Instagram is constantly tweaking its platform but when it comes to video there were some major changes in July 2022. These changes should impact how video projects are briefed and delivered. Because getting it wrong won't optimise the platform's real estate but the video may also get punished by the algorithm overloads.
So, most videos uploaded to Instagram are shared as Reels, but as they still appear in the Feed and on the Grid. These 3 locations (Reels, Feed and Grid) show the same videos in different aspect ratios. If a video isn't carefully framed, with this in mind the key messages or subtitles could be cut off or obscured.
Here are BearJam's best practices to help when briefing video projects for Insta.
- Shoot and deliver video for Instagram at 9:16 (vertical).
- Frame the content so it's safe for 2:3. The bottom part is cropped in the Feed and obscured in Reels.
- Create 1:1 cover or thumbnail to sit nicely in the Grid.
Putting it into action
We recently produced a video for Just Eat featuring YouTubers Chunkz and Darkest Man alongside professional football referee, Mark Clattenburg. The content was destined for Instagram so we shot it all vertical. In post-production we were sure to keep within our frame-safe guide.
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