One of the challenges of being a newbie content creator on YouTube is getting more eyeballs or views. While building an audience on YouTube takes time, there are certain things you can do to accelerate the process, one of which is promoting your video content on Instagram.
The great thing about YouTube is that it allows you and just about anyone to share your videos.
That’s how videos go viral. While every creator’s dream would be to have a video go viral, the fact is that will only happen if people get to watch your videos.
There is a reason why so many creators are flocking to Instagram to promote their content, one of which is that Instagram is practically a household name.
It is also a platform where any video with entertaining or educational content can go viral. There have been instances of even a new YouTube video going viral in a matter of hours thanks in part to it being posted on Instagram. So, the question is, how do you use the power of Instagram to promote your videos? In this article, we’ll show you a couple of tried and true methods of promoting your YouTube videos on Instagram.
Post Branded Content
Branded content is somewhat of a goldmine for many YouTubers and even social media influencers in general.
However, for it to work you need to find sponsorships that sync with your niche.
You will want to consistently target your audience as you continue looking for a sponsor who will help promote your video or one that generally promotes relevant videos. Ensure that your watermark or logo is visible on the video, even if you allow people to reshare or repost it. That way, you get credited for the video and not the person reposting it.
This approach also means that brands or companies can get in touch with you if they want to either work with you or sponsor your content.
Another essential thing to keep in mind is to create videos that can be branded aka brandable videos. For instance, instead of creating a video talking about walking your dog, how about creating a video about walking your dog using a specific type of leash. You can then tag brands that make or sell dog leashes to see if they would be willing to sponsor similar upcoming content. Creating brandable content will require thinking slightly differently about what you create. In our experience, think about how a potential business or brand will see potential in your latest video?
Leverage the Power of IGTV and Instagram Stories
One of the most effective ways of increasing the number of views and consequently the number of people who subscribe to your YouTube channel is to incorporate new videos into IGTV. You can post behind-the-scenes videos; sneak peeks of an upcoming video or a how-to. Just keep in mind that it should be something short and catchy.
Furthermore, you will want to cross-promote by sharing your IGTV video in stories. This will allow you to reach a more significant number of people.
Redirect People From Your Instagram Feed To YouTube Account You can redirect people from your Instagram profile to your YouTube channel by placing a Youtube channel link in your Instagram bio. If you haven’t already placed a link, edit your profile and paste it into the bio.
You might also want to brush up on your bio to promote your YouTube channel.
For instance, add something like “crazy dog walker who enjoys walking a dozen dogs a day, and documents the ordeal for your viewing pleasure.” In addition to adding a link and editing your bio, the other thing you might want to do is add relevant content to your Instagram feed. For instance, add pictures of yourself walking dogs, bathing them, or chilling with them at the pool. The related content will, in a way, give people who follow you on Instagram but aren't yet part of your Youtube audience a feel for what they can expect from your videos. In a way, you are building them up to visit your YouTube channel and subscribe.
Use Active Publishing
While we strongly recommend posting something on Instagram every day, you might want to find the best time and days to post. This is similar to how you would plan video creation and publishing. It goes without saying that there are some times of the day and days of the week when publishing your YouTube video will net you more views. The same goes for promoting on Instagram. In May 2021, Sprout Social published an article detailing the best time to post. According to the report:- Tuesdays between 11 AM and 2 PM are best
- Monday through Friday within the 11 AM window
Use Relevant Hashtags
Now everyone knows that using hashtags is essential. Most people reading this know how they work too. However, the most common mistake is using too many of them. You need to use just a handful of hashtags, but think about why you are using the ones that you have chosen? It is essential to use the right set of hashtags when promoting your video on Instagram, but it is equally crucial when optimizing your video on YouTube.
You shouldn’t be using more than 1 to 3 hashtags per post. Use the ones that perform the best, and you’ll know this by making sure that each one is highly relevant to your niche. Here is how you can choose the right set of hashtags:
- Start by checking out other Instagrammers. Ideally, ones with thousands if not millions of followers in your niche. See what hashtags they frequently use in their posts and make a list of them.
- You then want to type a niche or topic in the search bar. Tap on “Tags” and check out the search results. You then find the ones that are most relevant to your video.
