Wednesday, November 25, 2020

How To Use IGTV: 2021’s Complete Guide For Beginners


IGTV has taken the Instagram video trend to the whole NEXT level, and brands, influencers, creators, and marketers are finding it too profitable! In short, they are loving this space a lot. 

Having larger opportunities to get featured on the Explore page, long-form video contents straight up to 10 minutes for all profiles, and a chance to create a running video series, IGTV has become the surefire way to level up your Instagram strategy. 

It gives users a golden opportunity to:

  1. Build better engagement
  2. Collaborate with the influencers
  3. Enhance your marketing strategy

But among all these things, some questions that are really going to haunt the newbies are- How to use IGTV? How to create a channel for IGTV? And lastly, what are the best ways one can use it for marketing their business?

Oh gosh! So many questions! Right? Don't worry, here in this article we are going to clear up all your doubts. Basically, it will be a complete guide on how one can make the best use of IGTV. So, without any further ado, let's quickly check the table of contents and then dive into the article. 

Table Of Contents:

  • What Is IGTV?
  • How To Create An IGTV Channel?
  • IGTV Video Specs
  • 05 Ways To Use IGTV For Business

What Is IGTV?



IGTV is one of the long-form video channels available from Instagram and as a self-functioned app. When IG launched this feature back in June 2018, people became much excited to get started with using it. And within a short time, it gained immense popularity. Well, this is so because it gave the brands and creators a huge opportunity to create videos longer than those typical IG stories and posts.  

Not only this but, lucky users who have got the verified tick can post videos on IGTV up to an hour-long. Rest regular users can upload 10 mins long videos, and this is also great. 

In fact, in 2019, Instagram allowed the creators to post a one-minute preview of their IGTV video on their feeds to enhance their reach. And that's really great to grab eyeballs and without having the audiences to download the app. 

However, recently, we found creators struggling with getting proper engagement because of the new algorithm of IG. That is also because of the arrival of the new TikTok - 'Reels' in the IG world. Users got too much attracted to Reels, leaving IGTV all behind. But not to worry, now IGTV has again gained the same engagement from the users. All you need to do is to walk with the Instagram algorithm, and you are all set to rock.

How To Use IGTV? Or How To Create An IGTV Channel?




Since IGTV is a part of Instagram or one can also say, a feature of that particular platform, so you need to create an account on IG first. Once done, you can automatically start sharing or posting videos on your IGTV. 

Here are a few steps on how to upload a video on IGTV:

  1. Tap on the + button or upload post option down in the middle of your newsfeed.
  2. Choose the video you want to upload and select NEXT.
  3. Select the Share As Long Video option! Well, it will help you post the full video on IGTV. Next, tap on the Continue option.
  4. Select a cover image for your IGTV video. You can select it from its frame or can directly add a photo from your gallery. After that, tap on the NEXT option.
  5. Then fill up the title and description for your video. Now you have the option to post a preview of your video on your newsfeed and, if you want to cross-promote it, make it available on Facebook.

Once you have done all these things, tap on the POST option! Voila! Someone just posted an IGTV video from their Instagram account. Sounds great. 

IGTV Video Specs




Just like Instagram image dimensions, IGTV does have its own dimensions that you need to follow. Here is all the information about the video specs you need for your IGTV video:

  1. File format: MP4
  2. Video length: It should be at least a minute long
  3. Max video length while uploading on mobile: 15 minutes
  4. Max video length while uploading on the web: 01 hour
  5. Horizontal aspect ratio: 16:9
  6. Vertical aspect ratio: 9:16
  7. Min resolution: 720 pixels
  8. Min frame rate: 30 FPS (frames per sec)
  9. Max file size for the videos that are 10 min or less than that: 650 MB
  10. Max file size for the videos that are 60 min longer: 3.6 GB
  11. Size of the cover photo: 420px by 654px or 1:1.55 ratio.

ProTip: You can not edit your cover photo once it is uploaded! So you have to make sure that it is all perfect.

