What Is Youtube Shorts
In recent years, YouTube has become one of the most popular platforms for creators to share their content and reach a massive audience.
However, with the rise of short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels, YouTube has recognized the need to adapt and compete in this space. Thus, YouTube Shorts was born.
In this blog, we will discuss what Youtube Shorts is, why its important and the techniques you should be implementing to rank your website highe.
Shorts achieve a higher engagement rate as they are more likely to be watched in entirety due to their short bite-sized content
Evolution of Youtube Shorts
YouTube Shorts is a feature that allows creators to create short-form videos that are 60 seconds or less. These videos can be in vertical or horizontal format and can be shot with a mobile device or a camera.
YouTube Shorts launched in India in September 2020 as a beta feature and has since expanded to other countries
Shorts can be up to 60 seconds long, but users can also string multiple Shorts together to create longer videos
The Shorts camera includes a countdown timer, speed controls, and a timer to limit video length
YouTube Shorts has its own dedicated section on the YouTube mobile app’s homepage, making it easy for users to discover Shorts content
YouTube Shorts is competing with other short-form video platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels
YouTube Shorts allows users to use licensed music and audio from the YouTube library, giving creators a vast selection of soundtracks to choose from
Shorts views count towards a creator’s overall YouTube views and engagement metrics
YouTube Shorts has become a popular platform for viral challenges and trends, with creators using the feature to participate in challenges and start new ones
YouTube has been actively promoting Shorts by featuring popular creators on the app’s homepage and running a $100 million Shorts Fund program to incentivize creators to create content for the platform
YouTube is planning to integrate Shorts with its main video platform, allowing creators to use Shorts as a way to promote their longer-form content
Why Advertisers Should Focus On Shorts?
Advertisers should use YouTube Shorts as a way to reach a massive audience through short-form video content. With over 2 billion monthly active users, YouTube provides an extensive audience that can be targeted through advertising.
Here are some reasons why advertisers should use YouTube Shorts:
Increased Visibility: YouTube Shorts is prominently displayed on the YouTube app’s homepage, making it easy for users to discover Shorts content. This means that advertisers can increase their visibility and reach a larger audience
Engagement: Shorts are designed to be short and engaging, which means that viewers are more likely to watch them in their entirety, resulting in higher engagement rates
Targeting: YouTube’s advertising platform provides advertisers with a range of targeting options, including demographic, geographic, and behavioral targeting. This means that advertisers can target their ads to specific audiences based on their interests, behavior, and location
Creative Freedom: YouTube Shorts provides advertisers with the opportunity to experiment with new creative concepts, styles, and formats. Since Shorts are short-form content, advertisers can test out different ideas without committing to a full-length video
Lower Cost: Since Shorts are short-form content, advertisers can produce them quickly and at a lower cost compared to longer-form content. This means that advertisers can create more content and reach a larger audience without breaking their budget
Integration With Google Ads: YouTube Shorts can be integrated with Google Ads, allowing advertisers to manage their Shorts campaigns alongside their other YouTube campaigns
Did You Know?
Shorts can be up to 60 seconds long, but users can also string multiple Shorts together to create longer videos
Where Do Youtube Shorts Appear?
YouTube Shorts appear in multiple places on the YouTube app, including:
The YouTube Shorts shelf on the home page of the YouTube app, which is a row of short videos that you can swipe through
The Shorts tab on the YouTube app, which features a collection of short videos from different creators
The subscription feed, where you can see Shorts from creators you’re subscribed to
The search results page, where relevant Shorts may appear alongside regular video results
The notification bell icon, where you can see notifications for new Shorts from creators you’re subscribed to
Monetize With Shorts
YouTube Shorts is a new feature on the platform and as of now, it’s not possible to monetize Shorts directly. However, creators can still earn revenue from their Shorts content in different ways. Here are some ways creators can monetize their Shorts:
Ads On Longer-Form Content: Since Shorts views count towards a creator’s overall YouTube views, creators can use Shorts to drive more traffic to their longer-form content, which can be monetized through ads
Sponsorships & Brand Deals: Creators can use their Shorts content to showcase their creativity and attract brand deals and sponsorships
Merchandise Sales: Creators can use their Shorts content to promote their merchandise sales or other products and services
Channel Memberships: Creators with eligible channels can offer channel memberships to their viewers, which can provide exclusive perks and benefits
Super Chat and Super Stickers: Creators with eligible channels can use Super Chat and Super Stickers during their live streams, which allow viewers to support their favorite creators by making monetary contributions
YouTube’s Shorts Fund: YouTube is currently running a Shorts Fund program that rewards creators for creating engaging Shorts content. While it’s not a direct monetization method, it can provide a financial incentive for creators to produce more Shorts content
Revenue sharing for Shorts Ads has started from Feb 1st 2023 for those who’ve signed up agreements
How To Qualify For Youtube Shorts Fund
This brings us to the next question, am I eligible for Youtube Shorts Fund?
To qualify you need to create original, engaging content that needs the below criteria:
- Your content must comply with YouTube’s Community Guidelines and Terms of Service
- Your videos must be in a vertical format with an aspect ratio of 9:16 and no longer than 60 seconds in length
- Your content must be suitable for all ages and should not contain any explicit or graphic content
- You need to be based in an eligible country where the Shorts Fund is available. As of February 2023, the Shorts Fund is available in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, Russia, and South Africa
- You need to have at least one eligible short-form video that has received over 600,000 views in the last 180 days
- You must be at least 18 years old and have an AdSense account linked to your YouTube account
If you meet these criteria, you may be eligible for the Shorts Fund. However, keep in mind that eligibility does not guarantee that you will receive funding.
The Shorts Fund is limited, and YouTube will decide which creators receive funding based on various factors, including video performance, audience engagement, and overall quality.
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Frequently Asked Questions
YouTube Shorts are short-form videos that can be up to 60 seconds long and are designed to be viewed on mobile devices. They are similar to TikTok and Instagram Reels
To create a YouTube Short, simply open the YouTube app, tap the "+" icon, and select "Create a Short." From there, you can record a new video or upload an existing one, and then use the editing tools to add music, captions, filters, and effects.
Yes, YouTube has community guidelines that apply to Shorts just like any other content on the platform. This means that Shorts must be appropriate for all ages and should not contain any hate speech, violence, nudity, or other types of content that violate YouTube's policies.
Yes, creators can monetize their Shorts through ads, channel memberships, and the YouTube Shorts Fund.
However, there are certain eligibility requirements that must be met before creators can participate in these monetization programs.
Learn more here
YouTube Shorts appear as a separate section on the YouTube app's homepage, or you can go to the Shorts shelf on the mobile app's bottom navigation bar. You can also search for Shorts using hashtags or by browsing the Shorts tab on a creator's channel.
Yes, all YouTube Shorts are vertical and optimized for mobile viewing. This means they are meant to be watched in portrait mode, rather than landscape
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