3 Great IGTV Strategies to Grow Your Audience & Income

With last month's exciting launch of Instagram's new app, IGTV, many of us (including me!) have been experimenting and getting to know the new channel. Now, as the dust starts to settle, it's time to make a few important decisions - and to identify what IGTV strategies will work best for our business:

Are you going to continue using IGTV in your business?

and MORE importantly;

What purpose will it serve?

Just by considering those two questions, I can guarantee you'll be a mile ahead of a ton of business owners who will be blindly adding 'IGTV' to their to-do lists with no thought to how it will actually fit into their overall business objectives. How will it help them to achieve their goals?

Before you know it, we'll have a new generation of users, desperately clamouring for your likes, your comments and your views.

They'll cut into their already tight working hours so they can create and curate content for IGTV.

They'll spend yet more time promoting that content...

And a few months (in some cases, years) down the line, they'll finally ask themselves the question:

Why aren't I getting anywhere with this? Why is my business still struggling? Why aren't I making consistent income yet?

(Yeah, ok - that's 3 questions....these people have a lot of questions, what can I say?!)

This won't be you though! And I'll tell you why. You're going to use (or not use) IGTV strategically.

There's more than one way to skin a cat of course - and there's also more than one way to use IGTV in your business. In this post, I'm going to share 3 IGTV strategies that could work for you...

Strategy 1: Use IGTV as Your Main Content Marketing Channel

If the thought of video excites you (and it probably should if you're heading into the world of online business because video is becoming an increasingly important tool in the marketers pocket. Mobile video, even more so - with Cisco predicting that by 2021, mobile video will account for a whopping 78% of all mobile data traffic )...

ANYWAY, as I was saying... if the thought of video excites you then it could be the perfect platform for your content marketing efforts. (Not sure what I mean by content marketing? It's basically the free content that you create for your ideal clients to help them to find you and it normally takes the form of either blogging, podcasting - or video. For more info on all things content marketing check out my post, What is Content Marketing & Why Should You Bother?)

The traditional platform for video makers has always been YouTube - and with good reason, as it's currently the second largest search engine out there (with Google being the first).

Another trend we're seeing more and more of, is live video, with content creators making use of the live streaming features offered by Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

So Why Choose IGTV?

With these more established platforms for video creators, why would you go with the new kid on the block, IGTV? Here are a few reasons...

Because it's new! This is a fantastic opportunity to be an early adaptor and to make a name for yourself on a new channel where there's still plenty of land to grab...
It's perfect for beginners. IGTV is designed to be used on our mobile phones. You can literally film, edit and upload your videos just with your phone! Now of course, this is also true for the other platforms but IGTV is the only channel which requires that videos be in the vertical format. It's the perfect place to get started if you don't have previous video making experience.
Getting ahead of the game. We've seen that video is moving more and more towards mobile. We're watching less TV and more video - and that video is increasingly often, on our mobiles. If this trend continues (and it certainly looks like it's going to) then IGTV will be HUGE.

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Reasons NOT to Choose IGTV...

I'm all about giving a balanced view point and the fact is, IGTV won't be the right choice for everyone when it comes to choosing your main channel for Content Marketing. Here are a few reasons you may want to avoid it...

You already have another established channel for your content marketing. If you've been building your blog or podcast for the last year or so and have started to see your audience and engagement growing, then moving to another channel probably doesn't make sense! Stick to your guns and continue the momentum you're already getting.
Your audience doesn't watch video. While we've established that video is on the rise, that doesn't mean that all audiences have bought into it. Check which your audience prefers before going all in on video!
You don't want to make videos! Ultimately, if your passion is in writing blogs or podcasting, then stick with what you love to do. If you don't enjoy what you're doing then that will show in the content you create.

FURTHER READING: The Ultimate Beginners' Guide to Getting Started with IGTV

Strategy 2: Use IGTV to Promote Your Main Content Marketing Channel

If you decide that IGTV isn't the channel for you when it comes to Content Marketing, then that doesn't mean you shouldn't be using it at all! It can still work as an excellent promotional tool for the content you're creating elsewhere.

