The Rise of Short Video Content
Since the post-pandemic rise of TikTok, short video content has become an incredible and dominating part of social media. Short form content not only captures the attention of viewers in a matter of seconds, it also only takes seconds to share across all social media platforms.
YouTube’s Entry into Short Form Content
YouTube, standing as one of the most popular social media platforms, has recently implemented its own short form content feature, YouTube Shorts, and even started monetizing the content back in February. Earning money through content on YouTube Shorts is actually even easier than earning money on TikTok.
Exploring the Popularity of YouTube Shorts
Currently, when you search #youtubeshorts, results bring in 84 million videos on 6.6 million YouTube channels with the #youtubeshorts hashtag. However, the actual figure is likely much larger. YouTube states there are, “Billions create, edit, watch and share short videos with YouTube Shorts.” So what exactly are these videos, why are they so popular, and how can you get more views with your own videos?
Assessing the Value of YouTube Shorts
As a result, many content creators may wonder whether YouTube Shorts are worth it. A platform recognized for over 15 years for its longer form video content, creators ask what makes short-form videos advantageous for today’s content creators on such a platform presented with so many alternatives.
Leveraging YouTube Shorts for Audience Growth
YouTube Shorts grant content creators the ability to catch more subscribers’ attention, and while long-form videos still provide benefits, Shorts can reel in more discovery. With the biggest YouTube stars to compete with, channel growth can be a challenging trek uphill for beginning content creators. YouTube Shorts are the easiest way to boost your engagement rate, and many content creators can take advantage of the Shorts algorithm to reach their target audience.
Tips for Success with YouTube Shorts
According to Planoly, the first tip to gaining YouTube Shorts views and channel subscriptions is to post both Shorts and regular video content. “Don’t limit yourself to Shorts. Your Shorts will draw people in to see other content on your channel and vice versa. Give people variety.”
Understanding the YouTube Shorts Algorithm
YouTube Shorts’ sophisticated algorithm analyzes your video’s content, tags, and title and pinpoints the target audience for your content. The Shorts algorithm is a separate system from the long-form algorithm, which is advantageous for beginner content creators aiming to not get lost in the vast world of YouTube videos. Content creators can make a compelling description and use simple SEO techniques to put the algorithm in their favor. Your YouTube Shorts can be a successful video marketing strategy for your channel if you understand the algorithm’s angle and the way it works.
Maximizing Visibility on YouTube Shorts
Another great tip for creators increasing their visibility on Shorts is to allow remixing to reach a wider audience.
Analyzing Performance and Adapting
As with other short form content platforms, it is worth looking at the analytics for your Shorts to see what people like and then do more of that.
Cross-Platform Content Sharing
What’s brilliant about YouTube Shorts is that it doesn’t require much new content creation. If anything, it is the ideal platform for cross content sharing. Your social media presence across all platforms is an important aspect to maintain when it comes to content creation, and YouTube has granted its creators the ability to grow their channel using content made on other platforms, such as TikTok. YouTube Shorts is a great way to diversify and expand your reach.
Consistency in Content Strategy
Furthermore, the same trends that reach Instagram and TikTok tend to also reach Shorts so that also shouldn’t be too affected.
