I’m sure you have noticed many new features Instagram has launched lately. First, they redesigned their logo, next they launched Instagram story (IG story in short) feature, not to mention other features included in the IG story itself, like augmented reality and brand-new filters. Now, as if that wasn’t enough already, they launched another feature on Instagram resembling YouTube, the new video platform called IGTV. It is actually not that different than any video platform and even YouTube itself, but it’s Instagram we are talking about. Instagram is a social media platform that is more about interaction and communication with friends and family. With this feature, someone can literally post a full video for a longer time, just like watching videos on YouTube. While this sounds like too good to be true, when we are talking about business, we are talking about possibilities and effectiveness here. Why? That’s because when it comes to business, we should know which platform is better for search engine visibility, user experience and analytics and insights. This is important because a business needs to increase its online visibility in order to be found by its target audience. So, when it comes to that, which one should you choose for your business; IGTV or YouTube? Keep reading to find out!

Search engine optimisation

Most of business owners know the importance of SEO for business. Business is not always offline; in fact, almost the majority of people find businesses online and SEO is the key to make your target audience find you. Therefore, when you are producing content, whether it is for social media or for other content, make sure you are thinking about SEO first. For your information, YouTube, now owned by Google, has been producing videos and building organic search engine reputation since it started in February, 2005. I know it sounds unfair to compare the giant YouTube with the newly-launched IGTV, but when it comes to search engine, YouTube wins hands down. Why? That’s because YouTube has its own robust on-platform search engine and the ability to rank consistently high in Google’s SERPs. Therefore, YouTube is a better choice for businesses if they want to publish video content that can compete for organic search results. This is because when people are searching for specific videos by typing, for example, “make-up experts” on YouTube’s search box, they can easily find the right videos they are looking for.

IGTV, however, is limited to specific target audiences. When you publish a video content on IGTV, your content is more likely to be missing from organic search results. Aside from that, people might find it difficult to discover your content due to lack of available content. Come on, IGTV is still considered as brand new. You might not find many things yet on it. When you are looking for specific topic like “perfect car wash” on IGTV, chances are, you will find nothing at all. This may be a common problem for something that is still new, but you can’t expect bigger things yet on IGTV at this moment.

Visual representations

Okay, I’ll admit. Both IGTV and YouTube have amazing visual representations. Each has their own advantages when it comes to visual effect; YouTube for its experienced features and IGTV for its uniqueness. Why did I say that IGTV is unique? Well, as it is still brand new, it is equipped with interesting visuals set and styles. I’d say IGTV wins this area because it doesn’t have annoying ads occurring during the playing of the video, as it is…well, already screaming “ads” in the content without being boring. Although it appears in bite-sized sections with angle, IGTV content like tutorial-style format can be so stunning and interesting. Why? That’s because with even smaller size, videos with a “show, don’t tell” style are more suitable for IGTV as it becomes popular.

So, YouTube or IGTV?

Well, this question is actually for you to answer. When it comes to choosing one of these wonderful platforms, you need to know for sure what you need in your content and what the purpose is in your business. If you need to communicate more with your followers and help them understand you more, then IGTV is the right one for you. However, if you are looking to expand your business online visibility, YouTube is the first one to start.