Instagram Reels vs Stories vs IGTV explained!

Trying to keep up to date with all the recent updates Instagram makes to their platform can be a minefield! Did you know that you can now shop from directly inside the app?! That is a story for another day, today, we are taking a look at Instagram Reels, Stories and IGTV and answering what they are and when is the right time to use them.

Instagram TV (IGTV)

A place where people can post their edited, high-quality videos in long format, up to 10 minutes. IGTV has a vertical orientation as the selfie culture seems to prefer the vertical format. This is getting less of a push from Instagram, so use this sparingly, perhaps for older projects.

Instagram/Facebook Stories

Instagram Stories are temporary posts (they last for 24 hours) that are either pictures or short videos, that are up to 15 seconds. They are usually accompanied with text or other special effects. Hashtags, mentions, polls, and countdowns make IG Stories an interactive and effective platform for video marketing and engaging with your audience. You can also use it to repost other Instagram posts.

Instagram Reels

Instagram Reels is a short-format video feed where users can edit 15-second multi-clip videos with audio, effects, and new creative tools. You can share reels with your followers on Feed, and, make them available to the wider Instagram community through a new space in Explore (meaning you will have the most reach to possible new followers). Reels in Explore offers anyone the chance to become a creator on Instagram and reach new audiences on a global stage. As Instagram is using this feature to rival TikTok, I am finding Reels is getting a serious push on the app and most content brings in a lot of views.

When it comes to IGTV vs Stories, each platform offers something a little different, so you should take your audience and your preference into consideration, but if you’re going for marketing impact, your best bet is going to be Instagram Stories. According to the 2019 Social Media Marketing Report, 38% of marketers are using Instagram Stories while only 26% are using IGTV. If you are reading this article in 2020, you should absolutely be taking advantage of Instagram Reels as this is the best way to get as much reach as possible.