IGTV
Instagram recently rolled out it’s new video sharing platform, Instagram TV, which can be watched from within the Instagram app or by using the IGTV app. The new media platform allows users to post vertical, full screen videos from 15 seconds to an hour. So far IGTV has seem most of it’s success from DIYers and style accounts with a few notable exceptions being National Geographic and ABC. It will be interesting to see how Instagram is able to bring this aspect of media consumption to its users.
While Instagram is currently the third largest social media platform, following Facebook and YouTube respectively, this seems to be a move to edge YouTube out of the mix by creating a more phone friendly way to consume longer video media. In 2016 Instagram launched its stories section and played a large roll in whipping out Snapchat’s new growth rate which subsequently decreased by 82% and it seems like IGTV could have the same affect on YouTube. Now that we live in an age where income and the fight to stay relevant are so closely connected one must wonder how YouTube will bounce back from this blow and continue to adapt it’s platform to hold attention.