Instagram Video: A Complete 2026 Guide

Video is taking Instagram by storm. Social media monitoring tool Mention reports that video posts have the highest overall engagement rate, getting more than 2X the comments of image posts. We’ve put together a guide to help you make the most of the trend towards video on Instagram.

In this Instagram video guide, we’ll dive into all aspects of video on the popular mobile social platform. We’ll take a look at everything from video in the Instagram feed to Instagram Stories, ads, and live video. Jump around using the links in the Table of Contents or read through the full guide to get the full overview.

What is Instagram video?

First, we’ll talk about what we mean when we say “Instagram video.” Instagram video refers to a whole bucket of organic videos, including:

1. Reels
2. Stories
3. Live
4. Feed

You can also use to create and share video ads on these platforms, but we'll dive into that later on.

For now, here's everything you need to know about the types of videos you can post on Instagram and why you should post them:

The benefits of using Instagram video

There are a lot of reasons to use video on Instagram. We’ve rounded up just a few, in case you’re not already convinced.

Instagram is a video-first platform

Instagram used to be famous for sharing heavily-filtered photos, but not anymore. Today, videos account for over 60% of user engagement, and users spend around 50% of their time watching videos on Instagram.

That's over 200 billion Reels daily across Instagram and Facebook.

Instagram videos are more engaging

Reels have the highest average engagement rate across the board at 1.23%, compared to 0.70% for photos and 0.99% for carousels.

Reels in particular yield 22% more interaction (likes, shares, comments) than standard video posts.

How to share a video on Instagram

In this section, we’ll cover the basics of how to share a video to the Instagram feed, to Instagram Stories, and as a video ad.

If you’d like to take a deeper dive, we’ve put together an entire resource about how to post a video on Instagram. That article includes how to post your own video, how to repost someone else’s video, and how to post to Instagram Stories, plus video specs for feed and Stories.

Posting an Instagram Reel

We’ll start with how to post a video to your profile, to share with your followers in their Instagram feeds.

1. Make your video. For optimal performance, create a vertical, full-screen video with a 9:16 aspect ratio (1080 x 1920 pixels).
2. Open the Reels Editor. There are two main ways to start a Reel.
   1. From your home feed: Tap the "+" icon at the bottom of your screen, then select "Reel."
   2. From the Reels tab: Tap the Reels icon (the clapperboard) at the bottom of the app, then tap the camera icon in the top right.
3. Record or upload your clips.
   1. To record, hold the record button at the bottom of the screen. You can record multiple clips by stopping and starting the recording.
   2. To upload, tap the gallery icon in the bottom-left corner and select a video from your camera roll. You can combine multiple videos and images into one Reel.
4. Edit and enhance your Reel. Use the editing tools on the left side of the screen to add audio, text, stickers, and effects.
5. Finalize and Share. When you're happy with your edits, tap "Next."
   1. Write a Caption: Use relevant keywords and a few hashtags to optimize for search.
   2. Select a Cover: Choose a visually appealing frame from your video or upload a custom cover image to grab attention on your profile grid.
   3. Publish: Tap "Share" to publish your Reel. It will appear on the Reels tab, and you can also choose to share it to your main profile grid.

Posting an Instagram Story

Now lets talk about sharing videos to your Story.

1. Make your video. Before you can upload a video, you need a video!
2. Save the video to your device. You can only create Instagram Stories from a mobile device, so you’ll need to save the video to the device you use Instagram from.
3. Create a new Story. Tap on "Your Story" in the top left corner when you’re logged into the Instagram app.
4. Upload your video. Tap on your camera roll and select the video you want to upload. Or, record a video using your phone camera.
5. Finalize and share. Add extra text, stickers, and music if you’d like. Then, when you’re done, share it to your Story.

Want to learn more? Check out our guide to getting started with Instagram Stories.

Posting a video as an Instagram ad

Just like some potential customers may be seeking you out on Instagram, you can use targeted advertising to seek out potential customers as well. You can easily target just the right audience on Instagram using Facebook Ads Manager.

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg says, "Targeting makes advertising better – more relevant to people and more effective for businesses. This is especially important for small businesses as they have limited budgets and need to make every dollar count. Facebook gives small businesses the same powerful tools that were previously only available to large advertisers – so they can reach the right people at the right time."

