Instagram Video: We Are Living In A Vertical World
The way people record, share and replay their lives has changed dramatically since the advent of Facebook-owned Instagram.
Once a place where only static, filtered photos could be uploaded, Instagram now offers photo and video uploads, shopping features, direct messaging and several other tools serving users and businesses.
However, for Instagram head of business Jim Squires (pictured below), one of the most important developments was the introduction of vertical videos.
Speaking at Advertising Week, Squires dived into Instagram’s evolution, and how its innovations including Stories and IGTV are leading the way on mobile for creatives and businesses to tell their brand story and reach millions of potential consumers.
Identifying Australia as one of the fastest growing and most valuable markets for Instagram, Squires urged his audience of marketers and creatives to catch up to the millions of Australians using the app every day to interact with businesses and embrace the “vertical world” they were already living in on their phones and on Instagram.
According to the recently released Instagram impact on Australian businesses study, 67 per cent of young Australia Instagram users (18-34 years) surveyed agreed Instagram helps them find new products, services businesses and organisations. As well as this, 53 per cent of young Australian Instagram users surveyed have bought a product based on what they’ve seen on the study.
As per the study, young Australian Instagram users are becoming true brand ambassadors for the platform: embracing all the functionality Instagram offers and using the platform as part of their networking repertoire. Of those surveyed, over half (52 per cent) of young Australian users access the platform several times a day, most commonly at home while relaxing.
According to Squires, Australians are creating one million stories on Instagram every day. “There are now one billion active accounts on Instagram,” Squires said. “The scale is unbelievable, and it’s grown so fast”.
Listening to users, Squires said he and his team have learnt the “common thread” of what Instagrammers want is vertical video.
Clearly, Australians are hooked to Instagram and its content.
Establishing itself at the front of the vertical video movement, Instagram recently launched IGTV, which offers users long-term video – up to 60 minutes – that, unlike Stories, is permanent. According to Squires, the reason for this launch is that “Younger people want to connect with new types of creators and celebrities – people I would not recognise if I saw them on the street”.
Squires added, “These creators have 15 to 25 million followers, and people want to connect with these celebrities”. Speaking on the detachment from Stories, Squires said the new tool was also influenced by the ‘swipe up’ function within stories which move users off the platform, and as a result, IGTV was born.
“That’s why we find ourselves living in a vertical world. The message has become aligned with the medium. Now that the message is finally aligned with the medium we’re seeing incredible work happening across the platform,” he said.
According to Squires, it’s not just creators who are making the most of vertical; marketers are also taking advantage of it. Incorporating vertical ads within stories is resulting in elevated business impact and much higher engagement by consumers. Squires referred to an example from Myer, which utilised Instagram stories to launch its spring/summer collection and saw 2.2 times return on investment.
Though, Squires also highlighted the importance of brands remembering to stay true to themselves while using the technology. “No matter what the format is, be true to your brand and don’t be gimmicky or simply show things people only want to see,” he said. Rather, he added, understand that the same things are not going to work for every marketer.
Squires touted the importance of brands using a variety of features within Instagram; from the shopper component, used by many local Australian brands, to direct response messaging, used by the likes of Oreo. Squires said, “Feed, profile, stories, IGTV – tailor different messages which are consistent with a brand to support each other.”
Overall, Instagram’s head of business urged companies to keep looking forward and encouraged brands to adopt a trial and error approach to the technology.
“The most successful marketers are using Instagram holistically. Often, I hear from marketers, ‘it sounds great but we need to retool before we use it’. My advice is to not wait.
“Roughly 76 per cent of people appreciate when brands try out these new formats and 65 per cent of people say they think of brands using vertical as more innovative,” he said.
“So basically, you get bonus points for doing video even if it’s not perfect out of the gate. So keep pushing forward, and keep trying new things, because people and tech are not slowing down or staying in one place.”
Latest News
Scroll Media Recruits Costa Panagos From Twitch
Digital publisher network Scroll Media has employed ex-Amazon Twitch gaming executive Costa Panagos (lead image) to strengthen its Scroll Gaming capability. Panagos is highly experienced in game advertising and media sales professional with two years in account management at Twitch and three years in media sales at News Corp, so will bring his extensive media agency […]
Year13, Microsoft & KPMG Australia Launch AI Course For Gen Zs
School-leaver service Year13 has launched a new Artificial Intelligence course to upskill young people in AI, made in collaboration with Microsoft and KPMG, at an event to rally industry support behind youth AI fluency. The free online course AI Amplified which is part of Year13’s Academy aims to provide all young people with the opportunity […]
General Motors Snares Heath Walker From Scania
General Motors has announced the appointment of Heath Walker (lead image) as the new marketing director for GM Australia and New Zealand, effective April 23, 2024. Walker brings a wealth of marketing and communications experience gained from working across various industries, including IT, sporting, and auto – notably Tesla, Nissan and most recently, Scania in […]
VML Launches New “Envoyage” Brand For Flight Centre
VML unveils new brand for travel operator Flight Centre. Alas, no sign of those paid actors pretending to be pilots.
Subaru Places Media Account Up For Review
Subaru puts media up for review, as adland journos get set for mandatory "agency drives off with..." headline.
TV Ratings (17/04/2024): Contestants Faced With Harsh Realities As Alone Australia Heats Up (Or Cools Down)
Alone still doing the business for SBS. Overly long train journeys not doing the business, but they persist anyway.
Ben Fordham Loses Number One Spot As Ray Hadley Celebrates 156th Ratings Win
The radio numbers are in! Discover who's off for a boozy lunch today & who's waiting for the dreaded HR death knock.