05 Ways To Use IGTV For Business




Given below are some great tips that will definitely help you know how to use IGTV, along with a better Instagram marketing for your business. 

1. Create Tutorial Videos


One of the excellent ways to build greater engagement is with the help of tutorial videos. And these videos can cover a lot of different topics in your business. 

Say, for instance, you have a fitness brand. You could develop a series that focuses on training tutorials or even one that focuses on healthy food recipes. 

You can make a how-to video based on how to use the item if your company sells a product. For your brand, there are a lot of opportunities for great IGTV shows!

2. Host A Q&A Session


Doing a Q&A session with your audience can be one of the best ways to answer all the queries your followers might be having. Also, it can be an excellent opportunity to showcase your business among the audiences in a detailed manner.

3. Post Some Behind The Scenes Video (BTS)


Well, this will be a great way to increase transparency in your brand. You humanize your brand to audiences by giving them a glimpse at how your business works, whether it be by interviewing colleagues or actually visiting your workspace.

4. Stream An Event


Want to host an event like a seminar or a convention? Well, share that with your viewers on your IGTV channel! And this is a fantastic opportunity to allow people who could not get a hit to "attend" digitally. Your fans will enjoy it a lot, and you can also give them content that they can interact with.

5. Host An Interesting Talk Show


Have you ever dreamt of seeing your name under the 'Tonight Show' banner? Well, now you can (Kind of)! 

You can even host a talk show based on your brand on your IGTV. Invite guests like influencers and opinion leaders. Talk about news from the industry. You can also bring your colleagues together and build an in-house band if you're really ambitious.





Time To Wrap It Up


Instagram TV or IGTV is still on the top list of every user's priority. Whether you are a famous influencer or a business trying to promote its brand or products, IGTV can definitely be the best way to reach a large number of people. All we need to do is to find the right strategy and plan accordingly. 

Anyways, we are sure that this How to use IGTV guide can help y'all a lot to reach your goal ASAP. So, what are you waiting for? Start creating eye-catchy videos right now. 

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

YouTube SEO: How To Get Your Videos Ranked On Top?

With the increasing competition and the different number of business websites emerging day by day, there has been a drastic shift in online marketing practices. In which Images also play a vital role and have a massive impact on the viewers, whereas it is the quality of the video content that has been grabbing a large number of eyeballs.

And this is where our most popular and life-changing platform for many people, YouTube comes in. Well, this video-sharing platform not only helps beginners or the younger generations to earn money by creating creative yet quality content, but house-wives have also started making money through this platform by showing their talent! Whether it be cooking, DIY hacks, beauty hacks, dancing, singing, acting, comedy, or even comic videos, this astonishing platform has given this golden opportunity to every single person who wants to earn fame and earnings at the same time. 

Not only this, but businesses too can get a tremendous amount of profit by taking the help of this incredible platform. Using quality videos to promote or market any brand & its services has become a successful marketing strategy now. It not only increases the website engagement enormously but also helps people grab thousands of customers from different places. 

And to help users a bit, here in this article, we will be talking about the ins and outs of YouTube SEO and how to make the videos ranked on the top. So, without any further ado, let's begin with the article!

What is YouTube SEO?




Well, basically, it is the procedure of optimizing the playlists, videos, and channel to rank higher in YouTube's organic search results for any given search query. 

So, instead of trying to fall into every traffic source in the YT analytics, we will be focusing more on ranking up the videos and spatter some tips to boost the video rankings in the Google search engine. 

How Does YouTube Search Engine Algorithm Work?




The platform itself explains its discovery and search engine ranking algorithm or YouTube algorithm in two complete sentences. 

'Videos get ranked based on several factors, along with how strong the title, description, and content of the video matches the viewer’s query. We even look at the videos which have managed to grab larger engagement for any query, and it is easy for the viewers to discover those!'

Of course, keywords matter for both the on-page and in-video prospects. Twinning with the search intent is crucial. 

