Social media giant Instagram may open the platform to long-form videos, according to reports in the US.
Sources have told the Wall Street Journal that the Facebook-owned company will offer a ‘new feature’ that would support long-form clips of up to an hour. That would give the photo-centric service the chance to compete against the likes of YouTube; however, sources said the main focus would be on so-called “vertical video,” tailored for mobile devices. Instagram Stories for now are limited to a length of one minute.
“Instagram toying with the idea of introducing one-hour long video is a remarkable step for the platform which prided itself on short-form content – originally 15 seconds and then 60 seconds,” said Josh Krichefski, CEO of MediaCom UK, in an email. “The idea of one-hour videos would be a clear step-change for the social-media platform and is reflective of the consumer demand for watching different types of content of different lengths. As other social media companies continue to innovate and change, Instagram won’t want to be left behind. Snapchat recently redesigned its UI to benefit both advertisers and consumers. Similarly, Facebook has upped its focus on streaming live sports, hiring Eurosport’s CEO earlier this year.”
While increasing video length won’t necessarily shake up the advertising industry, it certainly brings in opportunities for brands and advertisers to sate the consumer demand for varying forms of content, he added.
“After all, it’s another creative avenue to explore,” he said. “But the content must be just as compelling and engaging, otherwise the chances are the consumer will be scrolling down before you know it.”
“Instagram toying with the idea of introducing one-hour long video is a remarkable step for the platform which prided itself on short-form content – originally 15 seconds and then 60 seconds,” said Josh Krichefski, CEO of MediaCom UK, in an email. “The idea of one-hour videos would be a clear step-change for the social-media platform and is reflective of the consumer demand for watching different types of content of different lengths. As other social media companies continue to innovate and change, Instagram won’t want to be left behind. Snapchat recently redesigned its UI to benefit both advertisers and consumers. Similarly, Facebook has upped its focus on streaming live sports, hiring Eurosport’s CEO earlier this year.”
While increasing video length won’t necessarily shake up the advertising industry, it certainly brings in opportunities for brands and advertisers to sate the consumer demand for varying forms of content, he added.
“After all, it’s another creative avenue to explore,” he said. “But the content must be just as compelling and engaging, otherwise the chances are the consumer will be scrolling down before you know it.”
