How to Post a Video on Instagram
When it comes to achieving social media goals, 54% of marketers find video to be the most valuable tool. Additionally, 68% of video marketers planned to include Instagram video in their 2022 video marketing strategy. With these stats in mind, and Instagram’s push toward increased video creation, now is the time to start posting videos on Instagram if you haven’t already.
In this blog, we’ll be focusing on three types of Instagram video formats: Instagram Video, Instagram Reels, and Instagram Stories. We’ll note how to post them, the best situations to use them in, and which Animoto templates make for easy IG video creation.
Keep reading or skip ahead to the video format you’re most interested in.
How to post an Instagram Video
IGTV videos, (which were long-form videos in a stand-alone app), and feed videos, now live together in the same video format, Instagram Video.
Instagram Video posts can be up to sixty minutes long and are added just like photo posts: by either uploading a video from your Photo Library or recording a video using Instagram’s built-in camera.
Steps for posting an Instagram Video
- Click the plus sign in the top right corner.
- From the drop-down menu, click Post.
- Choose your video from the Photo Library, click next, add a filter, caption, location, etc., and then press share OR…
- Click the Instagram icon on the right side of the screen. This will bring up your in-app camera so you can record a new video. Then you can add a filter, captions, location, etc., and share to the feed.
You can also post an Instagram Video from your profile by clicking the plus sign in the top right corner, choosing the Post option, and adding a video from your camera roll.
Why post an Instagram video
The Instagram Video format works well for users wanting to post longer videos. If your Instagram Video is longer than a minute, viewers will see a sixty-second preview in the feed. The full-length video will live in the Video tab on a user’s profile.
Instagram Video ideas
While you can use any of our templates to create an Instagram Video, we think our Daily Check-in, Editorial Quote List, and Personal Story templates are fantastic ways to start building a connection with your audience.
How to post a video to Instagram Reels
Reels is Instagram’s version of TikTok videos. With Reels, individuals and companies alike can create short, entertaining videos, up to 60 seconds in length, in which they can bring their personalities and brands to life.
Steps for posting an Instagram Reel
- Click the plus sign in the top right corner.
- From the drop-down menu, click Reel.
- From here, your in-app camera will open. If you want to use a pre-recorded video, you can click the small square box in the bottom left corner. This will open your Photo Library, and you can choose a video from there to post to Reels.
- You can also create a new Reel. Swipe the circles at the bottom of the screen left and right for different filter options. After you choose your filter or decide not to use a filter, hold down the circle at the bottom of your screen and record your Reel.
- When you're finished creating your Reel, click next. Here you’ll be able to decorate your Reel like you can with an Instagram Story.
On the left-hand side of your screen, you'll find a variety of tools for editing your Reel.
They include:
Audio: Choose a song to add to your video.
Length: Choose the length of your Reel. It can be 15, 30, or 60 seconds long.
Speed: Make your video slow-mo or increase the speed.
Layout: Add a grid to include multiple video clips to your Reel and Zoom in and out on your video clips.
Timer: Record video for a certain amount of time, up to 30 seconds, without holding the camera button down.
Why post an Instagram Reel
To compete with TikTok, Instagram has prioritized Reels, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerburg stating Reels is “the primary driver of engagement growth” on Instagram. If your goal is to grow your following, increase engagement, or boost brand awareness, Reels is for you.
Instagram Reel ideas
If you're new to Reels, our templates make Reel creation fast and simple. Tutorials, explainers, and narratives make for captivating Reel content. Easily show off your subject matter expertise with our Expert How-To template or share how to make your favorite recipe with our Trendy Social Recipe template.
Steps for posting an Instagram Story
Instagram Stories are short photos or video clips, up to 15 seconds in length, that vanish 24 hours after they’re posted. Instead of displaying within your primary Instagram feed, they’re showcased at the top of the app, in a row with the Stories of all the other accounts you follow.
There are a couple of options for posting Instagram Stories. You can upload your own video, or you can record a video clip directly in Instagram. We’ll share how to do both.
Uploading a video to Instagram Stories
- You can start by either tapping your own Story (a circle with your profile picture in it) in the top left of the Instagram app when you open your feed or by tapping your profile image from your Instagram profile when logged into your account. You can also click on the + in the top right-hand corner of your screen, then click on the Story option.
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From here you can access your camera to take a photo or record a video, or upload a photo or video clip you already have in your camera roll.
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To create something new, click the black box in the top left corner with the Instagram icon in the middle. It’ll bring up a screen with your camera open.
- You can hold down the circle button on the bottom of the screen to record your Story.
- When you're finished recording, remove your finger from the button and then press the arrow at the bottom right of your screen to share with followers.
You can also get more creative with Story tools, which you can learn more about here.
Why post an Instagram Story
Instagram Stories are excellent for engaging with your audience and generating brand awareness. Tease a new product, promote a giveaway, or share a thought-provoking question or quote and include stickers for increased engagement.
Instagram Stories ideas
While you can use nearly any of our templates to create a Story, we’ve included some popular ideas below. Customize our Graduation Memories template to celebrate personal events like graduations and birthdays, build interest in your latest release with our Just Dropped template, or increase engagement with a Fun Social Quote.
Get started
For Instagram video inspiration, follow Animoto on Instagram and join our Social Video Marketing Community on Facebook to get feedback and ideas from the Animoto team and your fellow video marketers. Happy video making!