If you´re wondering how you can use an Instagram account to grow your audience on YouTube then you are in the right place!

I´ve done some research on this topic and come up with some of the most effective ways on how Instagram can be used to further increase the viewership on a YouTube channel.

So, without further ado let´s see how to cash in on your passion!

Crack Instagram´s Code

There are a few things to know about this social media platform if you are interested in growing a loyal and engaged following that could represent a big source of viewers for your Channel.

Optimize Your Profile & SEO

Let´s see what some of the top Instagram accounts are doing to make themselves more discoverable so that more people check out their page.

First things first, try to pick a name without periods or dots so that people can find you easily when they do a search and try to encourage people using your hashtags, or you can keep it really simple to divert people to the link on your bio, as Mkbhd does on its profile.

Just try to be intentional with your profile and bio, give a quick and brief story or summary on what you´re all about, maybe try to impose a hashtag that could be related to your brand, or simply have a catchy quote or phrase and the link to your YouTube channel.

In fact, Casey Neistat does this too!

Posting Schedule

Being consistent and posting regularly is key for you to build a successful Instagram account. Your audience has to know that you´re serious about it and that you are constantly uploading new content.

Also, trying to create authentic content that stands out from the crowd should be a priority. A quick tip! The more specific you´re about your niche the easier it is to create audience-oriented content that attracts followers.

Behind the scenes type of content is one of those!

Trending Hashtags

You could use one hashtag that related to your company or brand in your bio section so that people can recognize it easily once they land in your profile.

Another thing is using hashtags in your posts. Do not put 30 of them every time you post because it will make you look kinda amateurish, between 5 and 10 should be your magic number, not more than that.

Highly targeted hashtags work much better than broader ones because if not it´s going to be tough to get discovered that way.

Don´t Underestimate Analytics

The power of data is undeniable, so take advantage of it right from the get-go!

There are actually some great tools that are available online where you can explore and get a better idea on how your overall rates are.

A good example worth to check out is iconosquare. Which is specially designed to measure your likes, comments, audience interaction, among many other features.

Interaction is Crucial

Stay in touch with your audience, get involved in what they have to say about you and your content.

Doing things like Polls on your stories at least once a week is a very effective way to engage with your audience and get their attention.

Instagram is a live creature, try it as such.

DMs, the comment section, the right captions, are some of the most commonly used ways to interact with people and let the world know what your story and/or brand is all about.

Captions, in particular, are an effective feature you can use to give out a specific vibe or feel to your audience.

Consider the length, place the most important part of the message first, rewrite more than once if necessary, use hashtag but do it wisely, and finally encourage engagement with a call to action or maybe by posing a question.

Here´s a good example of an engaging caption that generated tons of comments and many interactions among followers.

That´s how you can generate lots of comments and pick in peoples interest! Make them do something!

Also, more comments and likes increase your account popularity and engagement which is very valuable for brands that could potentially work with you, but more on that later.

Behind the Scenes Stories

This is the ultimate way you can lead people to your YouTube channel, by far!

You have to take advantage of this strategy but use it well, do not overestimate or tire people with lots of pics from your video making sets.

Utilize sections or parts of your footage that could spark an interest in people to see what the video is really about, basically, show but don´t tell.

A quick peek on your behind the scene video setting and location, how you go about your shooting and how you capture a scene or rehearse a paragraph you want to say on camera, it could be anything that may attract eye-balls.

The fact is that showing a little bit of what´s behind the curtain of a YouTuber´s day to day life and how you produce content for the platform could mean, if done right, hundreds of new subscribers to your channel.

I´m going to talk about making a good teaser on the next title, but just to give you a good idea, the behind the scene video should be a raw footage part of the entire filming that uses effectively the element of surprise without showing what the final product may be about.

PRO TIP! Using the stories feature to share this type of content every time you decide to make a new video and promote it with a sneak peek on your Instagram is more effective because the fact that´s just for 24 hours creates a feeling of urgency which your audience go directly to your link. 

