Instagram Will Prioritise Short-Form Content Over Long Videos to Help Users Explore Their Interests, Says Adam Mosseri

Instagram – Meta Platforms' photo and video-sharing social media app – will focus on short-form content rather than long videos, according to Adam Mosseri, head of the company. It is part of the company's “core identity” of connecting people with friends, while also helping them explore their interests. Although long-form videos can still be uploaded on the platform, Mosseri said that its focus remains on prioritising short videos.

Short-form Content on Instagram

Responding to a user's question about whether Instagram would be doing long-form videos, Mosseri posted a short video clip on the platform saying “no”, followed by an explanation behind this strategy by the company.

As per Mosseri, Instagram does two jobs: helping users connect with their friends, and enabling them to explore their interests, and these objectives are “symbiotic”. Citing several examples, the platform head revealed that when a user comes across a short video, such as Instagram Reels, that interests them, they often share it with their friends who have similar interests.

This connects them with others while also continuing to keep an eye on the content shared by others. However, when it comes to long-form videos, the relationship becomes less symbiotic. “If you watch a 10- or 20-minute video, you see less content from friends, you interact with your friends less, and you're actually less likely to send that content or that video to a friend”, Mosseri said.

Thus, Instagram won't be focusing on the long-form video business due to it “undermining” its core identity, as per Mosseri.

Notably, Instagram previously had a standalone long-form video dubbed IGTV which launched in 2018. It allowed users to upload up to an hour-long videos on the platform – something which wasn't possible on Instagram at the time. However, it was discontinued in 2022 due to the company shifting its focus towards supporting Instagram Reels.