YouTube has been one of the leading social media platforms in Malaysia for the longest time. With 2.1 billion monthly active users on YouTube right now, you might be wondering how your business can make the most of this opportunity.
Videos are still one of the best ways to reach an audience and convey your message – and YouTube Shorts is an interesting new YouTube opportunity that can be used by brands for this exact purpose.
In this guide, we’ll check out what Shorts are and explain how you can leverage it to get ahead of your competitors.
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about the new YouTube homepage feature!
What Are YouTube Shorts?
What are YouTube Shorts? YouTube Shorts were officially launched in 2021. These are different types of videos that are vertical and last between 15 seconds to 60 seconds long.
The vertical nature of these videos come from the fact that they’re meant to come from mobile phones. Indeed, YouTube shorts video are supposed to be made on smartphones and then uploaded directly from the YouTube app.
The YouTube app for mobile has several creation tools to help you capture, edit, and add effects to the videos. One of the things that you can do is add music and audio effects, which include licensed music from some of the world’s biggest musicians and labels like Warner, Sony, and Universal.
YouTube Shorts was launched as a trial in India back in 2020, to a very warm reception. About a year later, YouTube launched it globally and it has since garnered almost 7 billion views on a daily basis in the United States alone.
The videos on Shorts YouTube are a way for YouTube to keep up with the short-form video trend similar to Instagram Reels, Snapchat, and TikTok. It is a way for YouTube to stay updated and continue attracting new and younger users to its platform.
You may be interested in: Top Social Media Sites
Why Should You Use YouTube Shorts?
1. They’re Able to Funnel Traffic
When you create a video in the YouTube shorts app and upload it, your channel’s name will be displayed clearly on the video. This means that viewers who like your video and want to know more will be able to go directly to your channel page from the shorts.
This means that you’ll be able to funnel traffic to your website, YouTube channel, and other full-length videos. Subsequently, there will be better chances for conversion too.
2. They Don’t Expire
Unlike some other social media features like Instagram Reels and Facebook stories where the videos only last 24 hours, these shorts will stay on forever. They will be recommended to viewers using the YouTube algorithm according to the viewer’s preferences.
This means that all your videos can still be viewed and recommended years down the line. You can use this opportunity to create evergreen content.
3. Short Content Creators Have More Opportunities
Not everyone on YouTube creates long videos lasting several minutes. Some short-form creators have amassed a following for short, concise videos. Now their creations have a better chance of reaching more people with YouTube Shorts.
YouTube Shorts length lasts as little as 15 seconds, and currently, any videos from your mobile that’s shorter than a minute will be automatically uploaded as a YouTube short. In the past, they would have just been buried by longer videos, but now they’re highlighted to the public.
4. They’re Suitable For Any Industry
Short videos are really flexible in that they can be used to promote any type of product or service. This is possible as long as your videos are interesting and manage to catch the viewers’ attention. That said, this doesn’t mean every video needs to necessarily be loud or colorful.
The main focus on your videos should be relatable to a wider audience and is suitable for as many people as possible.
5. They’re More Stable
When we say more stable, we mean that their visibility is more sustainable over a long period of time.
On the app version of YouTube, shorts has its own window where you can watch what creators have made, and your video can be recommended for a very long time and to a wider audience.
How Long Are YouTube Shorts?
We’ve mentioned previously how long are YouTube Shorts supposed to be. They fall within the minimum length of 15 seconds and the maximum length of 60 seconds.
Initially, YouTube set the maximum length at 30 seconds. However, this was met with feedback from creators that this time limit was restrictive. Therefore, it has now been extended to the current 60-second limit.
Interestingly, any YouTube video content below 60 seconds that is uploaded will immediately be classified as part of YouTube Shorts. This separate classification to YT Shorts has many benefits, mainly allowing your short video to have more visibility, whether on the website or the app version.
How Do I Make YouTube Shorts?
Now that we’ve answered the question “How long can YouTube Shorts be?”, it’s time to actually tackle the business of making these shorts videos.
The process of how to make YouTube Shorts is actually pretty straightforward. You can begin by following the steps listed below. Note that the creation of shorts can only be done from the YouTube app on your mobile phone.
Step 1: Download the YouTube App
If you haven’t already downloaded the YouTube app, you can do so via Google Play or The Apple App Store. There isn’t a need to download YouTube Shorts app as there isn’t a specific app for it.
Step 2: Start Creating
When you open YouTube videos, you’ll see the Create button at the bottom in the form of a plus sign. Tap ‘Create a Short’. If this is your first time, you’ll be asked to grant the YouTube app access to your camera and audio.
Step 3: Set Pre-recording Parameters
Before you start recording, there are a few factors that you can change. At the top right corner, you’ll find an option for the length of the video. The default length is 15 seconds. Clicking on this will change the video length limit to 60 seconds.
Other parameters you can change include:
- Flip: Turn the camera from front facing to back facing and vice versa.
- Speed: Control the speed of your video, whether normal speed, slower, or faster.
- Countdown: To be used to countdown the start of the recording. Useful if there’s no additional person to help you record.
- Filters: Choose from more than 20 different color filters to give your video a different vibe.
- Flash: Turn the flash on or off when you record.
- Trim: Cut off parts of your recording.
- Align (Ghost icon): Edit the transition and align the flow between different clips.
Step 4: Start Recording
Once you’re satisfied with all the recording parameters, you can press the record button until the maximum time is reached. Remember that you can stop and restart recording at any time, as long as your maximum video length follows the 15-second or 60-second cap.
Once you’re done, you can stop the recording process by tapping on the square red button. Go to the next stage by tapping the check mark.
