As an Instagram marketer, you probably want to know what Instagram video formats would be the best for your plan.
To help you, we make a survey of what kind of video formats users watch the most. Plus, we surveyed marketers to find their Instagram marketing strategies.
You will also find out what video format users like to watch on Instagram as well as the size, length, and aspect ratio you should be using.
How Marketers are Leveraging Video on Instagram
In 2021, we surveyed over 1,000 marketers all over the world to know which trends they currently (and plan to) leverage.
The first thing marketers who leverage video content on Instagram are 16% more likely to say their Instagram strategy was effective last year.
We also found that 82% of marketers publish video content on Instagram and the content formats they use most are video-based.
The big difference we see in how marketers use video versus other formats on Instagram is that they focus on humor more in video and market services and products less.
As for the platform’s features, marketers surveyed say posting videos gives the best engagement level and the best ROI, more than photos and live streaming.
We all know that short-form video is at the peak of its popularity on platforms like Instagram and TikTok and that can play a role in how stand-out video is. In fact, 85% of marketers say short-form is the best video style they leverage.
With that mentioned, only 1/4 marketers use Reels. At the survey time, marketers mentioned it offered one of the lowest ROI. But it’s still a function they plan to invest in this new year.
Now that we all know how marketers are thinking of video, let’s switch to the user or consumer perspective.
Best Video Format for Instagram
Recently, Instagram opens three video formats:
- In-feed
- Reel
- Stories
Back in June 2021, we surveyed over 300 consumers to find which video formats they watch the most.
Ultimately, Instagram Story videos were the most-seen video format on the social media site, with 43% of these surveyed watching this kind of video content the most.
Besides survey respondents who did not use Instagram, the next highest video format to watch were live videos and then videos shared directly in the feed.
The least-seen video format was IGTV, which was discontinued in Oct, a couple of months after the survey.
Now that we all know how consumers and marketers are behaving, let’s discover how you can publish the best video content on Instagram.
Instagram Video Size
To publish a video on Instagram, the video needs to be at least 1080 x 1080 pixels. You could use several file types, including MOV, MP4, GIF. The aspect ratio needs to be 4:5 and the maximum file size must be 250MB.
That is the proper video quality for a publish on the Instagram feed. It’ll look something like the example below.
For an Instagram Story or Reel, the video needs to be 1080 x 1080 pixels, with an aspect ratio of 9:16. The maximum file size also must be 250MB.
It’ll look something like this:
While these are the main kinds of videos to add on Instagram, you could explore other spec requirements on the Instagram site.
Instagram Video Aspect Ratio
You could add videos to Instagram which have an aspect ratio anywhere between 1.91:1 and 4:5. For this aspect ratio, your dimensions will probably be something like 1080 x 608 px or 1080 x 1350 px.
While all these stats are vital, one of the methods to maintain file size down is to shorten the video. You can’t just add 24 hours of video content on the platform.
Now you may be questioning, “How long can my Instagram videos be?” Just check the next part.
How Long Can Instagram Videos Be?
Instagram videos are a good way to reach Gen Z or millennial audiences. But, it is necessary to consider the kind of video content that performs best on the platform.
Moreover, understanding the right size and video specifications before filming your videos could help you reach success faster.