Using Video to Drive Deep Engagement on Instagram
When I joined El Diario New York as a Local News Fellow, I noticed a storytelling gap in how we reached our audience on Instagram. Inspired by Telemundo’s consistent use of video, I ramped up our visual storytelling—specifically through IGTV and in-feed videos—to better connect with Latino audiences in a more personal and informative way.
In my first month, I increased the number of video posts by 40x compared to the previous month. As a result, views jumped 18x, and we saw a notable shift in how our audience engaged with our content.
For example, a video I created about Vanessa Guillén’s disappearance generated 5x more shares and 2.5x more saves than a static post covering the same topic. I realized that video allowed me to pack more context, tone, and emotion into a post—filling in gaps that a single image or short caption couldn’t carry on its own.
To build on that momentum, I launched El Diario Chats, an Instagram Live series featuring Latino-owned businesses discussing how COVID-19 impacted them. These stories weren’t just informative—they created a space for the community to feel seen and heard.
:::