But the vital element of efficient video SEO is higher engagement. This video sharing platform actually wants creators to keep the viewers engaged on their platform for a longer time! Whether it's your video or some others. This is so because;

more video views = more number of ads shown = more money. 

Basically, they want you to drive in more engagement towards your videos, and in return, they will reward you with visibility. Now, the bottom line is, if you can not engage your audience, the chances of getting your videos on YouTube for any meaningful keyword will be slim to none. 

Okay, so now, let’s quickly get into the 07-step process in making the videos rank higher in the search list on this trending video-platform.

Step - 1: YouTube Keyword Research




See, if y’all are not targeting keywords with search volume, then obviously, you are not going to get enough search traffic. Because keyword research is the most vital thing that one needs to do before making any video. And for that, one needs to do 02-03 things:

  1. Make a list of keywords
  2. Find the best keywords for your fit
  3. Google it anytime if y’all are still unsure about which keyword is the perfect one.

Step - 02: Optimize The Title Of Your Video


Writers know very well how to optimize the headlines for any written content! Right? Well, the same goes for this particular platform as well. If y’all really want to get your YouTube SEO done right, then knowing how to place the keyword fixed in your video title is super vital. 

For example, here, Kat Theo’s video title will let everyone know how and what sort of benefits one can get from optimizing their video titles. 



Thus, you should always be that clear with your own videos.

Step - 3: Optimize Your Tags


Tags are said to be one of the best SEO features that YT offers. Well, tagging allows you to enter those relevant keywords that will further help your videos to get a larger number of views. So, use tags that are highly related to your topic. And this can also be the perfect opportunity for you to use LSI keywords, which are relevant to your focus keyword. But yes, do not use too many tags! 11-12 tags are more than enough. Blatantly following what other people are doing can actually make you fall in danger. You can even take help of the best YouTube automation tools, to automate your posting strategy. 

Step - 4: Cheer Up People To Leave A Comment 


If your videos are getting a lot of comments, then this means that you are actually growing popular. Lucky mate! Well, just like Google, YouTube even prioritizes popular content or the ones that are trending. And, comments are one of the vital metrics that is used by the platform to decide on what the viewers like the most. So, it is a superb idea to end your video by leaving a question behind to get a debate started.

Step - 5: Make The Viewers Bound To Subscribe To Your Channel



Subscribing to any YT channel is really a big deal. It is one of the factors YT's algorithms take into account to rank videos. Hitting the like button and commenting on any video is said to be a one-time action, but subscribing means the audience wants to watch your content regularly. For this platform, it is a giant factor that shows the amount of value you are providing. 

Pro Tip: Most of the YouTubers ask the audience to like, share, comment, and subscribe all at once! But if you really want them to subscribe to your channel, then you have to look for a better tactic, encourage your audience, and do some creative ways to make them forced to subscribe to your channel. 

Step - 6: Create An Eye-Catching Thumbnail




The video thumbnail is not a ranking factor that YT takes into account! But it still has a giant impact on your overall SEO. A breathtaking thumbnail means more eyeballs, more clicks, more views, and that means a better SEO. So, make sure your thumbnail is astounding and speaks out to viewers what your video is all about. 

Step - 7: Share Your Videos On Other Social Media Platforms


Creating videos and then posting on the video-sharing platform is just not enough! Besides that, you also need to share the videos on different social media platforms to get more attention. 




Conclusion


Hiya, we are done for today! 

We really did not expect that it would go so long! Right? But there you have it all. Getting views and more engagement on YT is now no more a daunting task for the ones who are well-aware of the tactics and scenes this particular platform comes along with. And thankfully, this article can explain to y’all about how YouTube SEO works and the 7-steps towards getting more number of views. 

So, keep reading this article again and again if you are still confused about how to make it go far. And lastly, as every YouTuber says, do not forget to hit the Like button given below and yes, do share this article with your other fellow creator friends.