One of the great things about YouTube is that lots and lots of people watch it – especially younger shoppers, including Gen Z and Millennials. One of the not-so-great things about YouTube is that a lot of upsetting, offensive stuff happens on the site, including video content and commentator behaviors. So despite the platform’s reach, many businesses who are protective of their reputation have doubts about advertising there.

What alternative is there for my business?

Instagram, which enjoys just about two-thirds of the reach of YouTube among Gen Z shoppers, is the ideal platform for brand discovery.* IGTV – the video platform within Instagram – announced in May that it would begin revenue sharing with content creators at very generous rates.** However, to qualify for the revenue sharing, content creators must adhere to stricter content guidelines than YouTube imposes. For example, profanity is allowed on Instagram – but if you want to qualify for revenue sharing, you have to keep the language family-friendly.

At this point, while the revenue sharing program is being rolled out, all content is being reviewed by human beings for appropriateness. Going forward, it is likely that this work will be done with a combination of technology and humanity, similar to how Facebook purportedly reviews materials.

Will Instagram do a better job of keeping their site clean than YouTube has?

It does have the advantage of being able to see where problems developed for YouTube and purposely build its platform to avoid those particular concerns. Given that their stated intention is to give small business owners a safer way to use influencer marketing to raise their brand profiles, expand their reach and capture customer attention, it’s reasonable to expect that they’re going to try their best.

Does this mean Instagram is now the right advertising platform for your business?

The answer to that question depends on who your customer is, what they want from you, and how they use Instagram. These advertising tools are just being rolled out. Take a few weeks to see how they look on the platform and how they perform. If it turns out they can provide a safer advertising experience for brands, it may be worth exploring. 

Sources: 

*https://www.glossy.co/fashion/how-gen-z-is-using-instagram-to-shop 
** https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/27/21271009/instagram-ads-igtv-live-badges-test-update-creators