13 Tips for Creating Videos for Instagram Like the Brands You Love [+ Examples]

By rsukhraj@hubspot.com (Ramona Sukhraj)

New Data: Instagram Engagement Report [Free Download]

Creating videos for Instagram has to be one of my favorite marketing tasks.

From in-feed videos to Reels, Instagram Live, and Stories, marketers like you and me have so many fun opportunities to get creative and to make things even better — they actually work.

According to recent HubSpot Research, marketers rate Instagram the #1 social media platform for video ROI, engagement (likes, shares, etc.), and leads. And I’ve seen this first-hand, both professionally and personally.

In this article, I’ll detail everything you need to know about posting and creating video content on the platform and share actionable tips I and big brands have used to be successful.

New to Instagram marketing in general? Check out our article, “How to Use Instagram: A Beginner’s Guide [Expert Insights + New Data].” That foundational knowledge is essential when diving into Instagram videos.

Table of Contents

Instagram Videos vs Reels
Why create videos for Instagram?
How to Create Video on Instagram
How to Post a Video to Instagram from Camera Roll
How to Make Good Videos for Instagram

Best Adobe Premiere Pro Export Settings for Instagram

Instagram Videos vs Reels

Before we continue, let’s get one thing straight: almost every video on Instagram ends up becoming a Reel. At least as far as user experience (UX) is involved.

Any video uploaded from your camera roll as a “post” or is recorded while “post” is selected appears in the Reels tab on your Instagram profile and is subject to the same UX and optimization options.

The main difference between the two is that “post” or in-feed videos can be up to 60 minutes long, while Reels are limited to just 90 seconds.

To illustrate, let’s look at this video on my Instagram. It’s just shy of five minutes long, so I had to post it “in-feed.” However, I could still edit and refine it like a Reel. Then, after uploading, it still appeared in the Reel tab on my profile.