If you’d like to post an Instagram video ad, the first thing you’ll need is a video.

Here are some tips for creating high-conversion ads on Facebook and Instagram.

Once your ad is created, you’ll get it set up through the Facebook Ads Manager. We’ll share an overview here. For a more in-depth look at Instagram ads, check out our article on how to reach new customers with targeted ads on Facebook and Instagram.

Step 1: Make your ad creative

Start by creating your video ad. Animoto has hundreds of templates to choose from, and seamless branding tools to make it your own.

Here are some best practices to keep in mind as you're creating:

• Design details:
  • Media: Upload your high-resolution image or video.
  • Primary Text: Write your ad copy. Make the first line a strong hook.
  • Call to Action (CTA): Select a button that matches your objective (e.g., "Shop Now," "Learn More," "Sign Up").
• Creative format: Choose an ad format that aligns with your placement. Reels and Stories require vertical, full-screen video.
• Design for mobile: All of your creative should be designed with mobile users in mind. Use high-quality, vertical visuals that grab attention in the first 3 seconds.
• Content is king: Authentic, user-generated style content often outperforms highly polished, studio-produced ads.

Step 2: Create your ad in Meta Ads Manager

Head over to Meta Ads Manager and click the green "Create" button.

• Pro Tip: You can also boost an existing post directly from your Instagram professional account. This is a quicker option for simpler campaigns, but it lacks the advanced targeting and optimization features of Ads Manager.

Step 3: Determine your campaign objective

Select the primary goal for your ad. Meta has streamlined its objectives to be more focused on business outcomes. Choose from options like:

• Awareness: To reach the widest possible audience and build brand recognition.
• Traffic: To drive people to a specific destination, like your website or landing page.
• Engagement: To get more likes, comments, shares, saves, or followers. This is particularly effective for boosting a post that's already performing well organically.
• Leads: To collect customer information (email, phone number, etc.) for your business.
• Sales: To drive purchases or other conversion events on your website.

Step 4: Define your audience and ad placements

This is where you tell Meta who to show your ad to. While detailed targeting is still an option, Meta's AI-driven tools are becoming the new standard.

• Audience targeting
  • Advantage+ audience: This is Meta's recommended setting. It uses AI to automatically find the best audience for your ad, often outperforming manual targeting. It’s ideal for most campaigns, especially if you have a good creative and want to scale.
  • Custom audiences: A powerful tool for retargeting. You can reach people who have previously engaged with your Instagram profile, visited your website, or are on your customer list.
  • Lookalike audiences: Find new people who are similar to your existing customers or engaged users.
• Placements
  • Advantage+ placements: The recommended setting. Meta's AI will automatically place your ad across Instagram and other platforms (Facebook, Messenger) where it's most likely to perform well.
  • Manual placements: For more control, you can select specific locations on Instagram.
    • Instagram Reels: The dominant ad format in 2025. It is full-screen, vertical video.
    • Instagram Feed: The classic post format, best for static images, carousels, and videos.
    • Instagram Stories: Full-screen, vertical ads that are highly immersive and can include interactive elements.
    • Instagram Explore: Your ad can appear in the grid of the Explore tab, reaching people actively looking for new content.

Step 5: Review and publish

Once you have reviewed all the details of your campaign, ad set, and ad, click "Publish". Your ad will be submitted to Meta for review to ensure it meets their advertising policies. After it's approved, your ad will begin running.

Here's an overview of the key metrics you should be tracking for your video ad, depending on where it is in the funnel.

• Pro Tip: Don't just "set and forget." Continuously monitor your ad's performance using Meta Ads Manager's analytics and optimize based on key metrics like click-through rate, cost per acquisition, and return on ad spend (ROAS).

Instagram video ideas

Now that we’ve covered why you should be using video on Instagram and how to share videos on Instagram, it’s time for you to start making videos. Not sure where to get started? We’ve rounded up a few Instagram video ideas to help get the ball rolling.

Engage your audience with a weekly series

A weekly video series is a nice way to keep yourself accountable for posting regular videos. Plus, it provides an opportunity to reach new followers through the use of hashtags.

A weekly series could be something like #TuesdayTips, where you share a tip related to your focus each Tuesday. Other weekly hashtags are #WomancrushWednesday, #FlashbackFriday, and #Caturday.

