Everything You Need To Know About YouTube SHORTS
YOUTUBE SHORTS 101
Did you know that the first ever video posted on YouTube was an 18 second clip titled “Me at the zoo”?
You may be wondering… so what? Well, sometimes to look at where a platform is going, you have to look back at where it came from. Allow us to explain:
WHAT ARE YOUTUBE SHORTS?
While many pastors and organizations now use the platform to post long-form videos like a Sunday message or a live streamed conference, the platform had its beginnings highlighting short-form content. Now, in efforts to complete with other widespread platform like TikTok and Instagram Reels, Shorts are YouTube’s feature for content creators to display short-form content. These 60-seconds or less videos have revolutionized YouTube’s global platform and could be revolutionary to your personal social media strategy!
Unlike a regular video upload, Shorts offers creators tools inside the app to enhance the delivery of this short-form content. The app allows you to string multiple clips together, control the playback speed, and add audio from an expansive library. Creators can maximize these tools to create engaging, interactive, and impactful content.
WHY SHOULD I BE USING SHORTS?
Shorts are well, short, and easy to create, which gives content creators the ability to create more content in less amount of time – aka you can release more content on your account! This posting frequency helps keep your audience engaged with new content, while gaining you favor with the YouTube algorithm. Overall, this leads to higher reach, better viewership, and increased subscribership.
Strategically, YouTube is a great place for people to engage with your content because unlike TikTok, which only offers short-form content, your audience can engage with BOTH short-form and long-form content on your YouTube page. Short-form content can become a gateway for both old and new viewers to engage with your longer form content.
Additionally, discoverability is one of the greatest strengths of Shorts because the platform highlights them in multiple areas, making them visible and attractive to viewers who aren’t already subscribed to your channel.
When considering the role of Shorts in your online presence, you should keep in mind that second to Google, YouTube is the world’s top search engine with over 2 billion active monthly users. If you are not actively creating shorts, chances are you are missing a major window of opportunity to engage your audience and increase subscribership to your overall YouTube channel.
SO, WHAT DO I DO NEXT?
Hopefully at this point you’ve realized the importance of creating and posting Shorts (if you hadn’t already)! Now that we’ve discussed what Shorts are and why are they are important in your overall social media strategy, stay tuned for next week’s post as we talk about our favorite Short ideas for the week!