Instagram is shutting down IGTV and folding its videos into the main feed. The app was too complicated and separate from where people actually watched, so Adam Mosseri announced a unified video experience with full-screen viewing and longer previews. Creators will need to update their thumbnail strategies and workflows.
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It was a valiant effort, but Instagram is getting rid of IGTV. It was intended originally to be a rival to YouTube or the vertical version of YouTube. It really wasn't embraced by the masses on that platform. It's a very different experience, vertical video on Instagram, than it is to consume content on YouTube, which is a behemoth. And unto itself and is a search engine of itself. So I think that what we saw was that it was more challenging for people to create in that format. And I think it was a bit bumbly in the sense that it was kind of complex, right? We had, you know, a different way to access the IGTV. It was kind of sequestered off onto its own, but yet still part of Instagram. And I think it was a little bit confusing. The average Instagram user to grasp that concept. So here we are, you know, 3+ years into it, and Instagram has said, you know what, we're getting rid of IGTV and we're going to really merge the video experience. Adam Mosseri, who is the head of Instagram, has actually launched a video to explain the change. And here's what he has to say.
This week we're announcing a number of improvements to video on Instagram. A few months ago, I announced that we were no longer just a photo sharing app. And we got a pretty significant response from all of you. But the idea here is to lean into what our community is telling us that they're interested in, and we're seeing that video is driving more and more of the growth at Instagram, and that people are continuing to tell us that they're interested in particularly short-form entertaining video. So a few improvements this week. The first, and I think the most important, is that if you tap anywhere on a video in feed, it'll take you into a full-screen viewer, and from there you can actually swipe and view more video if you're interested. Or go back to feed. Also, we are stopping the 15-second pause that you get in feed videos. So previews of videos in feed will go up to 60 seconds, except for monetizable videos. We're also taking a look at the profile, and now what used to be called IGTV video and regular feed video will be in one tab on the profile. More improvements to come. We still have a too fragmented and complicated system. We're trying to figure out how to reconcile Reels, how to do better by vertical video, Um, how did it get better at ranking? So more announcements to come over the next couple weeks, but this announcement I think is one important set of steps on a much longer path. So we're excited about it.
So I love what Adam was saying there and talking about reconciling with Reels. And Reels has been a huge success for Instagram, and it was the result of them trying to rival with TikTok and the huge success that it is. That is short-form micro content, not the long-form version that they were really hoping to be successful with IGTV. So as Adam mentioned, I think more changes are coming with Instagram and we'll all have to keep watch on those changes. Another thing that Adam mentioned back in, I think it was in, let me see here. I think it was in June. Yeah, June of 2021, where he talks about how Instagram is no longer a photo sharing app, which is really what the foundation of Instagram was. At inception was this beautiful, curated, Photoshopped perfection, almost magazine-style grid and feed that Instagram, Instagram became known for. But as of June 2021, they're coming out and saying, you know what, we are no longer a photo sharing app. Our focus is now on 4 distinct areas, and photos is not one of them. I will link his video that he did on this subject below this one so you can watch it in depth. But what he said was that we're leaning into entertainment, we are leaning into video, and really with 4 focus areas. Focus area 1 being creators, video, shopping, and messaging. Those are the 4 areas that Instagram is committed to focusing on as it continues to evolve. So, you know, originally meant to be rivaling YouTube, IGTV really was not the success that they had hoped it would become. And if you want to read more about this, you can go to Facebook for Business. And if you look under the Instagram tab, you'll be able to see all the latest news. And let me see here. This article here, Creating Instagram Videos Just Got Even Easier., and that was published on October 5th, 2021. And it goes at length to talk about how— and some of the changes that Adam was mentioning there are mentioned in this article as well, with even some screenshots of some of the changes that are coming. So you may want to go through this article. I'll post that below this video as well. New ways to view and analyze videos and how they're really merging this experience into one cohesive video experience on Instagram. So I, for one, on a personal note, I'm happy about this change. I think that Instagram is an amazing platform. I personally love it, but it did feel a bit convoluted, sometimes a bit complicated with the IGTV mixed in there. And now that they're bringing the cohesiveness of video and that experience together, I think will be a really great change for all of us who use Instagram to promote ourselves, our businesses, to create content, to provide value, and ultimately to entertain our audiences, which is what Instagram's focus is and what they've heard from their audience of what they want on the platform. As a content creator, these changes might lead to some changes for our business. On the back end in terms of how we create content. I know that I'll continue to do Instagram Live, which I love to do, and that process is likely not to change as a result of these changes that Instagram is making. So Instagram Live still very much going to be a part of our strategy. Uh, thumbnails might need to be revisited in terms of design due to these changes. I don't yet have the changes reflected on my own app.. So I'll wait to see those and then get together with our team and look at our thumbnails and see if any changes in design are necessary. And I'm telling you this because you might need to look at these areas as well for your own business if Instagram is a really key part of your strategy. Another thing that we might have to look at is Creator Studio because our team members are accustomed to tabbing over to the Instagram side and looking for IGTV. So Does that mean that some of our SOPs or standard operating procedures might have to change if team members go in and all of a sudden they don't see that there anymore? Another thing that we really do a lot of is repurposing content. Do our processes have to change as a result of the changes that Instagram is making? Those are some areas that we're going to continue to look at, and you may want— well, want to look at those for yourself. But what won't change is our dedication to video. And I'm happy to say now that we know that Instagram's focus is on video, that we're on the right track. So doing Instagram Live is certainly a part of that. Posting regularly, also Reels. I'm really getting great, great results with Reels. We mentioned that earlier in the video, and I think that is part and parcel of why Instagram Television, IGTV, didn't really succeed because of the crazy success of Reels and the short-form content. So we're definitely leaning into that and continuing to do that as well. So goodbye, IGTV, and welcome Instagram video. If you're looking for another Instagram-related video, just look right below this one and I'll see you over there.
