Instagram constantly update their algorithm and platform. On the one hand, it’s positive: it means positive changes for end-users. On the other hand, it’s often confusing knowing what to focus on.

It can be easy to fall victim of going after the newest and shiniest thing, but that often causes more harm than good.

In our latest research study, we looked at IGTV and Reels, two video functionalities within the Instagram platform. We chose two industries:

• • Fashion
  • Beauty

We compared engagement across the two platform features for a range of different creators. Our aim was to understand not only the benefits of using each feature but also the type of results you might experience as a result.

Instagram usage statistics

As of 2020, around 112.5 million people use Instagram spending an average of 53 minutes per day on the platform This presents a huge opportunity for brands to expose their products to a wider audience through video. It’s more beneficial to watch products being used or explained than just see an image of the product on an Instagram feed.

IGTV was introduced to Instagram in mid-2018. It is often used to share long-form videos on Instagram. IGTV allows you to upload up to 60 minutes of video from a browser or 15 minutes if uploading from a mobile. This gives users more time to engage with the video content. Instagram previously only allowed videos up to 60 seconds on a user’s Instagram feed,  as a result, the addition of IGTV was  a game-changer for brands and influencers.

After TikTok’s huge impact on social media, Instagram took a bite of the same cake and introduced their new feature ‘Reels’ in mid-2020. Similar to TikTok, Reels allows you to record and edit 15-second multi-clip videos with audio, effects, filters and other creative tools.

Many businesses are unaware of the use cases for either and struggle to make an impact by spreading themselves too thin trying to both features.

IGTV and Reels: Use cases for different industries

In the beauty and fashion industries, IGTV, posts range from:

• Monthly new favourite makeup finds
• Holiday/ Seasonal Makeup tutorials
• New Clothing Hauls
• Upcycling older fashion pieces

In the beauty and fashion industries Instagram Reels posts range from:

• Swatches of New makeup products
• Shorter makeup tutorials (Short before and afters/ showing off skills)
• Outfits of the week
• How to style a particular piece of clothing in different ways

Comparison: What’s the difference between IGTV and Reels

The results: Which performs better, IGTV or Reels?

We segmented our data to look at influencers categories as “small”, “medium” and “large”. In these cases, small influencers had 30,000-50,000, medium influencers had 80,000-100,000 and larger influencers had anywhere over 200k followers.

The data is super interesting to help brands and influencers navigate these two features and assess which one might be most viable for their business.

Download the full report now to see more.

 

 

Takeaways

We set out to see which Instagram feature, IGTV or Reels could benefit your brand. Whether you’re a large scale or a smaller brand starting out, we wanted to dive deep and discover the pros and cons of each feature.

So, does Reels or IGTV work best for you? Long or short form? Overall, it’s safe to say that opportunities on IGTV do exist for brands. But it takes time and consistency. In terms of Reels, if your brand needs an engagement boost, creating short and punchy videos might be best for you!