Instagram now allows users to continuously upload Stories of up to 60 seconds without being interrupted. Previously, stories were automatically cut in 15 seconds. The company tested the change with select users late last year before rolling it out globally. This was announced by Meta’s spokesman MARKETING INTERACTIVE: “We are constantly working to improve the Stories experience. Now you can play and create Stories continuously for up to 60 seconds instead of being automatically cut into 15 second clips.”
Instagram has increased the time limits for its video features. In June, the Reels time limit was increased from 60 to 90 seconds. Video posts shorter than 15 minutes are now automatically shared as reels as well. The focus is on videos as Instagram tries to compete with TikTok. In July, following criticism from netizens and celebrities, Instagram retracted some of its product reviews, including full-screen photos and videos. Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri previously said that over time, Instagram will shift towards video and users will also gradually share more videos.
Meanwhile, Emplifi recently found that brands in Asia Pacific post more often on Instagram (68%) than TikTok (32%), and both reach and engagement were higher on Instagram. Instagram is clearly one of the most popular platforms for brands to reach audiences.
Hemant Menon, Client Partner and Performance Marketing Lead at Dentsu Singapore, explained that while the story duration change will have a limited impact on paid advertising, it opens up a new opportunity for advertisers to tell better stories and attract users’ attention win imagination without interruption.
“It’s the right time for advertisers to rethink their creative strategies and produce content based on user usage patterns across platforms, rather than the ‘TVC for all media’ approach that is still common in APAC.” , he said. According to Menon, this is a move by Instagram to reorganize its efforts to increase user stickiness through content.
Amir Faiz, Group Creative Director, Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS), believes it’s up to brands to figure out how to segment their content amid the blurring lines between Stories and Reels. “For example, Reels gives us a space to produce long themed content that is rotated entirely vertically. For us at MBCS, we’re excited about the news and the team is already coming up with ideas on how best to use these formats creatively,” he added.
Both stories and reels are an integral part of the campaigns MBCS works on. Amir said that in the past the industry has seen media move from shorter to longer formats with interesting results. “It will be very interesting to see what the creators come up with,” he said, adding:
Brands also typically don’t want to disrupt their topic and brand on Instagram, so these longer stories help with tactical posts.
Netizens on Twitter were divided on the issue. While some welcomed the 60-second length, others felt it was too long. Stories’ new duration may be an issue for users who prefer bite-sized content. Alvina Seah, Managing Director of GOVT Singapore, similarly said that while there is room for broader stories, consumer attention will always be a key challenge to solve.
“At the end of the day, the consumer has a say in whether they want to continue watching the long video after a few seconds or watch your short video again a few times,” she said.
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