The Ultimate Guide to Creating Great Instagram Videos

Instagram was once known as the place to upload only photos, but this is changing as Instagram videos have become increasingly popular. For businesses, the need to post more than just photos on social media couldn’t be more evident, as Instagram videos receive more than double the engagement than Instagram photos do.

With over 1 billion active monthly users and over 100 million photos and videos uploaded daily on Instagram, getting your videos noticed on this social media platform can definitely be a challenge. We are here to help with this ultimate guide for editing the best videos for Instagram. In this article we’ll learn about:

1. The Types of Instagram Videos
2. Tips for Editing Videos for Instagram
3. Outputting and After Uploading
4. Getting Started on Your Instagram Video Success Story

Before we get started, please consider downloading PowerDirector Mobile and PowerDirector 365 for PC, FREE - the best editing apps for Instagram videos and effective tools for making your Instagram presence felt.

1. The Types of Instagram Videos

For those who aren’t 100% familiar with the different types of Instagram videos, we have provided a quick overview that will help you choose the type of Instagram videos you want to make for your business or personal account.

Regular Instagram Video Posts

Videos you record with a smartphone can be uploaded to Instagram the same as any photo. With a maximum length of 60 seconds, Instagram videos blend right in with your other posts in your regular content feed on this social media platform.

Instagram Story Videos

Instagram users can share 15 second videos to their "story", which are visible to their Instagram followers and to selected users they follow. Instagram Story videos are temporary posts, as they are only viewable for 24 hours.

Instagram Live

Instagram live is exactly as the name suggests, a live video stream from your smartphone/computer to your Instagram account that you can make public or just viewable to your followers.

IGTV (Instagram TV) Video

IGTV video is a separate app from Instagram that is similar to YouTube and is geared more towards younger viewers and video content creators. The videos uploaded are meant to be viewed on mobile devices and can be up to an hour long.

2. Tips for Editing Videos for Instagram

Now that you have hopefully chosen the type of Instagram video you want to make, let’s review some helpful tips you can keep in mind when editing a video for Instagram.

Use a Good Video Editor Such as PowerDirector

To post Instagram videos that stand out, it’s ideal to do a little more than just upload raw unedited videos. This is where a good video editing app for Instagram will come in handy.

With a subscription to PowerDirector 365 you get all the editing tools and royalty-free stock media you’ll need to turn your raw video into a polished Instagram video that’ll get noticed. For new users, PowerDirector 365 gives you all the tools you will need to explore your creativity. You’ll be able to edit video masterpieces for Instagram with professional editing tools that are not only powerful but extremely easy to learn.

With PowerDirector 365 you can also add motion graphics, animated titles, creative transition effects, eye-catching particle effects, and even use green screen editing, motion tracking, and much, much more. It’s truly an platform that can scale to any level of production you’re looking to create and undoubtedly help you create videos that will stop users mid scroll. Check out this tutorial to get an idea of the kind of Instagram videos you can make in PowerDirector:

The mobile version of PowerDirector is perfect for editing video on the go and making Instagram Story videos look more polished. PowerDirector Mobile provides seamless end-to-end production, as you can shoot your videos with the app, edit them with powerful effects, and then produce video in all the popular formats, including formats for Instagram.

With this multi-track video editing app for your iOS or Android devices you can effortlessly add blending effects, chroma key effect, smooth transitions, mask effects, titles and stickers, and much more to your Instagram videos.

Check out this PowerDirector Mobile tutorial video to see an example of what you can easily accomplish with this powerful Instagram video editing app.

Keep the Videos Short

The attention span of Instagram users is fleeting, so keep your videos short. Instagram videos can be up to 60 seconds long, but videos less than half that length are ideal and more effective.

If you can make a video less than 10 seconds that is so impactful that the user watches it more than once, that would be the best scenario. So keep this in mind when coming up with Instagram video ideas.

Make an Instant Impact

You need to make the first few seconds of the video count. If you don’t grab a viewer’s attention early, it’s likely they will just keep scrolling.

You can do this in a variety of ways, but eye catching effects or attention grabbing text and slogans work best.

Take this video as an example. It was created with PowerDirector Mobile and you can see how it was made as well in the video.

Include Text in Your Instagram Videos

As users scroll through their Instagram feeds, most videos will start playing without sound, as Instagram videos are muted by default. You need to remember this when creating your videos and think about using text to get your message across to viewers without the need for sound.

This is another place where a video editor comes in handy. With PowerDirector 365 you can create title text in the Title Designer with effects that will get your Instagram videos noticed and impress your followers.

Get Creative and Create Eye Catching Instagram Videos!

Get creative with your Instagram videos by using color LUTS to add dynamic colors and making your titles more engaging with motion graphics.

These are just two ways you can be more creative in your editing. We have compiled a list that explains these ideas in detail and includes three more tips for you.

Don’t Be Afraid to Be Funny & Imaginative

Use your imagination and think outside the 1:1 box. To get noticed you’ll have to. Check out what we mean by looking at this tutorial on how to create a glitch effect in PowerDirector.

With just a little effort, you can create mind blowing videos that are sure to light up your Instagram feed. With both the PowerDirector app and PowerDirector 365 you can use such cool features as masks and green screens for surreal results.

See an example of what we mean in this tutorial that literally was a light bulb moment of creativity.

3. Outputting and After Uploading

Okay…you have an idea for a great Instagram video and you’re about to start the editing process, but there is still more to think about. Here we outline some things to remember about editing and outputting videos for Instagram and what to consider after uploading them.

Ensure Videos Have the Right Aspect Ratio

Instagram videos are viewed almost exclusively on smartphones and cannot be enlarged like on other platforms. This means you need to make sure you shoot and edit your videos in the right format and with the right aspect ratio for Instagram. The ideal format for Instagram is videos shot in portrait mode with a 1:1 aspect ratio.

In CyberLink PowerDirector you can edit your Instagram videos with the correct format to make use of all the space available in the Instagram app. For the complete details on the best video formats for Instagram, and an overview of the upload process, check out this tutorial.

Use Hashtags to Promote Your Videos

Once your videos are uploaded to Instagram, don’t forget to use hash tags to promote them. Your goal is to find new followers, and using hashtags is the best way to accomplish this.

Engage with your audience

Once your Instagram videos are posted, don’t forget about them. With any luck, you will start receiving likes and comments from your followers. Use this opportunity to communicate with them. It’s a great way to learn what they think and also to find ways to make your Instagram videos and products better.

Post Often

Our last tip for you is to simply post Instagram videos as often as you can. To stand out and get more followers, you need to post on a regular basis. The more you post great content, the more followers you'll get.

4. Getting Started on Your Instagram Video Success Story

You are now ready to start making engaging social media videos for Instagram. If you haven’t done so yet, go download PowerDirector Mobile and the Essential version of PowerDirector for free so you can start creating your Instagram success story.

If you’d like to view more tutorials for PowerDirector 365, you can view many more in CyberLink's Learning Center. For PowerDirector Mobile, you can always find inspiration for your next Instagram video by checking out these how-to videos.

At this point, the only thing stopping you is your creativity. So get started and get creative.