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
New Report Calls Out Australian Media & PR Agencies For Promoting Fossil Fuels
A new global report on the damaging effects of promoting fossil fuels has singled out Australia as being uniquely compromised by agencies lobbying for oil, gas and coal. The joint study by Australian organisations Comms Declare and Clean Creatives lists the 90 advertising, marketing and PR agencies that have hampered cuts to greenhouse gas emissions […]
72andSunny Unveils First Campaign For Plant-Based Drink Brand Australia’s Own
Freedom Foods and 72andSunny Sydney have launched the first advertising campaign for Australia’s Own range of plant-based beverages. The campaign introduces a new visual world and identity for the brand and captures the healthy, positive feeling you get when spending time in nature and when consuming Australia’s Own certified-organic, plant-based beverages. As well as featuring […]
“I’m In A Sweet Spot!” Jessica Rowe On Her Venture Into Podcasting
B&T is chatting with the wonderful Jessica Rowe. Due to time pressures, we thought it best not to mention Eddie McGuire.
Stan Sport Confirms UEFA League Commentary, As Comic Ed Kavalee Joins The Team
Do you take your UEFA Champions League football bloody seriously? Well, you may not like this Ed Kavalee announcement.
Ashes Under Threat Amid Fears Of English COVID Coup
Concerning news of an Ashes boycott this summer. As Seven primes Big Bang Theory repeats as a precautionary measure.
Kayo Moves The Footy Season On For Cricket In Star-Studded Work From Special
Yes, B&T's overdoing it with cricket stories today. Which, admittedly, is better than overdoing it with insurance ads.
Fetch Mini 4K Set Top Box Officially Hits Aussie Shelves
Forget all the hassles of wireless-free streaming, the Fetch Mini 4K set top box is here! And with bubble wrap, too.
Silver Lining Launch The Do Nothing Challenge For Smiling Mind, ReachOut, And Orygen
Not-for-profit, for-purpose agency Silver Lining is launching a fundraising challenge that asks Australia to ‘Do Nothing to Do Something for Mental Health’.
Sportsbet’s $139M In Ad Spend Raises Eyebrows, As Bets Double In 2020
B&T is no fan of the recent proliferation of online sports betting apps. Except when we win, then we bloody love them.
Thursday TV Wrap: Home And Away A Shining Entertainment Star
When B&T thinks Summer Bay, we think "love, exciting & new, come aboard, we're expecting you". Or is that The Love Boat?
Atomic 212° Founders Reveal The “Secret Sauce” Of Media Planning In New Book
If you're in the media planning game, B&T can't recommend this book enough. Manu's 'French Bistro' is also excellent.
Lil Nas X Teams Up With Durex In His Sexy New Music Video
This article carries themes of prophylactic use, crossdressing & gay sex. Nothing a few Hail Marys can't fix, B&T says.
The EU Wants Standardised Phone Chargers… And Apple Isn’t Happy
Apple unhappy about EU's uniform phone charger threat. Still turning blind eye to flogging power cables for 120 bucks.
This Tourism Ad Is So Weird & Trippy, It’ll Have You Declaring “WTF Did I Just Watch?”
Did you perhaps take an ecstasy tablet in your misspent youth? B&T warns this ad could bring it back on 15 years later.
Postponed Australian Commercial Radio Awards Now Set For A Live Event In February
Get the frock or suit to the dry cleaners & hook yourself up a gram, Commercial Radio Awards now a mere 142 days away.
Cadbury And Milka Maker Mondelez International Threatens Vegan Business With Lawsuit Over Packaging Colour
Vegan snack brand threatened with lawsuit over purple packaging. Has reportedly enlisted Grimace as its legal counsel.
Are You Paying Too Much In Search Marketing?
Are you paying too much for search marketing? Discover the awful truth here. Or, alternatively, look at the invoice.
Nine APAC Finalists In One Club’s Young Guns 19 Competition
Nine creatives from APAC are among the 94 finalists from 27 countries in The One Club for Creativity’s prestigious Young Guns 19 competition, celebrating international creative professionals age 30 or younger. The finalists from APAC are: Hiu Ching Kung, graphic designer, Hong Kong Lam Ieong Kun, graphic designer, illustrator, indego design, Macau Raxenne Maniquiz, graphic designer, illustrator, Santa Maria (Philippines) Kiyotaka […]
Jessica Alba & Zac Efron Return In Newest (& Darkest) Instalment For Dubai Tourism
Dubai is THE place for adventurous travellers. While its prison system is the place for REALLY adventurous travellers.
Ben’s Original Unveils New Campaign & Packaging Via The&Partnership
Ben’s provides fluffy, stodge-free rice each time & the ideal accompaniment to your fluffless, stodgy curry disasters.
Agnes Media Appoints Former Qantas Marketer Jan Consul As Senior Performance Manager
Qantas marketer Jan Consul no longer blagging 20% off flights to Maroochydore after joining the Agnes Media team.
Adflow’s Regional OOH Coverage Expands By 60%
OOH transit company Adflow has announced the success of the first phase of its regional expansion program. Adflow’s regional footprint has increased by 60 per cent to now include 65 regional locations. With 9.1 million people living regionally in Australia (growth of 1.1 per cent experienced in the 19/20 Financial year) and most regional centres […]
Freshworks Starts Trading On Nasdaq, Valued at $13.7 Billion
Freshworks, a leading software company, has started trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, marking an important milestone for the company. The company priced its IPO at US$36 per share (AU$49.76), raising about US$1 billion (AU$1.4B), resulting in a total market capitalisation of AU$13.7 billion (US$10B). Freshworks, which was founded in India, has strong roots […]
SLIK Announces Four New Key Hires
Independent creative agency, SLIK, has made significant changes to its full service creative offering with four hires across management, creative and production.
Lucciana Beynon Falls Victim To Brutal & Outdated Photoshopping
B&T warns this article contains rather racy imagery. But as you're working from home, a trip to HR's not on the cards.
News Corp Reveals The Power Of Brand Content In New Research
News unveils 'The Power of Brand Content' research. The title arguably giving away the fact that it's a huge fan of it.
The Nutrition Couch Joins ARN’S IHeartPodcast Network
Has a partner complained of incessant flatulence, pungent urine or performance issues? This nutrition podcast may help.
How Retailers Can Maximise Their Results This Sales Season
Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) is the biggest player in the holiday shopping game and Google’s most recent research suggests consumer interest for the peak sales season starts much earlier than retailers may realise. The pandemic has fundamentally changed buyer behaviour over peak sales season, with Google suggesting that global consumer interest in Black Friday […]
CUB & Clems Melbourne Unveil A Wonderful Ode To Aussie Pubs
This ode to pubs is so visceral and raw you can almost smell the chunder, the beer-soaked carpet & the urinal blocks.
Thank Your Lucky Stars, RMIT Pitch Night Is Back!
RMIT Pitch Night returns! And if you ever needed a reason to break out the cocktail shaker, this has to be it.
