It’s just a few months after Instagram launched IGTV and influencers and businesses are already jumping into the video streaming platform. Getting noticed among all those new videos and channels will be a challenge. To help you out, I have compiled a list of IGTV content ideas that will catch viewers’ attention and get them following your Instagram account.

IGTV content ideas: Product unboxings

People always love seeing the latest products right out of the box, which is why unboxing videos are popular online. Don’t just unpack a new product in front of the camera. Follow this example from MSI Gaming and give it a detailed introduction and features breakdown. 

Don’t forget to put links to the product website at the end of the video or in the accompanying caption. If you’re independent, this could be a good chance to use affiliate links.

Product videos

Having a well-prepared introduction video is always a good idea to get people interested in your channel. Talk about who you are and what people can expect from it. Get them excited by teasing future clips.

Use your intro video to set up the tone and feel of your channel and get viewers accustomed to what’s to come. National Geographic did this with their first upload for the new platform as they posted a teaser for their “One Strange Rock” documentary.

Haul videos

Haul videos are similar to product unboxings, but you introduce several products instead of one. Make the videos engaging and consistent by grouping the products around a central theme. Don’t forget to connect this theme with your site’s niche to help viewers better appreciate each product. Take advantage of the longer runtime to talk about the products in greater detail.

Product demos

Demos are a straightforward way that brand owners like Kylie Jenner can introduce their new products to Instagram viewers.

Don’t just drone on talking about your products’ features, you need to come up with fun ways to present them. For instance, you can create demos that shows different ways viewers can use your product outside of its usual function.

Another way is to create a series of demos which explain each product feature in detail. Tie the demos together with a main theme, such as completing a project using your product, or as a series with the same title in several parts.

Product reviews

Full product reviews typically come after unboxings, but you can also do them as a standalone piece. The idea is to give your viewers more information about the product. Since IGTV lets you upload up to an hour of content, you have all the time you could possibly to talk about each feature in detail. Explain the things that you personally like about the product to give people a better insight into it.

Make your reviews stand out by coming up with a distinct format. Structure them such that viewers can easily follow what you are talking about. Create more interest by matching your video’s visual design to your Instagram profile.

IGTV content ideas: Educational videos

Product demos are just one example of educational IGTV content ideas you could do. Take this a step further by doing general how-to videos and tutorials related to your niche. Buzzfeed has done this for a lot of their channels like Nifty, providing easy-to-follow tutorials for their followers.

Webinars

Webinars are another piece of educational content for your IGTV channel. This one works well for channels that already have large Instagram followings. You can either come up with original content, or repurpose previous webinars from other platforms. This is an effective way to strengthen your credibility and create a content library for your audience’s future use.

Commentaries

Aside from delivering purely educational content, you can also use IGTV to air your opinions about issues within your niche. Encourage engagement by asking your fans to share their own comments and responding to them in the video. News agencies like CNN are taking advantage of this approach to engage their younger audiences.

Interviews and Q&A’s

Interviewing prominent people within your industry is a good way to answer some of your audience’s larger questions and build your credibility. When doing such interviews, be aware of IGTV’s format and present it accordingly. You can, for example, do it in a more candid manner to fit the platform.

Motivational talks

Motivational quotes are popular content on Instagram. Take this to the next step by doing a motivational talk on IGTV. You can share inspirational lessons you have learned, or offer advice to your viewers. TED Talks follows this idea with their lecture series featuring renowned personalities.

Reflecting on your daily activities is another way to give your viewers insights into your work process or personal life. All of these makes you and your channel relatable to them and encourage them to follow you.

IGTV content ideas: Ongoing features

If you want to build a captive audience, doing regular features is an effective strategy. A weekly series is great for this purpose. This can either be a short segment in your uploads, or a whole video. Keep your viewers updated and ready to tune in by giving a short preview of the next episode before it airs.

Tours

Doing a tour of various places is one IGTV content idea for your regular series. You can begin by touring your home or office to give your audience an in-depth look at your work. From there, you can jump to featuring places related to your niche or audience, like this one.

Behind-the-scene videos

Give your IGTV audiences a more immersive experience by uploading behind-the-scenes footages of your features. Show them how you come up with each episode. You can even use this as an opportunity to introduce your production team, or just friends who help you. This will also be a great way to give viewers additional information that might not be found in main features.

Feature your viewers

Featuring your viewers in your IGTV videos is a good tactic to get them more interested in following your channel. This can be anything from a short guest appearance, to a dedicated episode about them. Encourage them to share information about their guest appearance with their peers on their own Instagram to increase viewership.

IGTV content ideas: Other ideas

If you are just starting your IGTV channel, one way to quickly build it up is by repurposing content from your other social media profiles. Review your previous video content and find the ones that would best fit your Instagram audience. You can also break down your live stream videos’ best moments and edit them into a concise version for those who weren’t able to watch.

Create exclusive content

While reusing content is great, you still need to come up with original content to keep your IGTV audience interested. Play out that exclusivity by using your other social media profiles to tease and announce your upcoming videos. Don’t forget to drop a link on the broadcast day so that people can quickly tune in.

Do impromptu content

Add a bit of spontaneity to your IGTV channel by doing some on-the-fly content. For instance, you can simply head out and do an impromptu “Person on the street” segment, asking random people amusing questions.

Your followers can contribute the questions themselves. After each “interview,” invite the person to follow your channel and see themselves featured. They can even share your videos with their peers and attract more viewers.

Create contests and challenges

Doing contests is an effective way to do exclusive content on IGTV. This could either be part of a larger event for your Instagram page, or a one-off for an episode. Make sure the prizes you give away are relevant to your channel to add recall.

Another fun idea to get people involved in your channel is doing challenges. Make these challenges easy to execute for your audiences. You can even do it yourself and put it up on the channel as a demo.

Become the newest Instagram hit with these IGTV content ideas

IGTV may only be a few months old, but it’s already showing a potential to become an essential video streaming platform. Get into the action early by using it to:

• Promote your products: Come up with entertaining ways to present your products, or those of others, like unique product demos and reviews.
• Educate your viewers: Don’t just stick to tutorials. Share your insights to viewers and give them a piece of your wisdom.
• Keep them tuning in: Create regular features that will keep people coming back again and again.
• Engage viewers: Get people interested in following your channel by coming up with exclusive content that targets them.

Do all these great content ideas and you are on your way to becoming the newest IGTV sensation as you’ll build a strong fan base on the platform.

Date: November 16, 2018 / Categories: Engagement, Video, / Author: Rich Drees