In this article we’re going to show you how to post a video on Instagram.
Although Instagram started out as a photo sharing platform, since expanding to video sharing in 2010, videos have been creeping up in popularity and are now exceeding photos when it comes to engagement.
According to a report from Mention, video posts on Instagram receive 90% more likes than photos.
So if you’re not yet posting videos on Instagram, today would be a good day to start!
Let’s take a look at the different ways you can post a video on Instagram.
Article Contents
How to post a video to your Instagram feed
It’s important to note straight away that as of October 2021, in-feed videos and IGTV have been combined into Instagram Video.
This means it will be easier to upload and find long-form videos on the platform. In a public statement about the update Instagram stated:
“We love that our creator community has embraced video as a key format to tell their stories, entertain and connect with their audiences, and that’s why we want to make it even simpler to create and discover videos on Instagram.”
As such, all of your videos (regardless of length) will be saved under one tab on your profile:
And in-feed video previews will be extended from 15 seconds to 60 seconds.
Here’s how to post a video to your Instagram feed in 5 simple steps…
1. Tap your profile icon in the bottom right:
2. From your profile, tap the plus icon in the top right. Then select “Post”:
3. You can select an existing video from your gallery, or tap “Video” to start recording a new video:
4. After selecting or recording your video, you have the opportunity to add a filter or trim the video. When you’re happy, click “Next”:
5. Change your thumbnail (if you want to), add your caption, and post!
How to make an Instagram Story
Instagram Stories are 15 second videos that can be posted to your profile and automatically disappear after 24 hours.
If you’d rather keep your Stories then you also have the option to save them to a highlight reel:
You can jazz up your Instagram Stories with a number of interactive elements, including stickers, polls, and links.
Let’s take a look at how to add videos to your Instagram Stories:
1. There are three ways to reach Stories. Tap the plus icon in the top right, your profile icon in the top left, or swipe right anywhere in “Feed”.
2. Tap and hold the camera to record a video.
3. Or choose a photo or video from your phone’s gallery
4. Tap through the options to draw, add text or a sticker to your photo or video. To remove the text or a sticker, drag and drop it to the bottom of the screen.
6. When you’re ready to share, tap “Your Story” in the bottom left.
How to go live on Instagram
Live videos are a great way to engage with your audience in real time. Instagram Live videos used to be limited to 60 minutes but in 2020 were extended to 4 hours.
After your live stream ends you can save your video to your profile for up to 30 days to give your audience ample opportunity to watch it (if they’re unable to make it in real time).
Here’s how to go live on instagram…
1. Tap the plus icon at the top or swipe right anywhere in your feed, then scroll to “Live” at the bottom.
2. Add a title & Brand Partners (if you have any).
3. Tap the live icon at the bottom. The number of viewers will start to appear at the top of the screen and comments appear at the bottom.
As we’ve done here, you can start with a “practice audience” before officially going live.
4. When you’re done, tap “End”. You can save your video to your camera roll or discard it.
Final thoughts
Instagram is the 4th most popular social networking site in the world, behind only YouTube, Facebook, and Whatsapp. On average, the site’s almost 1.4 billion users spend around 29 minutes per day on the platform.
Video can help you grab the attention of people on Instagram and use that to increase the awareness of your brand and ultimately drive more customers to your website.
For more information on how to make the most of video on social media, check out our Social Media Videos page.
