Instagram thinks IGTV is the “future of video” this remains to be seen. Although linked to Instagram, IGTV hasn’t made a significant impact in creator content since it launched in 2018. Instagram’s looking to change this.

Just last week (April, 13) Instagram enhanced the features on its IGTV app, making it easier for users to find new talent within the app. The features include:

— Hands-free recording mode

— A home page that features a creator at the top (based on who a user follows and content they find interesting)

— Discover tab to allow users to find content that may interest them

Will Anyone Use These Features?

The features are a step in the right direction, but for creators, there are platforms that offer far more engagement than IGTV, something Instagram needs to acknowledge. Despite efforts to launch the next big creator with a team of talent scouts, IGTV doesn’t seem to be able to grasp the people’s attention – users who’ll make their future stars into actual stars. Could this change with the redesign?

The jury’s still out.

However, for IGTV to be truly successful it needs to establish its place among other popular video content outlets like YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook. So far, the long-form video content Instagram is pushing with IGTV, its parent company Facebook still has far more engagement.

Why Can’t Instagram Achieve The Success It’s Had With Stories With IGTV?

One possible reason IGTV hasn’t become popular is that it isn’t offering users a unique or distinctive experience. TikTok took the place of Vine, YouTube dominates long-form video content, and Instagram Stories allows users to interact in real-time within Instagram itself. So, what does IGTV offer for us creators?

Not much.

Perhaps if the app was more integrated into Instagram, it would stand a chance. After all, isn’t the “IG” in “IGTV” Instagram?

Instagram is slowly realizing that and is removing the features that made IGTV feel so disconnected from Instagram. First, they removed the need to create an IGTV channel, then they allowed users to post previews of IGTV videos to their main feed, now they’re allowing users to post 15 seconds snippets of their IGTV videos to stories. These features will make IGTV more appealing, but will it be appealing enough for you to invest more time in it?

Probably not. IGTV still needs to work on their algorithm to ensure smaller creators aren’t drowned out by celebrity status influencers and brands.

But, IGTV is only two years old, there’s still time to grow. Instagram is aware of this and is continually investing in the app in an effort to become the “future of video.”

Will you be using IGTV’s newly redesigned app? Do you have the IGTV standalone app installed? Or will you simply try out the app in hopes that being an early adopter will lead to big gains in the future?