YouTube Shorts: Complete Guide for Beginners
What are YouTube Shorts?
YouTube Shorts are short-form videos limited to 60 seconds and designed to be watched on mobile devices (but can be viewed on any device, including desktop or smart TV). They were introduced as YouTube's answer to TikTok and Instagram Reels, and a new way for creators to share bite-sized content and engage viewers.
Since its launch, YouTube Shorts has grown in popularity, reaching over 2 billion monthly users. This makes it an ideal platform for creators looking to reach a massive audience.
Quick Fact: YouTube Shorts first launched in India after the TikTok ban in August 2020 and rolled out globally in June 2021. As of July 2023, it had over 2 billion monthly logged-in users (Statista, 2024).
The Anatomy of a YouTube Shorts video
Before diving into creating YouTube Shorts, it’s essential to understand the key features that define this content format:
- Vertical video format (9:16 aspect ratio)
- Length: Up to 60 seconds
- Editing tools: YouTube app offers features like cut, trim, text, filters, songs, and voiceovers
- Music: Access songs from YouTube's sound library
- Hashtags: Relevant hashtags in the title help you reach more viewers
Why You Should Post YouTube Shorts
Creating and sharing Shorts on YouTube offers several advantages:
Shorts are easy to create
You can film, edit, and upload directly from your smartphone using the YouTube app - no need for professional editing tools or lengthy production times. This ease allows you to be consistent in content creation, helping keep your audience engaged regularly.
Shorts help you reach more people
The YouTube algorithm favors Shorts, often promoting them on the platform's homepage and in the Shorts feed. In fact, 70 billion daily views come from YouTube Shorts, and channels that post Shorts have seen a 75% increase in subscriber count, according to YouTube’s own reports from 2023.
Consistency drives follower growth
Because they’re so easy to make, you can post on YouTube more often. Instead of struggling to publish one or two longer-form videos each week, you can keep your audience engaged daily with quick updates or behind-the-scenes content.
Stat: Creators who post Shorts consistently have seen up to a 135% increase in views.
Shorts are great for trendjacking
Shorts make it easy to participate in trends and challenges, which can lead to viral content. Incorporating trending songs and hashtags will push your content to new viewers, boosting visibility.
Shorts vs Longer videos poll
As a YouTuber myself, I could not resit asking my subscribers if they like watching Shorts. Here's what they answered: 41% said they prefer Shorts, while 59% opted for longer-form videos. This shows that a good mix of both is actually the most appropriate.
Quick YouTube Shorts Stat Recap:
- 70 billion daily views on YouTube Shorts
- 2 billion monthly logged-in users
- 135% increase in views for channels consistently posting Shorts
- 4.1 million views for Shorts with longer average view durations (>50 sec.)
The Downside of YouTube Shorts
While Shorts are excellent for growing your audience, they come with one major drawback:
Shorts have low monetization rates
Shorts aren't ideal for creators who rely heavily on ad revenue. On average, creators earn about $0.03 per 1,000 views on Shorts, compared to $2-$4 per 1,000 views on long-form videos (Influencer Marketing Hub).
Bottom Line: Shorts are excellent for growing your followers and visibility but not great for revenue.
What to post on YouTube Shorts
Wondering what kind of content works best for YouTube Shorts?
Here are some ideas for beginners:
Quick Tutorials
Share quick tips and tutorials that deliver instant value to your audience. You can also use these videos to direct viewers to watch your longer videos for more details.
Source: Make Art & Craft, YouTube
Behind-the-Scenes
Give a sneak peek into your creative process, daily routine, or upcoming projects. These are easy to create as compiling some footage from your day and adding a voiceover narrating your thoughts.
Source: Katie, YouTube
Trending Challenges
Join trending challenges to tap into a wider audience. Here's a recent trend that many creators are jumping on: the "viral water bottle trend".
Source: YouTube
What content works best on YouTube Shorts?
Case Studies of Top-Performing Content
Looking at successful Shorts can help us learn much about what content performs best.
Mr Beast (@MrBeast)
MrBeast is the most followed YouTube channel with 312M subscribers. He uses Shorts to reach millions of viewers quickly by focusing on high-energy, attention-grabbing content. According to YouTube, MrBeast's Shorts have contributed to a 40% growth in his channel’s subscriber count within six months.
Example: Running with Bigger and Bigger Feastables
Dr Berg (@Drberg)
Dr Berg's channel uses Shorts to share quick health and nutrition tips and drive more people to watch his regular long-form value-packed videos.
Example: What would happen if you took Magnesium for 14 Days?
Brad Mondo (@Bradmondo)
Brad Mondo's YouTube channel is built around hairdresser reaction videos to people doing (and often ruining) their hair at home. Shorts are perfect for reaction videos and he is using them to comment on people's homemade coloring videos.
