IGTV: YouTube’s Ass-Pucker Moment

The headline sounds obscene, but it’s a phenomenon described in Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker. It’s the kind of reaction the FBI hopes to elicit in a suspect, and that’s what it’s called. It’s a moment of high anxiety.

So it’s apt here. YouTube’s ass better be puckered over the announcement of IGTV!

Because YouTube’s own creators are already talking it up — on YouTube!

This is not a position YouTube wants to be in.

Sam Sheffer: 165,000 Subscribers
IGTV: What is it? Why it’s important — and why you should use it!

Some Comments under that video [boldfaced emphasis added by me; names withheld because YouTube can do their own damn research]:

Interesting. I rarely post on Instagram, but I have more followers than on YouTube. I wonder if converting all my video content will be worth it. I really liked vero, but it seems to not be going anywhere. Not giving up on YouTube yet, but my watch time and views have been dropping since they took away my monetization.

And:

I feel that YouTube isn’t going ANYWHERE, so it’s good that creators can use YT to upload 16:9 content, and use IGTV as follow-up, or BTS or simply a cropped version of what was uploaded on YT… or a whole bunch of other things!

The video game is wide open right now. I guess now camera manufacturers need to put crop lines into firmware, so that you can shoot 16:9 and see what you’ll see on IGTV, without any manual cropping in post.

And:

I think this can be an opportunity for people who have felt screwed by the YouTube algorithm to thrive on IGTV. I personally have converted several of my videos to vertical and am starting to tinker with vertical storytelling

And:

I do admit that this will be great in the long run, as it will be a competitor to YouTube. That way, Google can fix up a lot of mistakes they’re currently not patching up.

And if IGTV is reading this:

Fun searching based on specific hashtags and locations is what IG should be stronger in. If I as a content creator went to EDC Vegas and I come out with good photos and video content (posts and stories), users discover creators that way. Can’t tell how many people discover my page and stories that way. The discover/explore page is a thing of the past. What I wish IG would do is have Live Videos based on hashtag or location. Therefore I can watch a live feed of an event like EDC live as if I was there in person.

That would be an awesome feature to add! YouTube has no frikkin idea how to promote anything that’s live — not even a Google event!

Marques Brownlee: 6,300,000 Subscribers
On IGTV and YouTube Competition!

Comments under that video:

Notice how the only reason YouTube is the most successful is because it prioritized its creators over mainstream. And now YouTube is alienating its creators for mainstream… interesting

And:

Seems worthwhile to consider investing some time into this platform. YouTube, as much as I love this platform, has been a vortex of negativity lately.

And:

YouTube needs go learn from MySpace. Remember them ? They were huge got all ignorant and Facebook took over. When MySpace was the biggest Facebook was a niche thing so YouTube needs to be careful. Any company can go out of business guys if a company doesn’t innovate every year and grow their market share dwindles. So YouTube be careful

Oh man. Bringing up MySpace, that is some smack talk right there. And it’s true!

And here is the Comment of Win:

I wish Amazon would compete with YouTube

Amazon has the chops to do it. They just have Microsoft’s level of taste, however. But, as a plus, they also have Google’s level of neglect! Two sharks in one! Would Amazon buy an existing video service and just rebrand it? How hungry is Bezos?

Not everyone is hyped about IGTV, however.

ViloniousTV: 80,000 Subscribers
Why I’m Leaving YouTube For IGTV (Instagram TV Content Preview) *AWESOME*