The use of Instagram Stories has grown rapidly in popularity since the feature was added a year ago. When Instagram first introduced video to its platform, users could only upload clips up to 15 seconds long. In 2016, they extended the limit to 60 seconds. According to a report, Instagram is doubling down on video content by introducing a new long-form video feature, allowing video uploads of up to an hour in length.
The social network has reportedly had recent rounds of conversations with content creators and publishers about making a long-form video for the platform when the new feature launches. It's rumored that the focus will be on vertical video, similar to Instagram Stories content.
Industry experts emphasize that the move would be a logical next step for Facebook to compete with YouTube for lucrative video-based ad dollars. It could also be a response to YouTube recently passing Facebook as the most popular social network among American teens.
Experimenting with long-form video content is a continuation of CEO Mark Zuckerberg's decision to capitalize on the popularity of video sharing. In 2016, he reportedly told BuzzFeed News, "We’re entering this new golden age of video. I wouldn’t be surprised if you fast-forward five years and most of the content that people see on Facebook and are sharing on a day-to-day basis is video."
