Video marketing, and especially on Instagram has revolutionized how companies attract and interact with customers. While this powerful tool is fantastic for boosting engagement and reaching a wider audience, there are certain steps that must be taken to lead to conversions.

Here are some essential considerations for unlocking Instagram video marketing as your secret weapon to get more clients.

Add Captions

It’s no secret that most internet users prefer mobile browsing for consuming content. Smartphones have become the ultimate boredom buster for long commutes and dull days at home during the lockdown. As such, it’s no surprise that many consumers watch videos with the sound off. A recent survey showed that 92% of Americans watch mobile videos without sound. 

For businesses to get the best possible results from Instagram video marketing, captions are a must. You can use captions to punctuate spoken words in the video or convey information in visually-dominant videos. The latter strategy has become predominant with Instagram Reels.

It’s also worth rethinking your post captions if your video will be featured as an Instagram post in your grid. The text component will be secondary to your video, but it should still play an active role in engaging your audience. 

Pair your video with a quick description and a conversation starter, like a question about the content. Even a simple “Do you agree?” can go a long way for boosting engagement on your videos. This strategy also extends your reach by appealing to scrollers who may not otherwise stop for your video. That question could act as a secondary hook that intrigues them to stop and see what it’s about.

Experiment with Reels

Reels are Instagram’s answer to TikTok’s roaring success. While Instagram is still more popular than TikTok, the newcomer to the arena is creeping up. The launch of Reels has been quite well received, and, as the separate feed isn’t saturated yet, it provides a fantastic opportunity to stick out in the crowd.

The key thing to keep in mind with Reels is that they’re only 15-30 seconds long. However, they’re a bit more fluid than traditional videos. You can convey a lot with quick, snappy transitions and floating text elements.

Reels are a great opportunity for quick snapshots that align with your overall brand. You can showcase products, user transformations, or your team hard at work to the tunes of a hit song. 

Reels can be featured both in their native feed and your primary feed. It’s worth featuring them in both to extend your reach. However, this feature will add complexity to how you plan your content calendar and grid. If you have different teams working on social media management and video marketing, there will be a lot of overlap for Reels.

Consider trying some Reels to connect with your audience in a different way while improving your chances of going viral.

Shoot Vertical

Another thing to keep in mind when optimizing your Instagram videos for mobile viewing is the shooting style. On Facebook and YouTube, viewers can turn their phones and view a video in a wide-screen format. However, Instagram uses a vertical fullscreen style that isn’t conducive to horizontal videos.

When creating videos for Instagram, shoot vertically to ensure your content is as aesthetically pleasing and engaging as possible. Otherwise, those potential clients will scroll by without giving your message a chance.

Video marketing has revolutionized how companies attract and interact with customers. While this powerful tool is fantastic for boosting engagement and reaching a wider audience, there are certain steps that must be taken to lead to conversions.

Here are some essential considerations for unlocking Instagram video marketing as your secret weapon to get more clients.

Add Captions

It’s no secret that most internet users prefer mobile browsing for consuming content. Smartphones have become the ultimate boredom buster for long commutes and dull days at home during the lockdown. As such, it’s no surprise that many consumers watch videos with the sound off. A recent survey showed that 92% of Americans watch mobile videos without sound. 

For businesses to get the best possible results from Instagram video marketing, captions are a must. You can use captions to punctuate spoken words in the video or convey information in visually-dominant videos. The latter strategy has become predominant with Instagram Reels.

It’s also worth rethinking your post captions if your video will be featured as an Instagram post in your grid. The text component will be secondary to your video, but it should still play an active role in engaging your audience. 

Pair your video with a quick description and a conversation starter, like a question about the content. Even a simple “Do you agree?” can go a long way for boosting engagement on your videos. This strategy also extends your reach by appealing to scrollers who may not otherwise stop for your video. That question could act as a secondary hook that intrigues them to stop and see what it’s about.

Experiment with Reels

Reels are Instagram’s answer to TikTok’s roaring success. While Instagram is still more popular than TikTok, the newcomer to the arena is creeping up. The launch of Reels has been quite well received, and, as the separate feed isn’t saturated yet, it provides a fantastic opportunity to stick out in the crowd.