Share Links to Your Videos In Stories
In addition to adding a YouTube link to your video in the bio, you can also add video link(s) in Stories. However, you need to have at least 10K followers, and the account needs to be verified for this to work. Adding a link to your story is simple. Just use the chain link icon in the menu on your Story screen. Once the link is added to your Instagram Story, viewers will open the linked content by swiping upwards on the Story. If anything, this is one of the best ways to get people to engage with your video and makes it easier for them to check out your YouTube Channel.Tag Instagram Accounts That Repost Videos
If many Instagrammers are creating and posting content similar to yours, you will want to tag them when promoting your videos. You can do this in two ways. The first is to tag the person on or in an image of the original post. You can also tag them in the caption of your video. In addition, you can tag multiple accounts on the original post. Doing this will create more buzz. However, it would help if you were careful not to be spammy. If you tag unrelated accounts, that could end up with your account getting flagged for spam. Also, tagging unrelated accounts will not do you any good.Join Direct Message Groups
Instagram recently rolled out what’s called direct message or DM. This allows people to search for and join these so-called DM groups on Instagram. The groups have a closed list of members most of whom are video creators who post content in niches relevant to the group. Active members of the group post fresh content and message others to like or comment on it. If there is a group you want to join, message the people who are already a part of it. You can also create a group of your own if you have a substantial number of Instagram followers. That said you wouldn't want to add an additional task to y0ur plate. You will want to join a DM group that will be loyal to you and the content you share. Here is how to join a DM group:- Tap the large lightning bolt icon on the right-hand side of the screen.
- In the search bar, type the niche or hobby you are interested in. Once you do, Instagram will show you a list of accounts under the hobby or niche.
- When you click on an account name, you will be taken to the messaging side of their Instagram.
- Send them a quick message. Politely ask if you can join the DM group.
Post Announcements and Updates
Many successful social media influencers post announcements and updates on their Instagram account. One reason for this is that it helps to keep their fans engaged. It is also an excellent way to excite potential subscribers. By sharing updates on Instagram, you bridge the gap between both platforms.
This will make your audience eager for what’s coming next. Increasing anticipation improves the chances of people visiting your YouTube channel and subscribing because nobody wants to miss this all-important video. The key to keeping your audience engaged with updates and announcements by feeding titbits of information. A few lines and a photograph are all you need to keep them engaged. However, this will only work if you already have a growing Instagram following and a few hundred YouTube subscribers. You can check out our article on how to grow your YouTube channel here.
Involve Your Fans In The YouTube Content Decision Making Process
Apart from sharing teaser content and posting updates, you can also use your Instagram audience to make decisions. Now, this is another excellent way to keep your audience engaged and make that upcoming new video something everyone looks forward to watching. By involving them (instagram followers) in the decision-making process of your YouTube channel, you are making them feel like they are a part of it.
You can make the decision-making process easier by creating a poll on your Instagram stories. All your fans will need to tap to get involved in the process. This is a big part of many influencers' Youtube strategy for a reason! A good instance of this is asking what type of videos your audience wants to see.
Fans can then subscribe to your channel to check out what content they already have. Involving your audience in the decision-making process demonstrates that you care about what they want and their opinion. This makes the experience more authentic, which is a big part of getting more subscribers.
We strongly recommend that you make a list of all the polls you want to run on your Instagram Stories. You can then choose to publish one each week or every month. You can also run polls asking your audience which video thumbnails they like or which video titles they find interesting.
Shoutout To Your Fans on Instagram and Youtube Videos
Another way to show your fans that you care is to dedicate an Instagram post to them. You can celebrate that they are a big part of your success. You can also have posts that celebrate your top YouTube fans. One way to do this is to create a collage of all your top fans and avatars. Then tag them in the caption. You can also choose to take things one step further by displaying the posts in your website’s feed. Recognizing your top fans is an excellent way to incentivize people to subscribe. Everyone wants to get a shoutout on social media from a YouTuber they love. However, it also signals to those who are not fans yet, to become fans to get this type of respect.Instagram Giveaways To Promote Your Youtube Channel
One final tip we have for you is to run promotions and giveaways on your YouTube channel. This is an excellent way to quickly grow followers across both YouTube and Instagram. The best way to do this is to create an online contest using a service like RafflePress, which is a giveaway plugin for WordPress. You will find everything you need to help you run a successful giveaway on both social media platforms. The ready-made actions in the drag and drop builder allow fans to start engaging with just a few clicks. Your giveaways can be announced on YouTube, but you can promote them on Instagram and Facebook. Ask those who want to participate to watch your video to enter. Extra options can also be used, such as:- Visit a YouTube channel
- Refer a Fried
- View Instagram post or video
Final Word
Instagram, in addition to Facebook and Twitter, are some of the best social media platforms for content creators to promote their videos. However, as many budding content creators reading this may have already discovered, they have little time for anything else between creating content and promoting it. Promoting your content is a full-time job in itself, but so is creating good content. The solution is to hire a professional with experience promoting videos on Instagram and other social media platforms. That way, you have the time to continue with your full-time job until your side hustle as a Youtube creator takes off.
Fortunately, Legiit is home to many seasoned social media specialists who can help promote your YouTube channel and its videos across multiple social media accounts. Click here to browse through all the social media experts on Legiit and send them a message to discuss what you need.
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