Strategic Rationale
I applied the marketing concept of "Funnel Expansion" to actual channel operations. To broaden the audience of my existing YouTube channel, I defined Korean adults in their 20s and 30s planning a working holiday or study abroad in Vancouver as the core target. Based on an analysis of this target audience's platform usage behavior, I selected Instagram as the new channel, prioritizing where the target audience was already active.
Content System Design
In the early stage of the account (low-follower period), I determined that securing reach among non-followers (via the Explore tab and Reels algorithm) was a higher priority than follower-based exposure. I established a fixed upload schedule of 3 times per week, following a Reels → Carousel → Reels format.
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Reels: Maximize reach in a short time through lifestyle content
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Carousel: Convert interest gained through Reels into specific, actionable information (Vancouver life tips), driving saves
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Reels (repositioned): Secure additional reach through informational content
Performance Evidence
Since launching in February 2026, the channel has recorded an average of approximately 7,000 views per post with only 197 followers, indicating strong non-follower reach.
The account also received an unsolicited DM inquiry from SavvyWin, a newly launched Vancouver food-discovery platform (5 followers at the time), requesting a collaboration. I independently planned and produced 2 Reels and 1 Carousel for the campaign. One Reel became the channel's all-time best post, reaching 13.5K views, 315 shares, and 294 saves, and over the campaign, SavvyWin's own follower count grew from 5 to over 30, suggesting the traffic was driven primarily by my content. This demonstrates the channel's ability to deliver measurable results for external partners.
Cross-Platform Funnel Impact
Based on YouTube Studio traffic source data, Instagram accounts for approximately 51.8% of external traffic (72 sessions), surpassing Naver Search (10.1%) and Google Search (7.9%) as the largest external traffic source. While the absolute volume remains modest given the channel's early stage (4 months in), the fact that a newly launched platform has begun functioning as the primary external driver of traffic to the main channel indicates early-stage cross-platform synergy.
