YouTube Shorts: What They Are and Why Make Them

What are YouTube Shorts and how to make them

In the rapidly evolving realm of digital content, where attention spans are dwindling, creators must adapt and innovate to captivate their audiences with compelling narratives and engaging formats. YouTube Shorts is a revolutionary platform that has taken the video hosting industry by storm. With its format and vertical orientation, shorts provide a unique canvas for storytelling, entertainment and engagement. In this article, you'll learn what they are, why you should consider creating them, and how to create compelling short content that will resonate with viewers.

What are YouTube Shorts?

YouTube Shorts are vertical videos, typically 60 seconds or less, designed for quick consumption on mobile devices. They offer a fast-paced, immersive viewing experience that caters to the short attention spans of today's online audience. With a dedicated Shorts section on the YouTube app, these videos are easily discoverable, making them an attractive option for content creators looking to expand their reach.

Why make YouTube Shorts?

The surge in demand for short-form, bite-sized video content has transformed the landscape of social media marketing, prompting content creators and brands to adapt their strategies to captivate audiences with increasingly limited attention spans.

By creating one-minute videos on YouTube, you are part of a growing trend that can significantly boost your online presence. These videos give you the opportunity to diversify your content strategy, attract new subscribers, and even open up new YouTube monetisation opportunities. What's more, the algorithm tends to favour this type of content, often promoting it to a wider audience than your existing subscriber base.

Tips on making YouTube Shorts

To create engaging Shorts that captivate your audience, consider these strategies:

  1. Hook viewers instantly: With limited time, your opening seconds are crucial. Use catchy visuals, intriguing statements, or attention-grabbing thumbnails to pique viewers' interest from the get-go.

  2. Keep it simple: Focus on a single topic or idea. Clarity is key in short-form content, so avoid trying to cram too much information into a 60-second clip.

  3. Leverage trending sounds and music: YouTube offers a library of audio clips and popular songs that can enhance your Shorts and make them more discoverable through the trending audio feed.

  4. Optimise for vertical viewing: Frame your shots with the vertical format in mind, ensuring important elements are centred and easily visible on mobile devices.

  5. Use text overlays and captions: Use concise text overlays or captions to convey key information, especially if your videos include dialogue or narration.

  6. End with a clear call-to-action: Encourage viewers to like, share, subscribe, or comment by including a strong call-to-action (CTA) at the end of your Shorts. This can boost engagement and help you grow your audience.

What are the benefits of YouTube Shorts?

This type of content serves as a powerful tool for building brand awareness, allowing you to showcase your personality and creativity in a concise and compelling way. These videos can also drive traffic to your long-form content by acting as teasers or highlights that pique viewers' interest.

Additionally, these videos offer a unique advantage to those who use an SMM panel (social media marketing panel). The fast-paced nature of the videos fits well with the ability to quickly distribute content on these panels. By leveraging the advantage of SMM panel services, creators can amplify their Shorts' reach, targeting specific demographics and gaining valuable insights into audience engagement.

Can I make Shorts from my own YouTube video?

Sure!!! You can extract interesting snippets from longer videos, add new elements like text overlays or music, and publish them as short clips. Not only will this breathe new life into your content, but it will also open up your channel to a wider audience.

In conclusion, this type of content on YouTube represents a significant opportunity for digital content creation. By understanding and harnessing the potential of these videos, creators can make deeper connections with their audience, open up new creative avenues and potentially accelerate their path to monetisation. Whether you're an experienced YouTuber or just starting out, incorporating this type of content into your content strategy can be the key to unprecedented growth and engagement.

FAQ: 

How long can YouTube Shorts be?

YouTube Shorts, the platform's bite-sized video format, offer creators a canvas of up to 60 seconds to craft captivating visual stories tailored for mobile consumption. This duration allows creators to share quick, engaging content that captures viewers' attention without requiring a significant investment of time.

How much do YouTube Shorts get paid?

While the traditional β€œwhat is YouTube monetization” question focuses on ad revenue from longer videos, short video monetization works differently. YouTube is exploring monetisation models such as a fund to pay creators, distribution of ad revenue based on views of these videos, brand partnerships and sponsorships, super thank you/superstickers, and using Shorts to increase product sales and channel engagement. 

Payouts depend on various factors such as number of views, engagement and region. The streaming service introduced the YouTube Shorts Foundation, which allocates $100 million to pay short content creators. Creators can earn between $100 and $10,000 depending on the effectiveness of their videos.

How long can YouTube Shorts captions be?

YouTube Shorts captions, like those in standard YouTube videos, should ideally be concise and to the point. While there is no strict character limit, it's recommended to keep captions within 100 characters to ensure they are easily readable and do not overwhelm the viewer. This brevity helps maintain engagement and ensures the message is clear.

How many hashtags can you add to YouTube Shorts?

You can add up to 3 hashtags to your YouTube Shorts. These hashtags appear above your video's title and help categorise your content, making it more discoverable. 

Can you watch YouTube Shorts on a smart TV?

Yes, you can watch YouTube videos on your smart TV, although the experience may be different from watching them on mobile devices. Most smart TVs with the YouTube app will display these videos in a special section. However, keep in mind that this type of content is primarily designed for mobile use, so the vertical format may not transfer as well to a wider TV screen. Some TVs may show videos with black bars on the sides to preserve the aspect ratio.

How do I turn off the display of shorts on YouTube?

If you prefer not to see YouTube shorts, you can try a few ways:

  • Adjust your preferences. The algorithms take your viewing habits into account. If you watch fewer short videos and more long-form content, you can reduce the number of videos offered to you.

  • Use browser extensions. If you use YouTube in your browser, some extensions can help filter out shorts from your feed.

  • Feedback. When shorts appear in your feed, you can click the three dots next to the video and select "Not Interesting" to adjust the recommendations.

  • YouTube Premium. A paid subscription gives you more control over your viewing, including the ability to minimise unwanted content.

  • Using the Social Media Marketing Panel. For creators who want to maximise the reach of their videos, using a social media marketing panel can be very useful. This tool helps increase visibility and engagement through targeted social media marketing efforts, which can be a significant benefit of using an SMM panel.

As the platform continues to evolve, understanding the nuances of monetising short videos is crucial.