YouTube Shorts: Everything You Need To Know

Sahail Ashraf posted on 17 March 2023

YouTube Shorts are now firmly established on social media. But some marketers are still not fully on board. They’re versatile and fun to create. Here’s our guide.

YouTube Shorts are relatively new, but they have already made the platform a lot more fun to be around. However, getting the most out of the opportunity requires a little forward planning as well as plenty of hard work. 

What are YouTube Shorts?

YouTube Shorts are videos that are 15 seconds or less and are uploaded to YouTube. With this new YouTube feature, creators can easily make and upload videos. YouTube creators and viewers love it because it’s quick, creative and easy to consume. 

Compared to longer videos, YouTube Shorts are great for watching and responding to content quickly. As a result, viewers stay engaged and can quickly share the content. Plus, Shorts let creators experiment with different ideas and concepts quickly and post them to the platform. 

Creators can also make content that is mobile-friendly using YouTube Shorts. As more people watch videos on their phones, viewers can watch the content they want easier. YouTube Shorts also appeal to audiences who don’t have time to watch longer videos. As a result, creators can reach a bigger audience. 

Shorts are important to marketers because they are, well, short. This means that YouTube has chosen to push down the short form video route, which is relatively easy to get involved in. Marketers now have this new method of building engagement, and it just so happens that the method is part of the biggest video network around. 

Reasons why marketers should be creating Shorts

Unlike on many other platforms that offer video solutions, YouTube Shorts doesn’t take down the videos after 24 hours. This means you can build up a library of Shorts that can keep bringing in engagement for years to come. 

On top of all of that is the power of YouTube. It is an immensely popular platform that continues to grow every year. YouTube has over 2 billion monthly active users, so if you’re looking for a video platform that can help to leverage your brand, this is the one to consider. It has built up a lot of trust over the years.

How to make a YouTube Short

It’s a little convoluted at first, but like anything, you get used to it.

• ▪️ Using your mobile device, sign into your YouTube channel.
• ▪️Tap the “+” symbol to create.
• ▪️Tap Create a Short from the pop-up menu.
• ▪️Your device will ask for permission if you use this option for the first time. The recording page for YouTube Shorts will appear once you allow it.
• ▪️The default recording length for YouTube Shorts is 15 seconds in the app. The recording length of 60 seconds can be changed by tapping on the number “15” above the record button.
• ▪️Click the Timer option just below the Speed option to set a time when the camera will start recording on its own.
• ▪️The filters option allows you to apply various visual filters to your recording.
• ▪️When you’re ready to shoot, press the Record button.
• ▪️To stop the recording, tap the Record button again. You can record another segment in the same video by tapping again.
• ▪️By tapping the Undo button, shown as a left-facing arrow, you can delete just the last segment of the video instead of the whole file.
• ▪️Tap the Redo button to return that segment to the video.
• ▪️After you have recorded the Short video, tap on the checkmark at the bottom right to preview your video and add music and filters.
• ▪️When your YouTube Short video is complete, tap Next.
• ▪️Add a title to your Short (max 100 characters) and adjust sharing settings. You can promote your video on YouTube by adding the #shorts hashtag to the title.
• ▪️Select whether your Short video is intended for kids by tapping Select audience.
• ▪️To finish, tap Upload. 

The quick and easy guide to achieving more views

So Shorts are easy to make, but are they useful for views and engagement?

They are. And following just a few principles will help you get the most out of the experience. Your first job is to make sure that the thumbnail used to promote your Short is attractive and gets the attention of the audience.

YouTube will use a standard thumbnail unless you change it. One good trick to make use of the Short itself. You can freeze frames and cut any image from your Short and include that as your thumbnail. It will help with branding, and if you do it right you could find yourself with an incredible thumbnail that begs to be investigated further.

Then work on the technical aspects of the video and how it is presented to the audience. You need a strong title for example, one that will draw people in. Make sure your description for the Short is engaging and free of waffle. Finally make sure you are picking hashtags that will resonate with your audience.

Essentially, creating and marketing Shorts is just like creating and marketing any YouTube video. Remember that they are short, and optimised for mobile, and you should be able to get into the swing of things relatively quickly.

As always, test your results to see if they are meeting your KPIs. If you don’t test, you’re wasting time and money.

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