The key thing to keep in mind with Reels is that they’re only 15-30 seconds long. However, they’re a bit more fluid than traditional videos. You can convey a lot with quick, snappy transitions and floating text elements.

Reels are a great opportunity for quick snapshots that align with your overall brand. You can showcase products, user transformations, or your team hard at work to the tunes of a hit song. 

Reels can be featured both in their native feed and your primary feed. It’s worth featuring them in both to extend your reach. However, this feature will add complexity to how you plan your content calendar and grid. If you have different teams working on social media management and video marketing, there will be a lot of overlap for Reels.

Consider trying some Reels to connect with your audience in a different way while improving your chances of going viral.

Shoot Vertical

Another thing to keep in mind when optimizing your Instagram videos for mobile viewing is the shooting style. On Facebook and YouTube, viewers can turn their phones and view a video in a wide-screen format. However, Instagram uses a vertical fullscreen style that isn’t conducive to horizontal videos.

When creating videos for Instagram, shoot vertically to ensure your content is as aesthetically pleasing and engaging as possible. Otherwise, those potential clients will scroll by without giving your message a chance.

Keep it Simple

Whether you’re sharing spoken language or text-based information, it’s important to keep it simple. Don’t use heavy industry jargon or long tangents when a few short words will do. When you draft an idea for a video, edit the words again and again until you have something quick and easy to understand.

While you can post a video that’s up to one minute long in the Instagram feed, Boosted’s guide for small business categories on Instagram suggests aiming for 30 seconds or less. The idea is to get your point across as clearly and quickly as possible.

If you struggle to refine your message, bring the focus back to your customer pain points. What information do they need? Granted, many customers don’t know exactly what they need, but they have a general idea of their higher-level problems. By refining your message to show a clear solution or statement that resonates, they’ll form an emotional connection by honing in on your voice.

Keep in mind that you can break broader subjects into smaller videos. Consider a bookkeeping service, for example. Instead of using one video showcasing the top three challenges business owners face at tax time, the bookkeeper could do a three-part series with each video focusing on one issue and a helpful tip. 

This approach ensures the message isn’t convoluted due to time constraints, adds more value, improves your ROI by batching content to fill your posting schedule, and broadens your reach by encouraging views on three videos instead of one.

Set a Goal

When creating a video to attract clients, start with a specific goal in mind. Consider what stage of the sales funnel you’ll be targeting with each video. For example, some videos could be created with sharing in mind to broaden your base audience, focusing on the first stages of the sales funnel. Others could be conversion-centric, focusing on audience members who have become more familiar and trusting of your brand.

Clarifying the goal will help you optimize the messaging for your intended target. This form of segmentation often speaks to fewer people but resonates on a deeper level, improving engagement, and brand trust. 

Once you’ve identified a goal for your video, wrap everything up with a strong call-to-action (CTA). If the goal is to get a wider reach, your CTA could instruct viewers to share or save. If the goal is to sell a specific product or service, you can use links or directions that lead to a landing page. 

A strong CTA that focuses on the benefits your company offers will compel people to interact with your profile and improve your click-through rate (CTR). Use actionable statements like “save this for later” and “tag a friend” so potential clients know exactly what you’re asking for.

Consider the Next Steps

Once you have the goals outlined, and a strong CTA lined up, consider what happens next. Where do you want your ideal client to go after they view your content? If you’re directing them to a landing page or eCommerce site, you’ll need to ensure you have the right links in place. Additionally, you must confirm that this page is also optimized for mobile.

Determine how you’ll measure the success of this marketing video and what insights you’ll use to shape your path forward. For example, if you notice that your video has a high reach and engagement but low CTR, you’ll know that your messaging needs work. Conversely, if you have a high CTR but low conversion rate, you’ll know that the landing page or offer needs to be adjusted.

The key to success with Instagram video marketing is to outline the process from goal-setting to post-mortem reviews. Create content that your ideal client wants to see and present it in an easily digestible way. With some strategic planning and adaptability, you’ll create compelling video content that converts.