of the best ways to do this is by testing out different videos and digging into your IGTV analytics.
To learn how to view and analyze your IGTV video insights, check out our IGTV: Ultimate Guide to Instagram’s New Video Platform!
#10: Promote Your IGTV Channel Across Other Platforms Like Fashion Me Now’s Lucy Williams
With over 500K IGTV views, Fashion Me Now’s Lucy Williams is a reminder that IGTV videos don’t need to be overproduced. All you need is something to prop your phone against and start rolling!
It’s more important than ever to build a relationship with your followers, and this is a great way to do it! The more you interact with your followers, the more likely they are to feel a personal connection to you and your brand.
Lucy Williams also drives traffic back to her IGTV for business channel from her Instagram feed. By using Instagram to promote her new IGTV video, she is able to promote her content to a wider audience, who may not see it otherwise:
TIP: Don’t forget to cross-promote and drive your loyal Instagram audience to this new platform. Since IGTV is still relatively new, many of your visitors may not be scrolling through videos daily and it’s important to continuously drive traffic from your Instagram feed to your IGTV channel.
You should be feeling ready and inspired to take on your own IGTV channel now!
The opportunities of using IGTV for business are endless, and it’s great for connecting with your audience and attracting new followers, so now’s the time to press record and upload your first video!
Did we miss any brands or IGTV channels that have inspired you to start filming? Let us know what Instagram trends you’re seeing and loving in the comments below!