Just as you might use other social media channels such as Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook to promote your content, you can use IGTV in the same way. Here are some ideas to get you started...

Mini-Trainings & Tips: Break your main content (whether it be a blog or podcast) down into bite-sized chunks which can be delivered in short and snappy videos on IGTV. Remember to always give your audience the call to action to head over to your blog or podcast for the full details!
Snippets & Teasers: This method works especially well if you're a podcaster or a video maker on a different channel, like YouTube. Cut a short, juicy snippet from your episode and post it on IGTV to whet your audience's appetite. Then let them know where they can go to catch the full thing.
Ad Style Videos: If you're super creative, you could create your own fun little ads to promote your content. Just created a guide to help parents get their baby to sleep? Post a fun sketch on IGTV, showing frustrated parents trying everything but not succeeding - then tell them about your guide!

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If you're still wondering if it's worth adding IGTV to your promotional strategy then here are a few reasons why this might be the right strategy for you...

You already have a main content marketing channel, but you're looking to get into video
You're lacking confidence with video, so don't want to make it your main channel - but would still like to have a play!
You know your audience loves video and you're not creating any yet...

Aaand of course, it may not be the right strategy if...

You don't have the time or patience to learn something new right now. If you haven't made videos before, then there is a learning curve - even if you're keeping it basic! So if you're already feeling overwhelmed, then now might not be the right time to dive into something new.
Your audience isn't already on Instagram. It's one thing to drive your audience to a new channel if this is where all your main content is - it's quite another to expect them to follow you on a new channel so they can see you promote your stuff on a completely different channel!

FURTHER READING: The Ultimate Beginners' Guide to Getting Started with IGTV

Strategy 3: Use IGTV as an Alternative or Complimentary Channel

The thing about Content Marketing is that the channels you use aren't the only variables. There are a TON of different types of content that can work to build your audience and attract your ideal clients too.

Not sure what I mean? Let's look at a few examples of the type of content you might create...

Educational Content - like 'How to' guides etc.
Interviews
Personal Stories
Inspirational Content
Entertaining Content - such as comedy sketches
Behind the Scenes/Fly on the Wall Content

Frankly, the list could go on and on!

So why not use IGTV to create content that is different to you main channel but which compliments it and shows another face of your business?

If your main channel is a blog, where you provide tutorials and guides for your audience, why not use IGTV to show a more personal side with little vlog type entries?

Of if your main channel is podcasting, where you interview someone different each episode, why not use IGTV to go behind the scenes of your podcast or to provide daily tips or inspiration to your audience?

The possibilities are endless! Think about what might work well for you and your business (and if you're feeling stuck - let me know! I'd love to brainstorm with you.)

The Benefits of IGTV as a Complimentary Channel

The opportunity to attract a whole new audience: By creating a different kind of content you will appeal to different people. And by creating that content on a different channel, you'll also reach new people. WIN!
You can test which works best: You may find that your complimentary content is more popular than your original channel & you can then adjust your content strategy accordingly to grow your audience more efficiently.
More content = more value. And your audience will love you for it!

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Aaand the Downsides...

Time. If you're creating completely different content for 2 separate channels, then that's going to take time. You'll need to make sure you have that time to spare before you commit to this strategy.
Time. You'll also need to PROMOTE the secondary content you're creating - and yep, that'll take time too.
Time. If your audience is growing then you'll also have more comments, emails - and customers to deal with. Make sure you're ready to deal with it before you begin.

FURTHER READING: The Ultimate Beginners' Guide to Getting Started with IGTV

BONUS STRATEGY: Experiment with All 3!

You may be asking yourself which of these IGTV strategies I'm using.

Well, right now my strategy is a combination of all 3. You see, IGTV is BRAND new and I want to test lots of different types of content and promotional strategies to see what works best - both in terms of the results and what feels right for me.

So for the time being at least, you can expect to see a mix of content from me over on my IGTV channel - and this blog? It will continue as normal because I truly believe in its value for my audience - and for my business.

Now it's your turn! Which of these IGTV strategies will you be using in your business?