Vloggers these days are all hopping on the IGTV bandwagon!

What is IGTV, you ask? It is an Instagram TV version that allows the users to upload longer than 15 seconds of vertical videos. IGTV is believed to give YouTube a run for its subscribers. To be honest I also discovered this new feature while I was scrolling through my Instagram feed using my Spectrum phone service. An icon continuously kept flashing on the upper right corner of my screen. Intrigued, I clicked on it and was mesmerized by what I saw.

I will not lie, I did not know much about this feature at first. But after a thorough ‘study’ on IGTV, I have come up with a guide for beginners who are still struggling to use IGTV.

A little sneak peek inside IGTV

As I mentioned earlier it is Instagram’s version of YouTube. Except that the videos that you view on IGTV are vertical in nature. However, unlike YouTube, the videos on IGTV have a time limit as of now. The duration of the videos is supposed to be between 15 seconds to 10 minutes. There are a few exceptions, though. Some of the bigger accounts (in terms of followers) are able to upload hour-long videos as well.

How to use IGTV?

Just tapping the icon on the upper right corner of the screen is not enough. There are more steps to be followed before you can upload a video on IGTV.

• Sign in to your account (I do not know why I am stating the obvious but yeah first things first)
• Tap the IGTV icon that you see on the top right corner of your screen
• Once you have opened the feature, tap on your profile icon
• Following that, tap on the ‘+’ symbol
• Upload the desired video from your camera roll
• Feel free to add titles, captions, and descriptions to the selected video
• Choose a cover photo and add it to the video
• Upload the video

Lastly, enjoy viewing the analytics of the video  by clicking the ‘…’ button (you can view this button next to the like, share and comment tabs on your video)

How to view videos on IGTV?

Press the IGTV icon and it will navigate you to a screen that features a search bar. The search bar has four categories namely For You, Continue Watching, Following, and Popular. Swipe right on the screen to continue watching an array of videos. These are basically recommended videos for you based on the accounts/people you follow. If you want IGTV to continue playing the current video, you will have to swipe down. While you enjoy watching these videos, you can also comment on them, like them or share them with your friends.

Types of videos you should create for IGTV

You can choose to upload any type of videos from the following list on your IGTV:

• Q&A series:  Indulge your followers in some interesting Q&A series by posting questions on whatever topic comes to your mind. Want to try a new hair color? Head to IGTV and ask for recommendations from your followers.
• FAQs:You can help your followers by shooting a video where you answer the frequently asked questions. They will love you for that. Trust me!
• Interviews: I always love watching interviews. Whether it be my favorite celebrity or the chef that inspires me the most, getting to know more about them through interviews always interests me. So, why don’t you try posting some interesting interviews on your IGTV?
• Tutorials: The tutorial trend has been on a rise for quite some time now. If you think (read: belief), that you have an acquired or an inborn talent that you can teach others, upload tutorials and educate your followers.

Personal IGTV Channel

IGTV gives you the liberty of creating your own channel, just like YouTube does. All you have to do is tap on your profile photo and select the option to create my channel. Select a unique or common (however you like it) name for your channel and done! It is that easy. Provided that Instagram has a billion users currently, who knows you end up becoming an IGTV star if your channel becomes famous enough amongst the masses.

IGTV App

While you might think that IGTV is only accessible through your Instagram account, please note that there is a separate IGTV app. However, there is no difference in the way you upload or view videos on the app or the Instagram version.

Just to try this new feature, I recently uploaded a video on IGTV about my great experience with Spectrum Customer support service. That five-minute video included my interaction with the representative and the company in general. My followers appreciated my initiative and encouraged me to come up with more of such videos. Hence, I have decided to post a makeup tutorial for all you beautiful women out there!