What is it?
YouTube Shorts is a short-form video feature introduced to compete with competitors such as Instagram Reels and TikTok. Creators use this tool to create short movies of up to 60 seconds and add music overlays in the YouTube app.
YouTube Shorts recently surpassed 15 billion daily views globally– growing 131% from 6.5 billion daily views recorded at the end of the March quarter in 2021.
Why are they important?
YouTube Shorts lets you convert viewers into subscribers for your channel—a must-do for any brand or creator. When you share videos on YouTube Shorts, you can attract millions of subscribers in no time. People love consuming short videos and the algorithm is also helping boost the reach of YouTube Shorts. This allowing for higher organic reach than longer videos.
Best Practices for YouTube Shorts
Grow your Channel
Use YouTube Shorts to promote your main channel. Every time you post a Short, it’s an opportunity to attract new viewers. These viewers could end up subscribing to your channel or engaging with your regular videos. The Subscribe button is always visible when you post a Short for people to find out how to follow you.
Tease your audience
You can make up a snappy 30-second Short that tells people what they need to know about a new product release. Then send them to a longer YouTube video that has more information and directs them to a landing page where they can sign up for early access.
Watch the duration
You can only add a 15-second clip to your video if you choose to use the YouTube audio library, so keep your videos to 15 seconds or use original audio like a voiceover. Ask yourself these two questions when setting up the length of your YouTube Shorts:
- “How much time do you need to make your point in the video?“
- “Is there any part of the content you can remove or cut down to reduce the viewing time and maximize its effect?“
Create relevant content
What content do you think your audience will enjoy most? If you’re not sure what to create, spend some time exploring the platform to see what other businesses are putting out there. You can try out; How-to videos, quick reviews, a relevant story, industry tips, fun facts, an experiment OR use a trending sound byte
Use trending songs, hashtags and events
One great way to get people interested in your content is by using trending songs, events, audio clips, hashtags and challenges. Because these kinds of posts are more likely to go viral, you can boost the visibility and reach of your content. Don’t forget to use #shorts and see its magic.