Gourmet Ice Cream Brand Connoisseur Launches New “Thrill Your Senses” Iteration, Via SICKDOGWOLFMAN
Rattling the old "truth in advertising" adage comes this ice-cream spot full of noticeably thin people.
Paramount’s Global Sales Boss: ‘Australia’s Converged Model Is A Blueprint For How I’d Like All Of Our Markets To Be’
Paramount's global sales boss gives local sales ops the thumbs up. Didn't weigh-in on the Lisa Wilkinson debacle.
TikTok Starts Testing Its Instagram Rival In Australia
In exciting news for piano playing cats & brattish pranks in shopping centres, TikTok unveils its Insta rival plans.
Man Wrongly Named By Seven As Bondi Killer Hires Lawyers
Struggling to save for a house deposit? Why not get wrongly identified by Sunrise!
Smartsheet Appoints Indie Agency Sandbox Media To Its Media Account
Can't stand your colleagues? Like to dob them in when they miss a deadline? These work management platforms are ideal.
Boss Not Letting You Come To Cannes In Cairns? Use This Business Case To Convince Them!
Stingy boss won't spring for a ticket to Cairns? Add this to your persuasive argument repertoire. Or grovel.
Alt/shift/ Brisbane Builds Portfolio With Ausbuild Creative, PR, Content & Social Account Win
The Brisbane comms/PR agency lands constructor Ausbuild. Also hoping for a discount on its new glass conservatory.
Young Guns Versus The Old Guard: Who Adds More Value to Our Industry?
Cannes In Cairns poking this hornet's nest in a lively debate. Just so long as the oldies can get up the stairs.
70% Of Aussies Don’t Have Green Power Plans ENGIE Says In Major Brand Campaign Via HERO
Are you the notorious "light leaver on-er" in your flatshare? Quell any infighting with this green energy news.
PrettyGood Launches Offering Brand & Media Solutions For Australasian SMEs
B&T applauds the charitable nature of this new agency. Although we'd hate to see it impact any Chrissie present sends.
A Blunt End: Dolphins Medicinal Cannabis Sponsorship At Risk
Yes, it's another NRL drug story. Yet, thankfully it doesn't involve coke in Kuta during the off-season.
Slew Of New Creative Hires At Leo Burnett Australia
Ahhh, all black! The outfit of choice for agency creatives, David Jones staff and everyone in Melbourne.
Under Armour Unveils Local “Live in UA” Campaign
American apparel brand set for yet another tilt at the Aussie market, as Nike declares "we'll see about that".
Pepsi Launches New Look, Refreshing Classic Fashion Staples Via Special PR
Are you always the bridesmaid, never the bride, as the old saying goes? How do you think Pepsi feels?
Pure Blonde Returns To A Place Purer Than Yours In New Campaign Via The Monkeys
B&T's always been a huge fan of the 'drink yourself thinner' diet plan. So big thanks to Pure blonde, vodka & tequila.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Carsales Strikes With Another Storm-Based Team
Think our hacks are living their sports journalist dreams vicariously through B&T? Confirm it with this reporting.
Commission Factory & AGL Energy Ignite Strategic Partnership To Empower Australian Energy Consumers
Concerned by global warming yet ran the fans non-stop over summer? Add to the guilt with this read.
Allied Nabs Nicola Gold From Pico International Dubai
Seasoned marketer relocates from Dubai to Sydney. Says the shopping's not as good but at least you can get a drink.
Nine’s Push For Gold, Silver & Bronze Ad Opportunities Could Break New Ground In Broadcasting
Nine insists that AI won't dominate its Olympics coverage. And not merely because Bruce McAvaney doesn't understand it.
TV Ratings (16/04/2024): Toxic City Girls Too Much For Farmer Bert
Fans calling out toxic behaviour on Farmer Wants A Wife, seemingly unaware that's the very premise of any dating show.
Kaimera Wins Afterpay ANZ Media Account
Have couriers even started to mention you're overdoing the online shopping? Probably best to avoid this Afterpay news.
Industry Reacts: Stuff Group Swoops In To Save 6pm News After Newshub Closure
As you'll read here, New Zealand's media's in a right state of flux. And nor have they forgotten 1981's underarm.
a2 Milk Launches “Only a2 Will Do’ Brand Platform In First Work From BMF
A2 milk drinkers tend not to bother everyone with their gut health issues & it's a lesson for vegans & the gluten-free.
Can You Recite It In Under 4 Seconds? Maccas Relaunches Iconic Competition With Modern Twist
Do you know what would make a fantastic ad? Drunk people at 3am trying to recite the ”two all-beef patties"
‘Liar, Liar’: Lehrmann Exposed As High Profile Defamation Case Comes To A Close
Having exhausted all avenues in his defamation case, is there only one option left for Bruce - reality television?
MECCA & Fendi Among Premium Advertisers For oOh!media Woollahra OOH Network Launch
If you've not been to the snooty suburb of Woollahra, the locals would like to thank you again for staying well away.
Yahoo Academy Announces Class Of 2024
This academy is strictly for "emerging leaders". Courses don't include 'sleeping at your desk' or 'bunking off early'.
Top 35 Media Leaders Announced For 2024 TikTok Agency Accelerator Program
Despite the ban threats, TikTok keeps marching on. Cementing its reputation as the Julian Assange of the tech.
AiMCO Announces First-Ever Diversity Webinar To Explore Inclusion In Influencer Marketing
Think influencer marketing's a little on the white side? This free webinar's for you. Sadly, it's not given TV ideas.