Instagram as a Video Platform with Tyler McCall

Tyler McCall has become my go-to Instagram guru. As the creator of the Follower to Fan Society, Tyler focuses on helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses using Instagram. Video on Instagram is becoming more and more prevalent, so if you're wondering why we are talking about Instagram on the VIDEO Pursuit Podcast... pay attention!

Listen to Episode 30: Instagram as a Video Platform with Tyler McCall

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As a member of Tyler’s Follower to Fan Society, I have been really diving into Instagram lately. So I was dying to speak with Tyler about all thing Instagram and video on Instagram too.

Which Instagram Niches are Best?

Instagram is the fastest growing social media platform there is right now. It’s growing more quickly than Facebook ever grew and as we’re actually seeing Facebook growth plateau and start to drop a little bit, Instagram growth is through the roof and continuing to grow.

Inside of the Follower to Fan Society, there are hundreds of different people in a whole range of niches. So I wanted to know from Tyler if there are certain niches on Instagram that work better than others.

Instagram works great for a whole range of people… Like Tyler says: 20-year-olds who are just out of college starting their business and like 55-year-olds who are running a business for the first time. And there are service-based businesses, product businesses, local businesses, brick and mortar, and online business.

The thing that really ties together all these folks is that they are all doing business in a creative way. There’s something unique or creative about the way that they approach business, and how they help people.

Instagram really does work for so many people so well because it is all about that creativity and that connection. Instagram allows you the ability to find your dream person on Instagram, create content for them, and then connect with them in a really genuine way.

What is the Point of Instagram? Is it only for Photos?

I often fall into the trap of thinking that Instagram is just about photos, but that’s not really true anymore. It is true that it started off as a photo sharing platform, but it has evolved into a video focused platform as well. Video on Instagram is huge right now!

As Tyler explains in this episode, Instagram is a storytelling platform. When you recognize that your job on Instagram is a content creator. Regardless of what you do in your business, what you sell, or who you serve. If you’re showing up on social media for your business, you are a content creator. That’s the world that we live in. So with that in mind, your job on Instagram is to share valuable content that tells stories and connects your audience with a concept or idea that’s valuable for them in their lives.

Video on Instagram

Instagram does not just have to be through a photograph. Even if you are just sharing pictures in your feed, then you need to connect with your audience using a valuable caption that elaborates on the photo or, or take your community into like a deeper relationship with you.

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Video on Instagram allows us to do that so well, especially through Instagram stories. Instagram users have really become fans of Instagram Stories, and Stories are now the most popular feature within Instagram. The ability to show up in that way without the obligation to be perfect or curated has totally changed the game. And because Stories goes away in 24 hours and you can connect with your audience in such a unique way.

Should You Post Videos on Instagram?

I don’t know about you, but rarely do I watch a video that’s in the actual Instagram feed. What Tyler is seeing among hi students, is that if you build out a presence on Instagram from the beginning that utilizes video in the feed, it can work. However, the numbers from Instagram show that video in the feed typically doesn’t get as much engagement as a photo in the feed.