Instagram is the third most popular social media site with over 2 billion active monthly users making it a great choice for Instagram marketing. Most of its users use it to share their photos and videos with family and friends. 

While the platform was primarily created for sharing images, it is equally good for sharing videos. However, this also poses a challenge: it is hard to post longer images. Fortunately, we will take you through the steps of sharing Instagram videos that are three minutes long.

What Is the Allowed Video Length On Instagram?

Driven by user demand, Instagram has continued to add a lot of video features. Users can now post videos as reels, stories, live broadcasts, or even as regular in-feed posts. The length limit of a video depends on the type of video you choose. Here are the different types of videos and their length on Instagram.

Stories

If you post your video as a story, you can only post a maximum of 15 seconds. This makes “stories” to be a good choice for:

• Showing fans a short glimpse of your life
• Showing off your latest products
• Showing creative effects like SuperZoom and Boomerangs.

You can use our tips for Instagram stories. But before you settle on stories, remember that these will disappear after 24 hours. Therefore, if you want your Instagram video to last longer than that, you should go with another option such as an In-feed video. 

If you want your stories to last longer than 24 hours, you need to put them as story highlights on your profile. Finally, if you find the 15 seconds for stories to be too short, you can also post four different stories to add up to one minute.

Steps to Follow When Uploading Instagram Stories

Before you start the process of uploading Instagram videos to stories, you need to crop them to ensure that they meet the maximum length of 60 seconds. Here are the steps to follow when adding an Instagram story:

• On your device, open the Instagram app.
• On your Instagram app, tap on the + button located on your left.
• Under the menu, choose Story and tap on the gallery option to upload the video to your gallery.
• Go to the video you want to upload and tap it once to upload it.

How to Post 3-minute Videos as Instagram Stories

If the video you want to upload to Instagram stories is three minutes long, one of the options you can consider is to fragment it into three short videos of one minute each. You can use software such as Capcut to fragment your videos into one minute each.

Reels

Reels are among the latest types of videos on Instagram. They are a good choice for showing off small snippets of your products or works. This form of video can be up to a maximum of 90 seconds though you can create15 seconds or even 60 seconds reels.  Instagram enables users to add audio and effects to their reels. Therefore, reels are a great way of showing your creative side. You can read our guide on how to make your Instagram reels go viral.

In-feed Videos

Up until Oct 2021, Instagram limited the length of in-feed videos to a maximum of one minute. However, after that, they made changes that allowed users to create in-feed videos that are up to a maximum of 10 minutes long. Therefore, if you want to post a 3-minute video on Instagram, one of the options you can consider is the in-feed videos.

When you post a 3-minute in-feed video, users will have the option to preview the first minute of the video and choose whether to watch the rest of it. Here are the steps to follow when posting an in-feed video:

• Open the Instagram app on your device and click on the + sign at the top right corner of your home screen. Tap on Post.
• You will be taken to your device gallery, where you can choose the video you want to post.
• The video should be square-shaped. If it isn't, you can adjust it to the screen using the arrow icon to prevent Instagram from cropping it.
• After posting your video on Instagram, the platform will provide you with different options for editing your video. This can include trimming the video, adding a cover, or applying filters. You can also combine several short clips into one video to make it longer. This will combine the short videos into one, playing them one after the other.
• Add the caption. A key element of your instream video you shouldn't forget is the caption. This is what provides insights into what the video is about. Include other elements such as hashtag and location features to make it easier for your video to be discoverable.

Live Videos

If you want to engage with your followers, one of the video options you should consider is reels. These can be up to one hour long, making them another perfect solution for people wanting to post long videos. When using the live videos, you can post up to four-hours long videos.

You will have an option of streaming live and in real-time. This is how Instagram conceptualized the idea to be. Alternatively, you can go live using an already pre-recorded video. If the video is already pre-recorded, ensure that you engage with your audience as much as possible and include music in your Instagram live sessions.  You should also ensure that you include transitions to ensure more effective management.

Instagram Live is a good option for hosting Q&A sessions, providing your followers with a virtual tour, or engaging in a conversation with fans. On the other hand, you should remember that this is a live feature and may not be the best choice for uploading videos directly to Instagram. Therefore, unless you have an audience waiting for your live videos, this may not be a viable option for posting long-form videos.

Steps for Going Live On Instagram

When posting an Instagram Live video, you should ensure that you have installed the latest Instagram app and have a stable internet connection. That said, here are the steps for uploading a live Instagram video: 

• If you plan to go live, start by preparing your live-streaming devices. If you are using a pre-recorded video, ensure that you have edited it to include live transitions and other elements that will give it the feeling of a live video.
• Now open the Instagram app and click on the + sign at the top left corner of your homepage.
• You will be provided with several posting options. Choose Live on the Instagram app. 
• Click on it and Go Live.

Instagram Video Ads

When posting a video ad on Instagram, you are limited to a length of 3 to 120 seconds. You are also allowed to post up to four story cards totaling a maximum of 60 seconds. But when doing ads, you can add up to a maximum of ten story cards, making your videos a maximum of 150 seconds long. 

Remember that your videos will only be shown on the first three cards of their normal Instagram story card. To see the rest of the story, viewers should opt in by tapping on the story.

Best Third-Party Apps to Make Instagram Stories Longer 

On top of the methods we have illustrated above, you can also post 3-minute videos using third-party apps and software. This software will usually split your 3-minute video into shorter segments that enable it to meet the Instagram requirement. Here are some of the best software for making your Instagram story longer.

In shot

This is a great app that allows you to make several cuts before posting your Instagram stories. The tool also allows you to make several edits to your stories by adding stickers, audio, transitions, and more. You can use the app for Android and iOS devices. To use the app, simply upload your video to the app, make the necessary edits, and share it on Instagram.

Vista Social

If you want to edit or combine your Instagram videos on a desktop, you can do so using Vista Social software. The platform has a wide range of features that make it easy to post long videos and even manage your Instagram account. 

They partner with Canva to provide you with all the best video editing features you need. Select the category of your design, whether story, reel, or In-feed video, and click on Design with Canva. You will see a pop-up Canva window allowing you to edit your videos without leaving the platform.

Wave. video

This is another great platform that will enable you to create, edit, and share your videos on Instagram. With its easy-to-use interface, you can easily upload your long-form videos, and break them into shorter segments to fit Instagram requirements. To ensure that your clips are unique and outstanding, wave.video allows you to add different effects.

Conclusion

If you want to be successful with Instagram marketing, you need to put in a lot of effort and be consistent. When creating videos for your brand, you also need to stick to the Instagram rules regarding the length of videos you can post. Fortunately, there are ways you can post a 3-minute video on Instagram while remaining within the IG guidelines. By reading our guide, it should be easy to post longer videos on Instagram. You can also check out our guide on how to connect Instagram to Facebook.