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Category: Instagram

Instagram In Talks With Influencers, Publishers For Snapchat Discover-Like Video Hub Launching June 20 (Report)

After reports surfaced earlier last week that Instagram was eyeing a push into long-form vertical video by expanding its maximum video length from one minute to one hour, new details have emerged about the platform’s bigger video visions.

While initial reports suggested that long-form video could serve as an extension of Instagram Stories, Techcrunch reports that Instagram is actually poised to launch a brand new hub for long-form content tentatively slated for June 20 — coinciding with VidCon. That hub, which Techcrunch likens to Snapchat Discover, will house vertically-oriented scripted series, music videos, and YouTube-style clips in fullscreen and with 4K resolution. Instagram is currently meeting with social influencers and digital publishers about potential programming for the venture.

If such a hub would bring Instagram more squarely into competition with YouTube, it is still honing a monetization model to rival that platform. While no ad revenue splits or upfront payments (as was the case with Facebook Watch) are reportedly being offered to potential partners at launch, according to Techcrunch, the videos will have a ‘Swipe-Up’ option that creators can use to drive traffic to other monetizable destinations.

In addition to popular creators and bold-faced publishers, Instagram will enable all users to share videos that are longer than its current one-minute limit, per Techcrunch — though it still remains to be seen how these videos will relate to the main Instagram feed, and how users will be alerted about new posts.

Techcrunch has uncovered several other details about the forthcoming video hub, which it says may live within the ‘Explore’ tab, receive its own tab, or even be spun out into a standalone app. Additionally, a ‘Continue Watching’ option will enable users to consume clips over several sessions; long-form clips will also be able to be accessed via bubbles on creators’ profiles near Stories Highlights; and long-form videos cannot be shot and instantly posted — they must be pre-filmed and uploaded.

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Instagram Rolls Out Ecommerce In Stories, As Snapchat Tests Shoppable Ads

After rolling out the ability for users to share shoppable links within their Instagram feed posts in 2016, the social platform is adding the feature to its popular ‘Stories‘ product — which is used by 300 million people every day.

“On Instagram Stories, when you see a sticker with a shopping bag icon, tap on it to see more details about that product,” the company shared in a blog post,” noting that brands like Adidas, Aritzia, and Louis Vuitton are piloting the feature. Instagram added that a recent survey found that users frequently watch Stories to keep up with and glimpse an insider view of their favorite brands, as well as to discover relevant products.

While Instagram is rolling out the feature with only a handful of retail partners, it could eventually be a particularly grabby tool for influencers to guide followers toward items they’re selling.

To this end, competitor Snapchat has also ramped up its ecommerce capabilities in recent weeks. The company is now testing shoppable ads that can run in both its premium Discover section and between user-generated Stories, AdWeek reports. Snapchat will also also provides marketers with performance metrics for these ads. Additionally, ticket seller SeatGeek has been partnering with Snapchat for the past several months to vend tickets to events within the Stories of companies like Major League Soccer (MLS).

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