Content Exclusivity

Instagram quotes are a good example of how you can add variety to your content and differentiate your many social media accounts from each other.

You don´t want to post the same pictures or videos on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, yes, it sounds like a lot of work, well… that´s because it is!

There must be some exclusiveness on the content you post on Instagram if you want people to get to know you from another whole angle and have even some level of interest on your feed and posts.

For example, Casey Neistat varies between personal pictures and more behind the scene content so he peeks on his people´s interest in a different manner.

That way, every time he tells people to go and check out his latest work on YouTube they´ll listen.

Another great thing you can do to mix things up a bit is creating beautiful quotes images you can add to your feed and have some variation.

You can do that for free with specifically designed features for Instagram on Canva.

Use Short Teasers

You can use really short teasers to grab people´s attention, a 10-second teaser with a quick flashback of some dynamic and surprising part of your upcoming YouTube video could be a great way to make people click on your link.

Something that not only grabs people´s attention but also keeps them wondering what´s going to happen next.

Similar to a movie trailer it could be a series of clips from the best parts of your content.

Eye-Catching Feed with Storytelling

Telling a story with things that inspire you is a big part of success when it comes to Instagram.

It might a view of the city or the architecture, maybe it´s healthy lunch because you´ve been on a strict diet that you´re trying to maintain, or just a pic from the office, grinding and hustling.

The point is to tell a story with your selected images and let your feed cover an entire design made to attract viewers interested in your content.

Use a good camera to take professional photos and then transfer them to your phone, select the very best ones, those that could go well together, then you can use a great tool like Snapseed, which makes a great job by editing easily your images and take your game to the next level.

That way you´ll get more control when you try to give an authentic feel with your pictures, changing the lighting and other features that could improve the impact or effect you want to transmit.

In fact, it has great filters that can take give so much shape to the image.

Use the “Hook”

There should be at least once or twice a week a great hook in every Instagram account.

Bur, what do I mean by a hook?

Well, being attention one of the most precious commodities on the platform you should make your great effort to create a really nice post once or twice a week, something so good nobody could ignore.

An awesome picture, it could even be curated content, with a thoughtful kinda long and engaging caption, a couple hashtags, and post it on your best day, on the best and more active hour. (if you actually know your data, if not you should)

The link in the bio is your most important asset. Treat it with respect, don´t over mention it, people know it´s there, you just need to spark your follower’s interest and casually say they can check out the link if they want to learn more about you and watch more of your content.

The Comments Power

Following and unfollowing people is so overrated!

Yeah, you can get a nice number increase in your profile so that people think you are a big star but the issue is that those people are going to be low-quality followers, meaning they´re not that engaged with your content or what you have to offer.

How do you know that? Because they do not comment on your posts, don´t like them, and certainly, don´t engage with them in any way.

A major and very effective path you can take is leaving thoughtful comments on peoples posts, interacting with your followers, engaging with people before they even get to know who the heck you are.

The trick is to write a comment that is intellectually stimulating, something that gets people involved in what you´re saying, be authentic, don´t comment generic stuff like “nice photo” or “cool caption”.

This way you can build your following organically.

You can comment on other influencers photos and/or videos, and that make similar content to yours.

Working With Brands

Here, I wanted to wrap up with a quick bonus tip!

As an influencer, you probably have a pretty engaged audience that will pay close attention at what you wear, drink, eat, and do for the most of your day. And brands appreciate that type of exposure.

Now, the three elements that any brand will look into before even consider your Instagram to offer you a deal or pay you to promote their products are.

• How big is your following, meaning exactly how many followers do you have in your account.
• How engaged is your following, which is determined by the number of people that usually likes and comments on your posts.
• And how´s your account growth rate. Meaning how is your Instagram following growing every month.

PRO TIP! One of the most important things that most brands check is engagement, which is measured by the number of likes and comments against the number of followers you actually have. 

You HAVE to build a real and legit following that is interested in what you post daily. Brands value that even more than the number of followers you actually have.