Connecting with your customers (on the platforms they use the most) requires a strong social media presence. And if you spend any time scrolling through your social feeds, then you'll know that video content is an incredibly popular way to boost engagement.
That's why platforms like YouTube and Instagram should be a part of your core social media strategy, as they let you easily showcase your brand's personality, tell compelling stories, and engage with your followers through snappy, short-form clips.
If you're focusing primarily on one channel, you'll want to make sure your message is seen on the other, as you can increase your reach by sharing the same videos on YouTube and Instagram. But since YouTube and Instagram are owned by different companies, there isn't a built-in setting that allows you to automatically crosspost your videos from one app to another.
That's where Zapier comes in. With it, you can automatically share videos between platforms, without you having to lift a finger.
You'll need a Zapier account to use the workflows in this piece. If you don't have an account yet, it's free to get started.
Here are two different ways you can use automation with Zapier to save time with Instagram and YouTube.
Before you begin
Before you start creating a Zap—what we call our automated workflows—with Instagram and YouTube, you'll need to check each app to ensure that you have the right permissions.
YouTube: You'll need admin access to the YouTube account you're connecting.
Instagram: You'll need admin access to the Instagram account you're connecting. If you're using Instagram for Business, you'll need access to your business Instagram account.
💡 Using Instagram for Business opens up additional actions you can do with Zapier, including uploading tagged Instagram videos to YouTube.
To enhance the connection between Instagram and YouTube, there are a few additional things you can do. The most useful is to create a few hashtags for videos and use them on both apps. This will help users more easily find your content between platforms. Additionally, try adding a link to your Instagram page in your YouTube channel information, and adding a link to your YouTube channel in your Instagram bio. This will provide your customers a quick way to jump between apps.
Upload Instagram videos to YouTube
Sharing videos you upload to Instagram directly to YouTube is very simple. Always map the Media URL field from your Instagram trigger for the Video field to properly populate your media. As for determining the rest of the fields from Instagram to use for your YouTube videos, it depends on how you typically format your Instagram posts.
If you normally write short, descriptive captions, then we recommend mapping the Caption field from Instagram to the title of your YouTube video. Then, you can either use the caption field again as the description of your video, or use the permalink field to link back to the video on Instagram.
If you normally write long captions with lots of hashtags on Instagram, then we recommend creating a string for your YouTube title consisting of the username and timestamp fields. For example, "Username's Timestamp Video," when populated would appear as "SallyCo's 2021-12-31T11:00:00 Video."
When setting up your Zap, when you get to the YouTube step, you'll want to bring the information from Instagram forward. To do this, click the + icon next to each field and then select the information from Instagram, like below, for the username. Repeat for the timestamp or any other information you want to pull into YouTube from Instagram.
Check out Zapier's Formatter tool for a tutorial on how to format the timestamp in a more readable way. If you want to get extra fancy, you could also use a formatter step to pull text out of the caption and use it as a title.
Add YouTube videos as posts to Instagram
YouTube videos are typically long-form and horizontally-oriented. While this works great on YouTube, it doesn't translate well to Instagram directly. Fortunately, you can still connect your YouTube to Instagram automatically, but instead of directly posting your YouTube video to Instagram, you can share your high-resolution thumbnail as a post on Instagram, letting your followers know there's new content.
Please note that this Zap requires an Instagram for Business account.
Share new videos in a YouTube playlist in your Instagram for Business account as posts
For the actual photo to be posted, we recommend mapping the Thumbnails High URL field from your YouTube trigger to get the best possible resolution for your photo. To customize your Instagram post, we recommend mapping the Description field from YouTube as the Instagram caption, while also adding the YouTube URL field so users have a direct link to your YouTube video.
Automate your social posting
No matter what your video marketing strategy is, YouTube and Instagram are the perfect platforms for your content, and Zapier can help you automate your posting—saving you time, and money.
Explore other ways you can connect YouTube and Instagram, or create a Zap from scratch.
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This article was originally published in January 2022. It was most recently updated in November 2024 by Elena Alston.
