Ultra.
It seems like just yesterday YouTube was a budding platform featuring very amatuer creators who couldn’t imagine in a million years they’d be adding “YouTuber” to their resumes and portfolios. Fast forward to today, the platform has over 2.6 billion monthly active users and has evolved into a landmine of video content. The newest rendition of YouTube includes Shorts, a section of YouTube hosting short form, vertical video similar to TikTok and Instagram Reels and creators like yourself are probably wanting to know how to succeed on this new side of YouTube.
Though YouTube Shorts may feel somewhat like uncharted territory, the truth is that it shares some of the same commonalities as short form video platforms you may already be familiar with—including how to grow and get more people to see this short form content. If you’re looking to crack the code on how to get more views on YouTube Shorts and boost your overall presence on the platform, grab your pen and notebook and keep reading.
Scope out the Competition
Before you dive straight into recording content that you think viewers would engage with, do your due diligence to see what other creators in your niche are posting and how viewers are responding. If you notice a pattern of specific types of YouTube Shorts videos doing well on the platform, figure out a way to adapt it to your niche and the content you’d like to put out. Over time, take note of what types of videos are performing well for you and keep them coming.
Research and Optimize Your YouTube Shorts for Search
Friendly reminder—YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google (which owns YouTube). That means when you’re posting content, YouTube Shorts included, you must ensure that you're optimizing your titles, descriptions, etc., to match what your audience would be searching for. Furthermore you need to be creating content that people are looking for. Before you begin filming or editing videos for YouTube Shorts, use a tool such as Tubebuddy’s Keyword Explorer for keyword research to determine what people are looking for in your niche. When you land on these keywords, use them in the titles of your videos for visibility.
Use the Hashtag #Shorts
From a search standpoint, YouTube Shorts and regular long form YouTube content live in the same place. This is why YouTube recommends using the hashtag #shorts in your video title so those searching for short form content with the keywords used in your title have a better chance of coming across your content.
Make Your Shorts Straight to the Point
YouTube Shorts are called shorts for a reason—they’re meant to be straight to the point while still delivering value to viewers. While a YouTube Short can be up to a minute long, many folks– including those over at YouTube–recommend not necessarily using the full 60 seconds unless needed. You want to captivate your audience within the first few seconds and get your point across in as much time as needed but no more than that.
When you’re editing your shorts (which you absolutely should do in order to trim out anything unnecessary) ask yourself if each clip on your editing timeline is essential for relaying whatever message you wish to convey in your YouTube Short. If the answer is “no,'' consider removing it (aka making your Shorts more sweet and concise).
Pro-Tip: If you’re a live streamer looking to repurpose recorded streams or uploads on YouTube Shorts, you can use Cross Clip to easily import videos and make montages that you can use on any vertical video platform. Get started with Cross Clip from your browser.
Remain Consistent
If content creation as a whole had a tagline, it most certainly would be “consistency is key.” In the grand scheme of things, content creators are entertainers. The same way a TV channel network or streaming service creates a schedule for viewers to know when to expect new episodes of their favorite binges, you need to consistently put out new content and never leave your fans hanging.
A few ways you can build consistency on YouTube Shorts (or any other platform):
- Batch create content instead of creating on the fly. Plan a day to shoot a week's worth of content (or however much you feel up to creating) so you can have content on hand to post.
- Schedule your Shorts in the YouTube App so your uploads can go on autopilot while you take time to reset and (hopefully) batch create some more content.
Though adding yet another platform to your task list may seem a bit daunting, it doesn’t have to be. If you take out the time to apply the tactics we’ve mentioned in this blog post, you’ll be on your way to getting more views on your YouTube Shorts in no time. Share the post with a fellow creator who may find it useful.