YouTube Shorts vs Instagram Reels: Which Should You Use for Business?
Research has shown that the average attention span of a human being is 8.25 seconds. With that being said, if you want to grab your follower’s attention you must do it fast. This is where Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube shorts come into play.
These features were designed to provide content for those who do not have much time to scroll through social media. The goal of the short videos is to get the users’ attention and strengthen their retention rates by creating short and engaging videos.
Most social media platforms’ short videos have similar tools and features to each other. The short-length videos are easy to create and allow the creator to share their message with the audience quickly. Instead of having to edit videos on another app, the platforms allow you to add music, sounds, filters, and effects directly to your video. Platforms with multiple content options, like Instagram, are featuring reels at the top of users’ feeds to promote the new tool. Therefore, Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts have become extremely popular for creators because they are reaching their audiences.
Here we will break down how to use YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels and tips to utilize them to grow your business:
What Are YouTube Shorts?
YouTube Shorts are a new and exciting feature made for users who use the iPhone app. These are vertical videos that can last up to 60-seconds to grab the audience’s attention quickly. Shorts have skyrocketed channel engagement and viewers. Since the shorts are featured on a swipe-up feed, videos are reaching greater audiences than regular content. In the past, businesses had difficulty marketing on YouTube. Now, the introduction of shorts has helped users attract more subscribers effectively and efficiently.
As a business account, the best way to increase engagement through YouTube Shorts is by using SEO titles and keywords. Since this feature is so new, a lot of businesses have ignored using the shorts to grow their platform. If you have not integrated shorts into your YouTube channel, we highly recommend you do. Shorts will boost your engagement, increase your numbers, and will direct your channel to new audiences.
3 Tips For YouTube Shorts
Make Valuable Shorts
The most important thing to focus on when creating your short is to catch your viewer’s attention and get directly to the point. If you are providing useless information a viewer will quickly disengage and continue to scroll. If you can not make a strong impression on your viewer, you are declining your chances of them engaging with your channel and subscribing in the future.
Focus on Your Title and Thumbnail
If you want people to watch the short, you need to choose a thumbnail and title that will attract viewers. Make sure your title gives a glimpse of what your short is about. Be careful not to choose misleading titles, because this loses your viewer’s and customer’s trust.
Avoid Long Videos
Although YouTube allows your short to be up to 60-seconds, keep in mind viewers prefer short and precise content. Try to minimize content to maximize the effect the video has on your viewers. It is crucial not to provide content that is meaningless to the viewer, they will quickly become unengaged.
What Are Instagram Reels?
Instagram is constantly evolving to keep up with its competitors, therefore, leading to the launch of Instagram reels. Similar to YouTube Shorts, reels offer incredible reach and are highly engaging which helps grow audiences. Reels are vertical, short, videos that help include audio and effects to add to your content. Reels are featured on the regular feed but have their own section on the users’ profile page.
Instagram reels are an essential tool businesses can use to grow their following. Instagram has created a separate feed dedicated to reels so users can watch just the short videos. This is great for businesses that want to grow their followers organically. Instagram reels, similar to TikTok, have trends that creators use to connect with more followers. For example, Instagram monitors trending sounds and recommends creators use those to reach more people. If a business can utilize trending sounds in their reels, they will see a high boost in engagement and following.
3 Tips For Instagram Reels
Understand the Instagram Algorithm
Instagram has the power to determine which reels they want their users to see. It is important to appease the Instagram algorithm if you want your content to reach your audience. Instagram looks for reels to use trending sounds, feature popular hashtags, and are visually appealing. If your business understands the algorithm you will benefit tremendously.
Try Not To Be Salesy
Unfortunately for businesses, Instagram is not focused on selling products but rather on providing entertainment for their users. It is essential to create content that your customer will find interesting and entertaining. Try to find a balance between enjoyable content and effective for your business. For example, use appealing colors and pictures that will grab your viewer’s attention. By being creative and original you will captivate your audience.
Post Consistently
If you want to please Instagram and gain engagement, you must post consistently. The more you post and utilize reels, the more Instagram will feature your reels. Instagram likes to feature new and fresh videos, you can not rely on your old reels to do all the work. Additionally, the more you post the more insights you will have. These insights will help you understand what works and how to improve your future content.
In Conclusion,
When it comes to the question of YouTube Shorts vs Instagram reels, there are pros and cons to each option. You should also think about which platform you’re more comfortable with and which a higher proportion of your audience uses.
It is important to monitor social media platforms’ new tools and features. To grow your business online, you need to provide content that will catch your viewer’s attention. Short videos are a great way to maximize impact because you can organically gain followers and engagement by sharing your brand. Instagram and YouTube have made their tools easy to create and edit content, take advantage of these features today!
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