Hootsuite & YouTube: 10 Things You Should Know (Explained)

YouTube can integrate with Hootsuite, which is great news for social media managers. Hootsuite lets you schedule your YouTube posts so that all your social media content can be aligned.

But this integration also comes with some limits, which might be a deal-breaker for some marketers.

Given the limitations, is the YouTube integration with Hootsuite worth it?

Here’s What You Need to Know about YouTube and Hootsuite:

YouTube can work with Hootsuite, but with some limitations. For the most part, Hootsuite’s integration with YouTube focuses on content publication, moderation, and keyword search. The integration is free, but a verified YouTube account unlocks more features.

1. Does Hootsuite Work with YouTube?

Hootsuite can be used to schedule videos, moderate comments, and conduct keyword searches on your brand or industry within the YouTube platform.

If you also use the Playlist feature, you can add a stream onto your Hootsuite dashboard to track updates on the Playlists you follow.

2. Does Hootsuite Integrate Directly to YouTube?

You can integrate YouTube directly into Hootsuite, just as you would other social media networks like Facebook or Twitter.

To add YouTube to Hootsuite:

• Go to My Profile on Hootsuite
• Select Manage Social Networks
• Click Add Network and Next
• Choose YouTube and complete prompts and verifications.

Note that if you are using Hootsuite within a group, click on Manage beside your group name and then click Add Social Network, then follow the rest of the steps above.

3. Do People Typically Use YouTube and Hootsuite Together?

Hootsuite encourages its users to integrate their YouTube channels into their dashboard.

You can do the following things on Hootsuite for YouTube:

• Scheduling of posts
• Moderation of comments
• Search for videos using keywords
• Video Playlist streams

These features provide teams with the ability to track their YouTube content’s performance and trends related to the industry.

4. Are There any Known Bugs between YouTube and Hootsuite?

According to Hootsuite’s dedicated page for known issues, there are no issues involving YouTube.

5. What Video Platforms Do People Typically Use with Hootsuite?

Besides YouTube, Hootsuite can also upload the videos to post on any of your connected social media assets.

These videos, when published, will be natively hosted on your chosen social networks.

6. How Do I Embed a YouTube Video in Hootsuite?

Hootsuite can only publish videos on YouTube channels using the Legacy Composer.

Here’s how to access the Legacy Composer:

• Open the Create New Post menu, and click on Legacy Composer.
• Click the Attach Media icon, then select YouTube.
• Drag the video clip to the composer window.

While the video uploads, you can set the tags of your video, title and description, the privacy settings, and schedule publishing.

Hootsuite will then publish these videos according to your stipulations.

7. Can I Schedule a YouTube Video from Hootsuite?

You can schedule YouTube videos using Hootsuite with the Legacy Composer, which is explained above.

8. What Are the Video Requirements for Uploading to YouTube Using Hootsuite?

If you are uploading to your YouTube channel via Hootsuite, your videos must meet the following requirements:

• File type must be in mp4 or m4v
• Total file size of 1 GB
• The aspect ratio must be 16:9
• The video must be 15 minutes long, at most.

Should the aspect ratio be not at 16:9, YouTube will add black bars around the video so that it can display the video without stretching it to fit the screen.

If your video exceeds 15 minutes, you need to have a verified YouTube account to continue the upload.

Verification of your YouTube account requires you to open YouTube Studio and access the Channel Settings.

You will be asked to enter a verification code that they will send you through your mobile phone.

9. What Are Other Limitations of Hootsuite When It Comes to YouTube?

The YouTube integration with Hootsuite has other limitations.

• You cannot edit nor change the video thumbnail on your YouTube video uploads on Hootsuite. You must access YouTube Studio to change the thumbnail of your video.
• Hootsuite cannot post nor access the Community Section of your YouTube channel. This function can only be opened in the web app of YouTube.
• If YouTube’s automatic captioning is incorrect, Hootsuite cannot edit these subtitles. They can only be revised using YouTube Studio.
• If you earn from your YouTube channel, Hootsuite cannot turn on your video’s monetization features.
• The ads that appear in your channel need to be set manually inside YouTube Studio. That also includes the setting of Paid Promotions notice in the video.
• When it comes to publishing, Hootsuite cannot use the Auto-Scheduler with YouTube, as the Legacy Composer does not have this feature.
• Hootsuite also does not have access to YouTube Analytics. But if you use Google Analytics with YouTube, you may pull in data for easier compilation. If you don’t have access to Google Analytics with your Hootsuite account, you will need to open the YouTube app to check your performance numbers.

10. Are There Other Social Media Services that Offer YouTube Integration?

If you are looking for alternatives to Hootsuite that work with YouTube, you can look into Sprout Social, which can also post on the video platform.

Another option is Hubspot, which also features analytics, as well as scheduling and publishing.

Final Thoughts:

The integration of YouTube and Hootsuite is not really for everyone, given the limitations.

If your goal is to ensure that all your content is published on time, then the YouTube integration will work for you.

But if you need to study the performance of your YouTube videos, which is only possible with the Google Analytics integration under the Business or Enterprise plan, then the Hootsuite integration may not fulfill your needs.

That said, the Hootsuite and YouTube integration is still a useful feature that helps publishers stay on track with their campaigns.

 

Sources:

Hootsuite – Add a YouTube channel

Hootsuite – Publish a video to YouTube

How to Schedule YouTube Videos to Save Time: A Step-by-Step Guide