Video Trick for Instagram

Our school does a weekly video newsletter each week (Chapter 2 in Your School Rocks...So Tell People) and we distribute the link via a variety of platforms (Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, email, and our school website).  That hits pretty much everyone except our students.

The social media tool of choice for our student demographic is Instagram.  The problem we have encountered is, a video on Instagram is limited to about 15 seconds and you cannot put hyperlinks in your Instagram posts (well played Instagram, well played).  With our video newsletter usually being 2-3 minutes in length, it has been difficult to use the tool our students use most as a method of distribution.

Many of our parents have told me they watch the weekly video newsletter together as a family.  That is great, but how can we reach our students in which that does not occur?  How can we reach them on Instagram?

I'll admit, this is not the most seamless way to do it, but it is a fairly simple work around.

1. Edit your Instagram profile and insert the link to the designated video where it allows you to enter a website.
2. Post a screenshot of the video or a short clip of the video itself as you would normally do when posting to Instagram.
3. In the caption, inform the user they can see the video in its entirety by clicking on the link on your profile.

Our plan is to change the video link on our profile page each week.  Here is a quick video that will walk you through the process.

Are you using video newsletters or Instagram to connect with your families?  If so, we'd love to hear about it.