Step 5: Finish With Post Processing
Once you click on the checkmark, you’ll be brought to the post-editing screen. There are about four elements that you can add and use to edit your clip. These include:
- Sound: You can choose to add sound effects and music if you didn’t add the overlay during the pre-recording stage.
- Text: Type out texts in different colors throughout the video and choose how long they last.
- Timeline: Edit the flow of the video, snip and join, and stitch with other clips here.
- Filters: If you didn’t choose a filter during the pre-recording stage, you can add it to your finished video here.
Once you’ve completed this stage, select ‘Next’.
Step 6: Apply Final Touches and Publish
The final part of how to upload youtube shorts is the pre-publishing page. Here, you can add a caption to your clip, decide the visibility of your video, and set who your target audience will be. Additionally, there will also be an option on managing comments.
Once you have completed this section, you can tap Upload short and your video will immediately be available online.
How Do I Monetize YouTube Shorts?
The great news is that YouTube themselves have announced plans to allow video content creators to monetize these shorts. The YouTube Shorts monetization will start in 2023 and take the form of a program called the YouTube Partner Program.
Through the Partner Program, creators will be able to generate revenue from ads. It’s interesting to add that so far, YouTube is the first social media platform that offers monetization for short-form videos.
To qualify for the Partner Program, creators have to fulfill certain conditions. The channel has to have at least 10 million views in the last 90 days. The revenue percentage earned by creators is also considerably generous, which is set at 45% for now.
This may sound far-fetched, but with the help of YouTube SEO, it is actually not something impossible to achieve.
What Are the Best Practices for YouTube Shorts?
Since you now know how to make a YouTube Short, it’s also good to know what to do and what not to do when creating the actual content. These will help make your videos more interesting and avoid your viewers wanting to disable YouTube Shorts.
Here are some of our recommendations:
1. Get to the Point
YouTube Shorts are not like your other long-format videos. Therefore, you have to present the main ideas and concepts within the first few seconds of the video. The whole objective of shorts videos like these is to get points across in as little time as possible.
Viewers lose interest fast – so do get to the point as quickly as possible and add important details afterwards.
2. Have a Hook
A good short-form video will always have a hook. This is an interesting point where there’s a twist and you catch the viewers’ attention. The hook can be funny, shocking, surprising, scary, or the like.
Just like copywriting, the important point is not to make your video monotonous throughout. It should build up and lead to a peak or hook. If you present a problem or a question, it’s good to have a resolution or conclusion at the end of your video too.
3. Omit Unnecessary Information
Keep all unnecessary information out and streamline your message as much as possible. This means you should settle on conveying only one story or one message at a time.
Even if the limit for YouTube Shorts is 60 seconds, most viewers who are used to this format won’t be very patient if you’re going on and on without moving on.
4. Consider the Replay
Short form video formats are designed to replay when they end and will go in a loop. This should be part of your consideration when you create them. Looping can be part of your special effects too, similar to that of filming a magic trick.
5. Add Value to Your Message
Rather than having fun videos all the time, consider occasionally adding useful and practical information that your viewers and followers can use. This information should help them improve their daily lives too.
6. Keep it Positive
In order for your videos to reach more people, make sure you keep them as optimistic as possible. They should also be in line with the current trends. So, don’t try to fit an entire long-form video inside. Good ideas include a short dance challenge or humorous challenge.
How Can I Use YouTube Shorts?
Here, we will attempt to answer your question on “What are YouTube Shorts for?” After learning how to upload shorts videos, this would definitely be your next question.
Many viewers have been interested in getting a YouTube Shorts downloader app as they want to keep interesting videos they’ve seen. This indicates that your videos have the potential to generate interest too.
Drive Traffic to Your Channel
Make viewers curious enough that they will visit your channel and perhaps even check out more videos. This translates to more views. Additionally, with YouTube Shorts, website traffic will also increase. Don’t forget to add a call to action to get people to go where they should.
Give Content Previews
Giving teasers of your longer videos that are coming up is a great way to use YouTube Shorts. Viewers will then be curious enough and check out the other YouTube content on your channel.
Give Behind-the-Scenes Content
One way to really engage with your followers and other viewers is to provide videos of how you work. These can include the behind-the-scenes of how you make your product, day-to-day operations, how you make your videos, and much more.
Leverage on Trends
Social media platforms that have short-form videos always have trends, and they’re not limited to just catchy dances.
Sometimes it’s a humorous twist, sometimes it’s a reveal, and sometimes it’s a reaction. Stay alert about the trends on YouTube content and participate in them to gain more visibility.
Increase Immediate Engagement
YouTube Shorts adds to the content that you already have. The fact that they’re really short means that viewers won’t have to wait long to engage with your video.
Rather than having to watch the entire video, they can now comment and click on the like button after less than a minute.
Pair this with video SEO best practices, your content is pretty much unbeatable!
Feature More Viewers’ Content
One way to keep your followers and the public engaged is to feature content coming from them. This will elicit more interest than just having content coming from your own self. You can have product reviews, stories, pictures, and more from your consumers for more varied content.
More Cost-Effective
Since they’re so short, these types of videos cost next to nothing to produce. They don’t just save you money but time as well. Rather than needing to spend hours on post-production, you need just a few minutes to make a great video.
Make YouTube Shorts Your Own
If your brand is already on YouTube, you can now use this new opportunity to enhance your marketing efforts. If your brand is not yet on YouTube, you can always contact us to know how to start.
In addition to valuable consultation on how you can enhance your YouTube long-form video, One Search Pro can help you with the short-form video productions too, including:
- Optimizing your YouTube Shorts using analytics and video SEO
- Identifying content topics you can use for your videos
- Auditing your short videos to know how and where to improve
Speak to us and find out how you can form your own brand identity and enhance brand awareness using YouTube – one of the most powerful video content marketing tools!
