Instagram on TV signals a shift in how audiences consume content

By Josh Paterson

If you've seen the headlines recently, you'll know that Instagram is reportedly testing a TV experience with a greater focus on longer-form, episodic content. It’s an interesting development, but perhaps not for the reasons we might all think.

The easy headline is that Instagram is taking on YouTube, but the more interesting question is what this says about the way people consume content today. For years, marketers have built strategies around channels, firstly with TV campaigns, then social campaigns, digital campaigns and PR campaigns, each with their own objectives and creative approach.

But as we all know, audiences don’t think like they used to.

The regular viewer today might watch a Netflix series on television, then switch to YouTube for a product review, open Instagram to catch up with their favourite creators, and then scroll TikTok before bed. To them, it’s all just content, but the lines between platforms have become increasingly blurred. The battle is no longer for downloads or screen time on our phones, it’s for attention wherever audiences choose to consume it.

If Instagram's TV ambitions become reality, it could mark another huge step towards social media becoming a true entertainment platform rather than simply somewhere to scroll. And for brands and marketers alike, that’s something worth paying attention to.

So what does this mean for marketers?

One of the biggest shifts may not be technical, but creative. Social media has trained us all to think in seconds, grabbing attention quickly, deliver the message, and move on to the next post. Television, on the other hand, rewards storytelling.

That doesn’t necessarily mean producing hour-long documentaries, but it does encourage brands to think beyond individual posts. Could your sustainability initiatives become a short series? Could customer success stories become recurring episodes? Could a product launch unfold over several instalments instead of one campaign film?

It’s a subtle shift, but an important one, and as audiences become more comfortable spending longer with creator-led content, brands may find themselves with greater permission to tell richer stories.

For PR professionals, it’s certainly an exciting prospect. Good PR has always been built on narratives, personalities and authentic stories, and often, social platforms have forced these interesting stories into 30 or 60-second edits, sometimes offering a limited outcome in terms of results or brand awareness. Longer-form viewing creates more room for context, credibility and personality, qualities that are increasingly valuable in crowded markets.

Authenticity still matters

If content is increasingly being viewed on larger screens, expectations will naturally rise. A quick selfie video that feels perfectly authentic on a smartphone can look and feel very different on a 55-inch television, so framing, lighting, sound quality, graphics and editing all become far more noticeable, and ultimately, vital to its success.

This doesn’t mean every piece of content suddenly needs a television production budget, but authenticity will always be paramount. Stirking that balance will be key to the true success of the journey from social to television, and the truth is that brands may need to find a better balance between polished production and relatable storytelling.

There’s also the practical considerations of this move to TV. If horizontal and vertical formats begin to coexist, marketing teams may find themselves creating multiple versions of the same campaign, adding time, cost and complexity to content production.

The bigger picture

If Instagram does delve further into the realms of television, it won’t just change formats, it will reinforce something that is already happening.

Stories are becoming more important than channels, and for brands and PR teams, this shouldn’t be treated as a threat, but as an opportunity, with longer-form viewing, creator-led series and episodic content all pointing towards a return to narrative thinking.

Campaigns should be built around the most important brand moments, but supporting communications should also be built around continuity. The platforms that people consumer content on may be changing, but the expectation of storytelling and authenticity isn’t.

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