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Instagram’s Underdog
Rethinking IGTV and Finding Success With
Long-Form Content

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About me
Kara Segedin
Digital Portfolio Manager - Factual
• Digital lead on Planet Earth II, Blue Planet II
and Dynasties global campaigns
• Executive producer of the BBC Earth
Podcast
• Former newspaper reporter with 8 years’
experience in social media and digital
content
I n s t a g r a m ’ s U n d e r d o g

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3I n s t a g r a m ’ s U n d e r d o g 3

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BBC Studios Digital
I n s t a g r a m ’ s U n d e r d o g
Planning Production
Publishing CRM

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INSTAGRAM POP QUIZ
I n s t a g r a m ’ s U n d e r d o g
When was IGTV launched?
A) April 2018
B) June 2018
C) September 2018
What is the maximum length of an IGTV
video?
A) 60 minutes
B) 90 minutes
C) 120 minutes
What is the most ‘Instagrammed’ food?
A) Sushi
B) Cupcakes
C) Pizza
How many users tap on Instagram shopping
posts each month?
A) 30 million
B) 130 million
C) 300 million

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6P R E S E N T A T I O N T I T L E
Pyramid Flare by Johann Lurf © Marcus Gradwohl

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Instagram
I n s t a g r a m ’ s U n d e r d o g
• Founded in 2010
• Bought by Facebook in 2012
• 1 billion MAU
• Younger, generally more positive community
• Experience is focused within the platform.
• Likes and Comments with limited sharing.
• Since Facebook’s acquisition, the platform
has opened up and is adding more
opportunities for brands and monetisation.
• From Feed, to Stories, to IGTV, to Shop.

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What is IGTV?
P R E S E N T A T I O N T I T L E

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Several BBC accounts (including BBC Earth) were given early
access to upload clips for launch.
I n s t a g r a m ’ s U n d e r d o g
Which of these two
videos performed best?
Answer:
The Soundscape: 374k
Snakes vs Iguana: 50k

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New ways to promote
I n s t a g r a m ’ s U n d e r d o g
7 February 20191 November 2018

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Most successful IGTV video to date
I n s t a g r a m ’ s U n d e r d o g
Ostrich takes on hyena clan from ‘Serengeti’
The challenge
• Attract younger and diverse audiences
• No marketing budget
• Departure from usual programming - dramatised
natural history
Results
• Total Views: 943k
• Total Comments: 773 with positive sentiment
• UK TX was first in slot for BAME audiences
• And performed particularly well with young men
(aged 16+)

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You could never read and see everything online.
Not in 100 lifetimes.
I n s t a g r a m ’ s U n d e r d o g
Source: Domo 2018

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What is good social content?
I n s t a g r a m ’ s U n d e r d o g
• Edited for the platform – but never at the
expense of the content
• Designed for sound off
• Mobile-first
• Cut to a heartbeat frequency
• Uses all the screen
• Answers the questions: why and why now?
• Leads on the strongest angle or the
strongest piece of footage
• But…these rules are constantly broken.

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“We're not experiencing peak
content – it's infinity content.”
Alex Chung, Founder, Giphy
The rise of microcontent
I n s t a g r a m ’ s U n d e r d o g 15

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The problem with Millennials
(and the even bigger problem with Gen Z)
Millennials: born between 1980-1995
Gen Z: born between 1996-2010
Millennials will remember a time
before unlimited entertainment and
high speed internet connections,
while Gen Z was born into a world
overrun with technology and
unlimited entertainment at their
fingertips

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17P R E S E N T A T I O N T I T L E

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18S o u r c e : I P A T o u c h p o i n t s 2 0 1 9

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19P R E S E N T A T I O N T I T L E

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20I n s t a g r a m ’ s U n d e r d o g
Build an ecosystem that reflects user behaviour
On the go Lean forward Lean back

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21I n s t a g r a m ’ s U n d e r d o g
User behaviour ecosystem – Seven Worlds, One Planet
On the go
• Instagram feed
• Stories (consumption)
• Memes
• ‘Bumpers’ on long form
• Ads
• Tweets
Lean forward
• Stories (interactives)
• Short social edits
(behind the scenes,
funny moments)
• Gifs
• Articles
• Quizzes
Lean back
• Long-form edits on
IGTV, Facebook
Watch, YouTube
• Articles
• Quizzes

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22I n s t a g r a m ’ s U n d e r d o g
IGTV: the basics
Upload specifications:
• Min: 1 minute
• Max: 15 minutes from a mobile
& 60 minutes from web.
• MP4
• 9:16 (or 16:9 if you must)
• 720 pixels
• Don’t forget your thumbnail
• 420px by 654px
Things to remember
• Most important: What will it
look like in feed? (4:5)
• Secondary: What will it look
like in grid? (1:1)
• Initial playback is sound off

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23I n s t a g r a m ’ s U n d e r d o g
Best practice examples

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T H A N K Y O U
A N Y Q U E S T I O N S ?