How to Successfully Make the Move from Instagram to YouTube to Avoid Scammers

If you’re an Instagram-based content creator, you might want to consider switching from Instagram to YouTube. While Instagram has emerged as a major marketing tool for content creators and influencers in recent years, the fact is that the platform is full of scammers.

On the other hand, YouTube is a relatively safer place for content creators to do their thing. In this article, we’ll tell you how you can make the switch to YouTube from Instagram. However, first, let’s try and understand what kind of scams happen on Instagram.

The Instagram scams you should be aware of

Instagram scammers are notorious for a variety of scams. All in all, there are six types of Instagram scams you need to be worried about.

• Companies offering free likes and followers: You’ll come across many companies on Instagram that claims to offer free likes and followers. While their offers may seem tempting on the surface, the reality of these companies is quite dark. Sure, some companies may be genuine, and their offers are primarily based on the hope that you’ll eventually purchase likes and followers from them. However, many others aren’t genuine and are, in fact, fake automated accounts or bots. If you accept their offers, your numbers will skyrocket overnight, and this will increase the chances of your Instagram account being red-flagged not just by the moderators at Instagram but also by collaborators.

• Fake brand accounts: Selling counterfeit products has become a big business on Instagram. Typically, fake brand accounts are created by scammers to sell counterfeit goods. These accounts mimic the pages of original manufacturers, and they also rely on bot-driven likes and followers to become big. If you’re not careful, you can quite easily mistake these accounts for the original pages and end up paying money to them. The best way to avoid these accounts is to be cautious and check their posts for misspellings and offers that are simply too good to be true. These accounts will also ask for payments through strange methods or terms.

• Fake investment schemes: Scammers typically approach Instagram users via the direct message route to make fake investment schemes work. Here’s what usually happens – a scammer promises a huge payout as the return for a minimal investment. The scammer may also send pictures of other individuals who have apparently benefited from the schemes. Once you part with your money, the scammer will, in all likelihood, vanish. Through the 2018 – 2019 period, more than $3 million was stolen by scammers from unsuspecting Instagram users. To avoid this scam, don’t pay money to anyone that you don’t know well.

• Phishing attempts in the guise of messages from Instagram: These scams are quite tricky to identify. However, they typically work like this – urgent direct messages or emails are sent by the scammers, apparently from Instagram. These messages or emails may tell you that your account has received approval for a verification badge or that your account is compromised. They often contain links, which take users to pages that ask them to submit their Instagram login credentials. Once you enter your credentials, the scammers have all the information necessary to block access to your account. The best way to steer clear of these phishing attempts is to enable multi-factor authentication, which involves entering a secondary password or code to gain access to an Instagram account.

• Scam courses: Aspiring influencers and content creators are often lured into signing up for scam courses. The scammers approach unsuspecting users and claim that the courses will teach them everything necessary to make it big as an Instagram influencer. However, once a user shells out the money, the courses turn out to be disappointments. Of course, there are many legit courses out there that are offered by the pros, but due to the ever-increasing number of scam courses, you’ll need to be extra careful before signing up for one.

• Giveaway scams: Giveaways have emerged as one of the most popular ways for Instagram accounts to get more likes and followers. However, genuine giveaways have prizes to offer, while giveaway scams only make tall claims and don’t provide any prizes. Giveaway scams work because it’s incredibly easy to participate in giveaways. Typically, all that a user needs to do to participate in a giveaway contest is to share a post, like it, or comment on it. The only way to prevent yourself from falling prey to these scams is to look for the authenticity of the accounts promoting them.

Shifting from Instagram to YouTube: The top tips

So, now that you’re aware of the different types of Instagram scams, let’s finally get to what this article is all about – making a move from Instagram to YouTube. Sure, in the first few days, YouTube may seem a bit daunting as its interface, and the overall platform is radically different from Instagram. However, if you dedicate yourself to the cause, there’s no reason why you can’t make it big as a successful YouTube content creator. In this section, we’ll take you through the top tips to help you make the switch as seamlessly as possible. So, let’s get into it!

• Invest in the right gear: Even though Instagram has a variety of content-creating features in today’s times, the fact is that it’s still a photo-sharing app at its core. So, before you start posting videos on YouTube, you need to own the right video and audio recording equipment. Of course, you don’t need to break the bank and buy the most expensive camera and audio gear. However, you should invest in something that ensures a high level of video and audio quality.

• Get better at video editing: Video editing is an important skill that all successful YouTube content creators have mastered. While mastering video editing takes a lot of time and effort, it’s never too late to get started. You can find countless courses on the internet that will help you to get better at it rapidly. There are a lot of informative videos on improving your editing skills on YouTube as well. Well-edited videos can leave a lasting impression on your viewers and motivate them to like your videos and subscribe to your YouTube channel.

• Create and stick to a content schedule: Consistency and regularity of uploads on YouTube can’t come automatically. To make sure that you consistently post videos on YouTube, you’ve simply got to put in some thought into creating a YouTube content schedule. This will also allow your subscribers on the platform to know what they can expect from you.

• Find a balance between quality and quantity: In recent times, YouTube’s algorithm has been mostly in favor of channels that post content frequently. So, the number of videos you churn out matters. However, it’s not just the numbers that matter. Watch time is another important metric that YouTube’s algorithm assesses, and to make sure that your videos are watched all the way through, you have to focus on quality as well. It can be a bit tricky at first to get the balance between quality and quantity right, but the more you work at it, the better you’re going to get.

• Make the most of analytics: YouTube Studio is the official portal for YouTube-based content creators where you can manage your content. It also offers a whole host of analytics features that allows content creators to track the performances of all their videos. Don’t ignore the information provided by YouTube Studio, as it can help you finetune your YouTubing skills. For instance, the analytics will offer you deep insights into the best times to upload your videos for maximizing the views.

• Collaborate: Collaborations are important on Instagram, and they’re just as important on YouTube. When you collaborate with other content creators who are relevant to your niche, your channel will gain exposure in front of new audiences. Sure, not every new viewer may appreciate what you have to offer. However, over time, your collaborative efforts are bound to pay dividends in the form of new subscribers, allowing your channel to grow.

• Focus on user engagement: YouTube’s algorithm also puts a great deal of emphasis on user engagement, i.e., how users are engaging with your videos. Most YouTubers include calls-to-action (CTAs) for motivating viewers to engage with their videos, and you should do the same. You should also try your best to engage with your viewers in the form of replies to comments.

Conclusion

Once you’ve set up your YouTube channel and started posting videos, it’s important that you encourage your Instagram followers to subscribe to your channel. Remember, this isn’t about you leaving Instagram altogether. This is only about making a move to a more secure platform that isn’t as prone to scams as Instagram. So, be active on Instagram as well and try to combine your efforts across the two social media platforms.

Last but not least, if you need some help during your early days as a content creator on YouTube, why not consider a service like Socoid? Socoid is a software tool that provides YouTube content creators with opportunities to get free YouTube comments and free YouTube likes. You can also use the tool to buy YouTube subscribers.