Video content is a powerful form of digital content with a widespread appeal. In fact, 72% of people would rather learn about a product or service through video.
While YouTube is a longtime favorite for video content creators, IGTV is only about a year old. Both offer certain benefits and limitations to creators brands. Are you wondering which is better for your business? Let’s take a look!
Sharing Your Video Content
If sharing your content is an absolute priority, YouTube is the winner for you. It’s easy to share YouTube videos all over your social network and all over the web. Embedding YouTube videos in articles and blogs is also easy.
This is not so easy on Instagram. While you can copy a link to videos on this platform from your mobile, it’s not as easy to share them on the web.
Going Mobile
While you can access IGTV from a web browser, Instagram is an app that is largely used on mobile phones. It is mostly dedicated to videos that will be watched on mobile devices. This means that the thumbnails of the videos you have uploaded to IGTV will be displayed differently than on your YouTube channel.
If you want video content that can be viewed around the web and on both desktop and mobile, YouTube is a better choice.
Know Where Your Audience Lives
If the vast majority of your audience is on Instagram, then using IGTV just makes sense. After all, sending most of your audience on one platform to another platform to enjoy your video content means that it is likely fewer will view it.
IGTV makes it easy and convenient for your audience to see your content as IGTV videos now appear directly in the feed. This will help to both keep your current Instagram following engaged and grow your presence.
Many major IG brands are making use of IGTV, like Kylie Cosmetics:
Searchability
YouTube is a better option if you are looking to create content that is searchable across the web. YouTube content is searchable using search engines like Google, but also on the site itself.
Instagram is only searchable within Instagram, and IG content cannot be searched for on Google. Also, while YouTube allows you to search by keywords and creators, it is not easy to search by creator when it comes to IGTV.
SEE ALSO: The Ultimate List of Instagram Hashtags
Content-Length
IGTV videos can be between 15 seconds and 10 minutes long. Only people with verified accounts can post longer videos. However, these longer videos can only be up to an hour long.
However, there are some benefits to capping video length for creators. This puts way less pressure on creators to create a lot of long content. Shorter content is also more digestible for viewers.
However, if because of the nature of your content you need more time, YouTube would be a better choice. On Youtube, you can upload videos that are hours long if you have a verified account.
IGTV Is Slicker
If visual appeal is a big part of your branding, you will likely want to choose IGTV due to its appealing use of verticle video. Some YouTube videos can be viewed vertically, but it doesn’t look as good as it does on IGTV.
IGTV content also is usually more professional looking and visually interesting than YouTube content. Instagram is largely known around the web for its particular aesthetic values as a social media site.
Monetization
At the moment, Youtube videos can be monetized and IGTV videos cannot. This is why most IG influencers rely on brand sponsorships. YouTube creators, however, have had the option to monetize their videos through Google Adsense for years and years.
Massive YouTubers like PewDiePie, Logan Paul, and Tana Mangeau have made fortunes through YouTube. However, keep in mind that their circumstances are unusual. Also, not everyone can monetize their YouTube videos. You need at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of viewing time before you can make use of Youtube’s Monetize feature.
SEE ALSO: A Digital Branding Guide to Starting Out on YouTube
Youtube’s Analytics Are More Advanced
If you are looking for in-depth statistics and analytics about your video content performance and audience, YouTube is the way you want to go. While IGTV does offer some analytical info, it is nowhere near as comprehensive as YouTube’s analytics.
Which you choose will depend on how important in-depth analytics are to you and how much detail you truly require. If IGTV gives you enough of a big picture that you can use the data to improve, it is a fine solution for you. However, if you want as much detailed information as you can have, YouTube will be able to show you much more.
So, Who Is The Winner?
Ultimately, which social media platform wins for you depends entirely on the needs, priorities, and goals of your business. It will also depend on your content. Which platform will serve your content best really depends on its genre, length, and intended audience.
If you are unsure, try both. See in practice which network gets you better results and closer to your goals. You don’t necessarily even have to pick just one. If you learn how to leverage one or both sites properly, the true winner will be your business.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, it may not be a question of pitting both platforms against each other. Don’t assume that you can upload the same kinds of content on both platforms just because they are video sharing platforms. They are both different and will come with different audiences, pros, and cons.
The fact that IGTV caps video length can be a blessing or a curse. However, if you choose to focus on IGTV, you will need to be much more selective about what gets posted and much more aware of its aesthetic values.
If you are looking to specifically engage with and strengthen your Instagram following than IGTV is likely a better way to go. However, if you are looking to become an established video content creator, YouTube is a better choice.
YouTube will make your content more easily shared, searched, and talked about across the entire web. Check out our guide to generating leads on YouTube.
Which has your vote? YouTube or IGTV? Comment below…
