Shorts are YouTube’s version of short-form vertical videos, similar to TikTok or Instagram Reels. They have become hugely popular since launching in 2020, with over 30 billion daily views. For creators, shorts represent a major new opportunity – but do they actually help grow your channel?
What are YouTube Shorts?
YouTube Shorts are short-form videos up to 60 seconds long designed for mobile viewing. They can be recorded and uploaded directly through the YouTube mobile app. Some of the key features include:
- Vertical video format optimized for smartphones
- Ability to sample audio from other YouTube videos
- Built-in effects and filters
- Multi-segment recording to string clips together
Shorts have a dedicated section on YouTube’s homepage and mobile app where viewers can swipe vertically to discover new creators and content. Unlike regular YouTube videos, there is no public dislike button or view counts. The primary metric is number of ‘Shorts’ – YouTube’s equivalent of TikTok’s hearts.
How are Shorts different from regular YouTube videos?
While regular YouTube videos and Shorts can complement each other, there are some key differences in the formats:
| YouTube Videos | YouTube Shorts |
|---|---|
| Horizontal landscape format | Vertical portrait format |
| 30 seconds to 12+ hours long | 15 seconds to 60 seconds long |
| Monetized through ads | Currently not directly monetized |
| Appear in search results and recommendations | Only viewable in Shorts feed |
So in summary, Shorts are designed for quick entertainment on mobile, whereas videos aim to engage viewers for longer sessions across platforms.
Do Shorts help increase subscribers and views?
The short answer is yes, Shorts can dramatically help grow your channel’s subscribers and views.
According to YouTube, channels uploading Shorts see an average of 50% incremental growth in subscribers. Views on Shorts also far exceed the average video. For example, the top 1% of Shorts have over 160 million views on average!
This massive distribution potential makes Shorts the perfect ‘foot-in-the-door’ to attract viewers to your channel. Even if your regular videos don’t blow up, gaining consistent viewership on Shorts can gradually convert viewers into subscribers.
Case Studies
There are already many success stories of channels exploding thanks to YouTube Shorts:
- Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) earned 200k+ subscribers in 1 month after uploading Shorts
- The McFarlands (@Thisisinsider) gained 1 million subscribers in 3 months with viral Shorts
- Ross Smith (@Rosssmith) saw his channel grow from 300k to 2 million subscribers through daily Shorts
These examples highlight the incredible reach Shorts provides for new and established creators alike. Even 15-second videos can generate huge interest in your brand and content if promoted through Shorts.
Tips to grow your channel with Shorts
Here are some best practices to maximize the benefits of Shorts:
Leverage viral audio and trends
Use popular ‘viral’ audio tracks and songs associated with trending memes or challenges. This taps into what’s already working on Shorts.
Post daily for maximum impact
The Shorts feed rewards consistency. Uploading at least 1 Short daily will put your content in front of more viewers.
Optimize thumbnails and titles
Use attractive custom thumbnails and titles optimized with keywords to stand out against the competition.
Link to long-form content
Add links back to your channel or full videos in Shorts descriptions to drive viewers to more of your content.
Engage with viewers
Respond to comments, encourage viewers to follow, and ask questions to build a connection with your audience.
Potential downsides of relying on Shorts
While impactful, there are some risks creators should be aware of in using Shorts:
- They are not directly monetized like regular videos
- You don’t own viewers in the Shorts feed like on your channel
- Shorts-focused channels may struggle to retain viewership
- Accelerated growth can be volatile if trends change
The key is balance – utilize Shorts to boost awareness, but focus on driving traffic back to your owned channels and long-form videos where you can monetize and control the relationship with your audience.
Conclusion
Shorts present a huge opportunity for creators to gain subscribers and views on YouTube. The short format optimized for mobile allows even 15-30 second videos to go viral across YouTube’s massive user base. While not a complete YouTube strategy on their own, utilizing Shorts alongside traditional videos provides the best chance for sustainable channel growth. Just don’t rely entirely on the volatile Shorts algorithm – always cultivate an audience on your owned channels as well.