Conviva�s 2021 IGTV Benchmarks Report Examines Best Practices for Leveraging Long-form Video on Instagram

FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Conviva, the continuous measurement platform for streaming media, released its 2021 IGTV Benchmarks report today, detailing how brands are using IGTV as well as how Instagram�s long-form video feature is faring overall. The report, which analyzed more than 25,000 accounts, 54,000 IGTV videos, 400 million engagements and 4 billion video views, found IGTV has grown rapidly since its 2018 release, up from a 2% share in 2019 to a 10% share of Instagram posts in 2021.

�Video is core to every social platform, delivering significantly higher engagement rates and providing a fresh and creative way for brands to reach new audiences,� said Keith Zubchevich, CEO, Conviva. �New, longer-form formats like IGTV in particular offer a way for companies to create a deeper connection with viewers who can fully immerse themselves in the brand.�

Newer Instagram Formats Reign Supreme

Carousel posts (posts with multiple photos or videos) grew from under 15% of all posts in 2019 and 2020 to 20% of all posts in 2021. Together, carousel and IGTV posts accounted for 30% of all posts in the first half of 2021, double the share commanded just two years prior. Carousel posts had the highest engagement rate of any post format, ranging from 1.2% for brands to 5.4% for sports accounts. Carousels including video resulted in 17% greater reach, 16% more impressions and 12% more engagements than image-only carousels.

Unsurprisingly, standalone photo posts declined from 56% share in 2019 to just over half of all posts in 2020 and 2021, while standalone videos dropped from nearly 30% share in 2019 to 18% in 2021.

IGTV�s Engagement Long Tail

While the majority of video engagement on Instagram traditionally comes on day one of a post, Conviva found IGTV posts have a surprisingly long shelf life. IGTV videos receive only 63% of their total views on the first day of posting, compared to 85% for carousels and 72% for standalone Instagram videos. Carousels get 7% of their views on the third day and beyond, videos 19%, and IGTV a significantly higher 29%.

Short Descriptions Win

IGTV posts with the shortest descriptions earned the highest engagement, yet these shorter descriptions are rarely used. Conviva�s analysis of the engagement rate of 54,000 IGTV videos found the highest engagement rate for posts occurred when descriptions were between one and 50 characters. No description, or 0 characters, also performed well while descriptions with 100-800 characters had the lowest engagement.

Download the full report here.

Methodology

Conviva analyzed Instagram accounts in the first half of 2021, January 1 to June 30, as compared to the same time period in 2020 and 2019. This analysis includes more than 25,000 accounts, 54,000 IGTV videos, 400 million engagements and 4 billion video views. Categorized accounts identified include 1300 accounts in the categories of brand: consumer-related product, service brands, events and locations; media: newspapers, news organizations, news websites and publishers; entertainment: TV/movie networks, TV shows, audio and social-first content networks; and sports: sports or esports teams, leagues and sporting events.

About Conviva

Conviva is the census, continuous measurement and engagement platform for streaming media. Powered by our patented Stream Sensor� and Stream ID�, our real-time platform enables marketers, advertisers, tech ops, engineering and customer care teams to acquire, engage, monetize and retain their audiences. Conviva is dedicated to supporting brands like CCTV, DAZN, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, Sky, Sling TV, TED and WarnerMedia as they unlock the incredible opportunity in streaming media. Today our platform processes nearly 3 trillion streaming data events daily, supporting more than 500 million unique viewers watching 200 billion streams per year across 4 billion applications streaming on devices. Conviva ensures digital businesses of all sizes can stream better�every stream, every screen, every second. To learn more, visit www.conviva.com.

Contacts

Paula Winkel, [email protected]