IGTV - Instagram's Answer to YouTube in a Way You've Never Seen Before

So you may have hear about the new app on the block, no? Well Instagram has launched a super cool new application, targeted at the younger generations and set to take on Google's YouTube. Now unless you've been living under a rock, I'm quite certain you will have heard of YouTube, which since 2005 has grown to a staggering 1 billion + users per month! Its certainly come some way since the days of cute cat videos and the Numa Numa guy (a personal favourite).

So what can Instagram's new app bring to the table from what we already have? Here's some of the main features that makes it different:

• Vertical Video 😱

• Automatic playing (just like on TV!)

• Direct integration with Instagram

• No limitation on videos (can be up to an hour) unlike Instagram

• Simple to use - direct from your phone!

Vertical vs. Horizontal Video

Now what may come as a shock to many people , especially filmmakers like ourselves is that IGTV is set permanently to vertical video, this is encouraged and the way to use the app. Instagram's argument is, that this is the way we use our phones and therefore the way we should use content and view videos. The constant argument for this and has been in the past is the way that we naturally see life with our eyes (landscape) and that's why movies are made in widescreen. When filming vertically you can miss a lot of the action. However this does seem to be what people demand these days and there has been some great content and marketing out there. Online and mobile content is about making it easier and simple for the viewer, so you can understand Instagram's way of thinking.

This has come shortly after YouTube's update earlier this year, to accommodate to more video sizes, such as square and 4:3 videos, without cropping the edges on mobile view. Naturally, YouTube's mobile view is mostly filled with comments and suggested videos, whereas Facebook has recently seemed a bit ahead of the game, with accepting different sizes and suggested videos appearing towards to the end of the video. Its certainly worth keeping an eye out for Facebook Video and its development over the coming months! Facebook and Instagram really seem to understand the power of video on social media and know that we as people, enjoy taking this in as a form of content.

Vlogger @StevieKnows and friend of Storm Videos says about IGTV 'I really like it. It's good to have another platform to upload content instead of just YouTube. I'm glad Facebook and Instagram are moving in the direction of content creators because that's who brings people together!'. If you haven't done so already, definitely go check out his pages!

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So should I get IGTV for my business?

Yes. I personally think it will become a great way to interact with new people and reconnect with previous customers. Facebook didn't acquire Snapchat, but ever since, they have been using Instagram to push to where Snapchat misses out. Personally, its quite hard to use Snapchat for a business as unless you already have a person as a contact, its quite hard to get followed (although it is good fun!).

The best way with any new technology is just to try it out. IGTV is very user friendly, you don't need to be very good at video to use it, just the basics of using a smartphone. Go follow us at @stormvideos_ on Instagram and IGTV to check us out! Feel free to tag us and show us your cool videos you're creating too!

That's not to say, we will still be using YouTube as well as the other social media platforms out there - I love them all!