With Instagram recently bringing in time-specific reactions, it was never going to be long before YouTube followed suit. We explore below what exactly time-specific reactions are, why they can be beneficial, and why it’s a good idea to get your content uploaded to both platforms.
Time Specific Testing
YouTube is currently trialing time-specific emoji responses, which will allow viewers to react to a certain point of a video rather than being able to only react to the content as a whole.
YouTube videos must be at least three minutes long but can run to any length, meaning that it can be difficult to gauge the success of longer content, especially in terms of its component sections. This new facility will allow the video creator to play their content and see a timeline marker at the bottom of the screen showing at which points in the video reactions have occurred; they can subsequently skip to this part and view the emoji to get a sense of how an audience feels about different parts of the content.
What Will Viewers See?
It is likely that other viewers will also be able to see the time-specific reactions that have been deployed – probably in the comments panel, in the same way as they’re displayed on Facebook Live and Twitch. Viewers will be able to not only see but comment and react to these time-specific reactions – but all reactions and comments will be anonymous.
Use on Twitter
YouTube isn’t only following in Insta’s footsteps; Twitter also tried out similar emoji responses last year that met with mixed feedback and a level of ambivalence – however, it should be noted that the significant difference in content length supported by the two platforms may well have made these types of time-specific reactions less relevant to Twitter users.
Posting YouTube Content to Instagram
Instagram is such a popular platform that it’s often important for content creators to share the videos they’ve posted to YouTube here, too. But what’s the process of turning a YouTube video to Instagram posts?
It’s easier than you think – here’s how it’s done in three simple steps:
Download the Video from YouTube
If you don’t have a saved copy of the content, then, as long as you’re the owner of the video, you can download it directly from YouTube. If you want to upload a video using an Android or iPhone, then you’ll probably need an app to do this – they’re easily found on the Google App Store if you don’t have one already installed on your phone.
Sort Out Compatibility
You’ll need to first ensure that your video doesn’t exceed thirty minutes in length, so use your preferred editor to crop as necessary. Next, add relevant hashtags and captions and set the quality to the highest level possible: for Instagram Stories, the recommended quality is 1080 pixels wide and 1350 pixels high, with an aspect ratio of 4:5. A 1:1 aspect ratio can also be used if preferred.
Upload to Instagram!
Now, all you need to do is to log on to the platform and use the button at the top of the screen to choose the type of upload you wish to complete – a Post, Story, or Reel. You’ll then be able to add a description of your post, along with tags, to help it reach as wide an audience as possible – then it’s time to release it to the world!
Why Put My YouTube Content on Insta?
Posting to another platform is one of the easiest ways to get your video in front of a brand-new audience. Content creators now, as standard practice, will post to multiple sites, understanding that different demographics favor different platforms.
By having an active cross-channel presence, you’ll have the best chance of building your brand and widening your business’ reach.
The Benefits of Timed Reactions
Being able to see precisely which parts of a video are connected – or otherwise – with an audience is vital information for content creators, and timed reactions make this possible. Those who have posted videos will be able to easily see which part of their content engaged with the audience and which had them less interested, which jokes got a laugh and which ones bombed, and what information the viewers wanted more of.
This will enable creators to hone their business or brand and cater to any demand for content that their viewers are indicating they’d like to see and could be a powerful tool in terms of promotional and marketing opportunities.
The Testing Process
Before going live, YouTube is conducting trialing of the new feature via a small number of channels and using just a handful of emojis to see how it’ll work on the ground. It’s not been specified yet whether the time reactions feature will be available on the desktop version of YouTube or just on mobile devices.
Multiple sets of reactions are currently being tested as one of how YouTube is attempting to improve how reactions are used on the platform, such as the removal of the dislike button for videos.
YouTubers will await the official unveiling of the new features with interest
