How To Use YouTube Shorts To Boost Engagement

Remember when YouTube creators focused on lengthy videos to market their brand or discuss important topics? You’re not alone. The growth of platforms like TikTok focusing on shorter videos has disrupted the market. YouTube Shorts is the mega video platform’s response to the rise of TikTok in 2020. This recent Youtube feature has become an increasingly popular way of boosting engagement among creators and their audiences. 

YouTube Shorts is an easy way to use in-site tools to make short 15- to 60-second videos on your smartphone. Shorts garner up to 30 billion views monthly, a bonus to multi-platform creators.

This post will teach you how to use YouTube Shorts to drive engagement.

What Are YouTube Shorts?

YouTube Shorts are creative 15 to 60-second video content created and shared on the YouTube platform. Shorts were initially launched in India but are now available worldwide. YouTube has three main focuses with these videos:

Create 

You can create fun and catchy videos using your smartphone. You can record your videos using a robust collection of in-site music, and while shooting, you can access speed control, countdown, and timer features. You can also string multiple videos together. 

Get Discovered 

YouTube operates Shorts to allow explorers to find random content on their feed. Its algorithm automatically detects any video less than 60 seconds and includes it under Shorts, which means anyone can discover your content without following you. 

Watch

Shorts are easy to watch. A viewer can see them at the bottom of their homepage and swipe to watch and leave a comment. 

YouTube Shorts can’t be monetized like standard uploads since creators can’t include ads. However, YouTube launched a $100 million Shorts fund in 2021, which allowed creators to get up to $10,000 monthly for making viral videos. The payment differs based on viewer demography and engagement. 

YouTube has declared that the fund isn’t a long-term way for creators to monetize Shorts. Instead, the company is seeking additional ways for creators to make money through branded content and direct shopping links from Shorts. 

How To Create A YouTube Short

Here are the steps for creating your first YouTube Short

1. Install/Open the YouTube App. You can find the YouTube app on Google Play or the iOS app store.
2. Set up the app.
3. Click the middle button on the menu at the bottom of your home screen.
4. Select ‘Create a Short.’ 
5. Tap the red button to record a 15-second video. Fifteen seconds is the default mode, but you can expand it to 60 seconds by choosing the “15 and above” option. This shows you the available time limits. 
6. Tap the red button to stop recording. 
7. Use the clock icon to create a countdown for hands-free mode. 
8. Slow down or speed up the video with the 1x button. 
9. ‘Browse the toolbar’ by the right to add special effects to your video. 
10. Tap the ‘Add Sound Icon’ to add music to your video. You can access several viral songs from other videos and music from up to 250 music labels. However, you can only record for 15 seconds when using another person’s sound. 

You can also edit the short to your heart’s content using several other features for retouching, background images, transition alignment, etc. 

Editing and Uploading

After recording, save your video by tapping the Checkmark icon. You can add text, music, and filters at this stage. Using the timeline, you can also decide when the text appears in the video. 

Click the Next button on the top right corner. You can add a description to your Shorts and select whether you want it set to Private, Public, or Unlisted. You must also identify if your video is appropriate for kids or needs an age restriction. Click on ‘Upload Short’ to publish. 

How To Use YouTube Shorts

Shorts can help grow your subscribers, create a quirky persona, and drive engagement if you want to get views on your YouTube channel. Shorts are a great way to discover what your brand needs. 

Here are a few ways to use Youtube Shorts to your advantage. 

Get Engaged 

Most people stop watching lengthy videos after the first few minutes, so they rarely get the message creators put out. These catchy, short-form videos help you think outside the box and develop new ways to pass messages that your audience can digest at once. 

Your followers can receive your message on their terms in less than sixty seconds without formal commitment. 

Be A Trendsetter 

People follow trends, and that’s visible in the content creation world. For example, when social media users start dancing or creating with a popular song playing in the background, other creators will make content while featuring their products or services with the same music to help people discover them. 

Seek innovative ways to make reels that focus on your brand but are still general enough to entertain anyone. While you don’t need to create dance videos for every song that comes out, you can incorporate the elements into a new video that suits your brand image. 

Teasers  

Think of Shorts as the snack you have before a meal. You can build viewers’ anticipation for a product by creating a teaser as a Shorts video and directing them to your channel or website to learn more. For example, a yoga instructor may show an impressive pose in a 15-second Shorts, then direct viewers to their channel to watch a 30-minute video on how to do the pose. 

Promote Your YouTube Content 

Posting Shorts is a great way to boost your followership on your channel. Each Short you upload is an excellent way for a random person to come across your content and learn about your brand. 

Viewers also see the Subscriber’s box when watching Shorts, so they don’t have to go out of their way to subscribe to your channel. This is a great conversion strategy to get authentic and organic followership.  

Get User Generated Content 

Shorts are easy to make anywhere and at any time. So, you can easily send your products to some brand loyalists or popular creators and have them create a Short for you to upload. 

Go Behind The Scenes 

You don’t need to pre-plan every video before you get content. A 15-second behind-the-scenes (BTS) of your workplace or your last viral video can create great content. People find this raw and honest, and it can boost engagement. 

Key Takeaways 

Were you thinking of giving YouTube Shorts a shot? Here are three reasons to start now!

• YouTube Shorts can help you establish yourself quickly if you are new to YouTube. 
• Develop content that resonates with your brand values. 
• Think of Shorts as a means to an end, and aim to convert your viewers into subscribers.