Use this template

A weekly series like this doesn’t have to live only in the feed. Try it in Instagram Stories too!

Inspire with a quote

Share a quote or series of quotes that your audience would resonate. Again, share with relevant hashtags to get your video in front of a wider audience. If you need a little help, check out our Editorial Quote List video template. You can easily customize this video with your own colors, images, and quotes.

Use this template

Go behind the scenes

Use Instagram to humanize your brand by going behind the scenes, whether it’s a business or personal brand. Show off your daily routine, how a product is made, what your office or home looks like, or anything else that gives a glimpse into who you are.

Use this template

Run an Instagram video ad

Video ads are a great way to reach a new audience on Instagram and Facebook alike. Check out some examples of businesses that saw success with targeted ads in the video below.

Instagram Story video ideas

Instagram Stories offer a suite of tools to help you engage with viewers, including asking questions and posting polls. As a result, there are lots of different and interesting things you can do with video.

All of the ideas we’ve mentioned so far can work for both the Instagram feed and as Stories. Here are just a few more ideas for videos that work nicely in Instagram Stories:

• Q&A: Use the question sticker to let your followers ask you questions. Then, shoot a series of short video Stories answering the questions personally.
• Exclusive offer: Use the short lifespan of Stories to share a video with a “just for followers” offer. Share a promo code just for people who see your Story to provide a sense of exclusivity.
• Highlight customers, followers, and fans: Your Instagram feed should contain on-brand content, but Stories gives you the opportunity to showcase user generated content and give your loyal followers a shout-out.
• Sneak peek: Show your followers a sneak peek of something you’ve got in the works, and even ask them for feedback or ideas to improve what’s coming.

Hungry for more ideas? Check out our full blog post with ideas for boosting engagement on Instagram with video.

Instagram video tips

Different videos perform best on different platforms. A video that works on YouTube may not be ideal for Instagram, just like a video for Instagram may not be the best content for Twitter.

Tip #1: Think visual

Instagram was originally just a photo-sharing app and, as such, Instagram users are used to seeing beautiful, striking images in their feeds.

In this example, Cupcake Market stood out on Instagram with bright colors and the visual appeal of their celebrity cookies and received attention from press, as well as an increase in sales. Check out their case study here.

Think about the types of imagery that make you stop and look on Instagram. Do you have anything like that that you could include in your videos? If not, you can always use appealing stock images. A stock library of over 1 million Getty Images photos and video clips is included with an Animoto subscription.

Tip #2: Keep it short

Since Instagram was initially a photo-only platform, users have developed a habit of scrolling quickly on Instagram, so attention spans can be quite short. Because of this, it’s best to keep videos under 30 seconds.

Tip #3: Aim to inspire

Through $30,000 in testing, we learned a lot about what works on different social platforms. On Instagram, we found that inspirational content resonates with Instagram users. Animoto’s Chief Video Officer Jason Hsiao says, "When you approach video creation for Instagram, keep inspiration in mind. Start with compelling imagery, tell a story that inspires, share a quote, or show something interesting."

Tip #4: Use hashtags

Hashtags are the best way to get your content in front of an audience that’s not following you. We’ve outlined how to experiment with hashtags in an article on Instagram growth hacking in three steps.

Tip #5: Don’t forget to set a cover image

Our last tip is a simple reminder: Don’t forget to set a cover image for your videos on Instagram.

The cover image is what shows up in the square representing your post on your Instagram profile, and what shows up before your video loads and begins playing.

Before you get to the final screen to share your video on Instagram, you should see options for "Filter," "Trim," and "Cover" at the bottom of your device. You can click on "Cover" and scroll through to choose a frame to set as your cover image. Need a little more instruction? Check out our how-to blog post for Instagram cover images.

Instagram video FAQs

Getting started with Instagram video

We hope this guide has helped you understand why you should be using video on Instagram as well as how to share videos on the platform. We've given you Instagram video ideas and tips. Now, it's time to start making videos—and we're here to make it easy.

An Animoto subscription gives you everything you need to drag and drop your way to powerful and professional social videos. With customizable video templates, designed with success in mind, you can create your own videos in minutes. With over a decade in the industry and partnerships with YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, Animoto is used by more than 1 million businesses worldwide.

Try it for free today or learn more about using Animoto to make Instagram videos. Happy video making!