Example: Hairdresser reacts to bleach fails that will make you cry
How to Build a Following with YouTube Shorts
Building a following on YouTube Shorts requires consistency, trend awareness, and strategic use of YouTube's features. Here’s a breakdown of actionable steps:
Post regularly
Consistent posting is crucial. Channels that upload Shorts daily can see up to a 50% increase in subscriber growth. Frequent content keeps your channel active and increases your chances of appearing on the main page.
Trending songs
Adding trending songs from the YouTube sounds library can push your Shorts to the main page, where they can be discovered by new audiences.
Tip: Make sure you check the recommended sounds in the YouTube sounds section before posting your shorts.
Optimize thumbnails and titles
An eye-catching thumbnail and a compelling title are essential for attracting viewers. While YouTube Shorts play automatically in the feed, having a striking thumbnail and a keyword-rich title can draw in more clicks.
Include hashtags and keywords
Make sure to include relevant hashtags and keywords in your Shorts’ title and description to increase their visibility.
Tip: Consider adding some of the auto-suggested hashtags
Link Shorts to long-form content
A new YouTube feature allows creators to tag a relevant video from their channel when publishing a Short. This tag appears as a clickable link under your username, encouraging viewers to explore your long-form videos. It’s a great way to cross-promote content and increase watch time on your channel.
Organize Shorts into playlists
Organizing your Shorts into playlists is another effective strategy. Playlists can help viewers watch related Shorts in a loop, increasing watch time and keeping your audience engaged.
How to Create YouTube Shorts using the YouTube app
Creating a YouTube Short is quick and straightforward with the YouTube mobile app. Follow these steps to make your first YouTube Short:
Step 1: Open the YouTube app
- Download and install the YouTube app on your mobile device
- Next, log in using your Gmail credentials
Step 2: Tap the "+" button
This opens up a menu of content options including video, short, live and post.
Note: You can only upload Shorts from the mobile app, and not from a desktop
Step 3: Select "Short" from the menu
Swipe right to select "Short" from the menu. In the shorts camera mode you will see the following options:
- A red button - press it to record a Shorts video
- Add - click here to import a video from your camera roll
- Draft - here you can find your previous video drafts
- Add sound - here you can browse recommended and trending songs from YouTube's music library
- 15s - tap to increase video duration from 15s to 60s
- Editing menu - this can be expanded and includes Timer, Speed, Effects and Filters
Step 4: Edit your Short
After recording a short video, you will be directed to the editing screen.
- Trim or cut the video by placing your finger on the edges of the timeline
- Set a timer (3s, 10s, 20s) to record handsfree
- Change recording speed (slower 0.3x, 0.5x or faster 2x, 3x)
- Add text, filters, and audio recordings to your video
- Choose a background song to make it entertaining
Step 5: Make final edits
Once you click Next, you can add the finishing touches:
- Select a frame from your video to act as the cover
- Add a caption (this is also your Title and will be visible)
- Optional: You can choose to link your Short to a related video from your channel
- Set visibility to "Public" and adjust audience settings ("Yes, it's made for kids" or "No, it's not made for kids")
- Tap "Upload Short" to publish it to your channel
Step 6: Monitor performance
After uploading your Short, monitor your video's performance by checking the Analytics in the YouTube Studio app. This is a completely different app, and it's only used for tracking YouTube content insights and monetization goals. Look for metrics like views, likes, and audience retention.
Access YouTube Shorts analytics
Best Times to Post on YouTube
Timing is crucial when it comes to maximizing the reach of your Shorts.
Post between 3pm and 6pm on weekdays
While the best time can vary depending on your audience, general trends suggest that posting during peak hours (morning and evening) can lead to higher engagement. A study by Sprout Social found that the best times to post on YouTube are between 3pm and 6pm on weekdays.
Post when your viewers are online
The YouTube studio app shows you a chart of the times your audience is online. This data is unique for every account and is tracked based on your local timezone from data gathered in the past 28 days.
Here's a sample of how this chart looks like for my account:
The darker shaded areas indicate that more viewers are online in the evening, from 6pm to 11pm in my local timezone. This info can help me plan when to publish my future Shorts - so they're viewed by more people.
Content Ideas for YouTube Shorts
Finally, if you feel like you're running out of ideas here are some content ideas to keep your Shorts fresh and engaging:
- Product unboxing
- Product reviews
- Fun facts
- Quick recipes
- Top 3 best/worst
- Mini tutorials
- Day in my life vlogs
- Tech tips
- Q&A session
- Reacting to trends or viral memes
- Pet videos
- Life hacks
By following these strategies, you can effectively build a strong following on YouTube Shorts and drive more traffic to your main channel. If you enjoyed this post, check our the other helpful guides I have shortlisted for you below:
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