YouTube Shorts Tips to Get Millions of Views

As of the time of writing this (2024), YouTube Shorts garnered a collective 70 billion views every day. Assuming that each YouTube Short is an average of 30 seconds long, it translates into 2.1 billion minutes of YouTube watch time. With the watch time in 2021 being 30 billion views, it's clear that the popularity of these short-form videos has doubled.

Like Instagram reels and TikTok videos, YouTube Shorts offer viewers an engaging and convenient way of getting information or entertainment in less than a minute. If you are a brand, YouTube Shorts can give you unmatched visibility than long-form videos. With advertisers looking for new ways of reaching their audiences, it has become important to understand the intricacies of YouTube Shorts. This article will provide all the details you need to get millions of views with your YouTube Shorts. But before we do that, let's find out why these videos are popular.

Why Should You Create YouTube Shorts?

There are several reasons why YouTube Shorts should be part of your YouTube content strategy. These include:

Wider Reach Than Long-form Videos

We have already seen the view numbers of YouTube Short statistics that are mind-boggling. That means when well used, YouTube Shorts can enable you to reach a very large audience. This is also because the YouTube algorithm favors Shorts over regular videos. With 70 billion YouTube Shorts viewers, you can create effective campaigns that resonate with many audiences. 

Therefore, your long-form videos can reach audiences you would otherwise have struggled to reach. The diverse audience base can help improve your brand exposure; with time, you can have a well-established brand presence.

Attract New Audiences

By looking at your YouTube Analytics, you can see how YouTube users discover your videos. This could be through searches, playlists, suggested videos, and playlists. When it comes to YouTube Shorts, these are displaced in feeds under the For You tab. That means that they increase the chances of your content getting discovered by new users.

Better Long-term Discovery

As with long-form videos, you can add keywords to YouTube Shorts in the title and description. That means these videos can also be shown on Google, ensuring your content attracts viewers even in the long term. The results are a higher return on investment in your content creation strategy.

Easy to Produce

While the complexity of videos differ from one platform to the other, platforms such as TikTok enable you to create videos without any prior editing knowledge or expensive equipment. Similarly, YouTube Shorts are spontaneous, meaning anyone can make them. This also makes it easier for creators to create content without worrying about how it will reach their audience.

Higher Engagement Level

Most social media users have a short attention span. While this can be a disadvantage for creators of long-form videos, it can be an advantage for those creating short-form content. Due to their short form, these videos are available to effectively capture the audience’s attention, driving the reach of your videos.

Viewers are also likely to spontaneously engage with the short video by liking, sharing, and commenting on it. This can translate into higher visibility for the video and even a higher ranking on the YouTube algorithm. The concise format of the videos can cause a higher message recall and foster a better connection with the audience.

Potential to go Viral

As noted earlier, the YouTube algorithm prioritizes short videos. That means the videos' visibility will be higher than longer videos. Conversely, when you create short content in mass, the visibility is increased due to quantity rather than quality.

YouTube Integration

Another benefit of YouTube Shorts is that you can easily integrate them with your other videos. YouTube now allows you to link YouTube Shorts with longer videos. This can create a funnel that can turn the less engaged viewers into a loyal audience base. When you do that, you can diversify the reach of your audience and reach a larger audience. With this feature, you can build a stronger bond with viewers, helping your channel grow further.

Ability to Reuse Content

Another benefit of YouTube short videos is that you don't need to create entirely new content. Instead, you can clip a longer video into a short one. By doing that, you can maximize the value you get from your current content. You also get a good crossover strategy between the short-form and long-form videos. However, when doing that, you should avoid simply recycling old content. Instead, you need to identify the part of the content that is doing well and can compete with existing YouTube content.

Monetization Opportunity

In 2021, YouTube enabled creators to monetize their YouTube Shorts. While the amount of revenue creators receive on Shorts is lower than that of long-form videos, the fact is that YouTube Shorts can contribute to your overall creator revenue. Because of their wider reach and high conversion rate, these videos can help you to meet the monetization requirements. 

As of the last update in 2023, it had 500 subscribers, 3000 watch hours, and at least three uploaded videos. Therefore, these short videos can create an opportunity to access the monetization of long-form videos. This is especially true because they can attract audiences to other long-form videos. Therefore, you can easily monetize your YouTube Shorts.

Top Tips to Make YouTube Shorts That Go Viral

We have already noted the importance of creating YouTube Shorts. However, it is important to note that the competition can be stiff, as the average YouTube channel posts three Shorts daily. Fortunately, there are tips you can use to make your YouTube Shorts go viral and receive millions of views. These are:

Optimize Your Short Videos for SEO

Just as you do with long-form videos, you must ensure that your Shorts are optimized for the search engines. This involves researching for relevant keywords and using them in your videos. You can use keyword research tools like VideoIQ and TubeBuddy to find these keywords. Another alternative is to type the keyword on the YouTube search bar to see what comes up.

Once you find the relevant keywords, use them in your Shorts. Add them to the title, description, and video tags. This will improve the visibility of your videos to people searching for keywords in your niche. Add at least three hashtags to every video to help YouTube understand how to categorize your videos.

Ensure that you add a caption with interesting keywords that encourage clicks. You can test different types of captions to see which ones get the highest number of views and engagements. Add transcripts and captions to increase the accessibility of your videos. By implementing these tips, you can boost the visibility of your videos.

Use Storytelling to Increase Engagement

Many big YouTubers will tell you that video storytelling resonates more with audiences as it easily hooks viewers. If you want your videos to go viral, you should experiment with storytelling. Here are ways in which you can use storytelling in your Shorts:

• Use a hook in the beginning. This could be a surprising fact, common challenge, or intrigue.
• Add a goal or challenge early in the narrative. The challenge will propel the story forward, through the middle, and towards the conclusion.
• Use visuals and audio elements. Use trending sounds, great visuals, and subtitles to increase engagement in the narrative.
• Provide a resolution. The video should flow smoothly and take you towards a resolution or greater insights. The goal should be to resolve the narrative while providing a call-to-action or takeaway.
• Tie the end with the beginning. The circular narrative approach can provide an exciting closure while showcasing the journey.

The above technique will make your story more compelling and the Shorts engaging and memorable. This can keep viewers engaged and encourage repeat watchers.

Drive Engagement on Your Channel

One way to grow your channel is by engaging with your community. This will increase the visibility of your posts, leading to more loyal followers. There are different ways to increase engagement on your short videos. 

• Respond to people's comments on the Shorts.
• Host an AMA or Live Sessions. This will enable you to interact with your viewers in real-time.
• Post updates using the community tab. Create polls and even share the behind-the-scenes content.

Just as you do with long-form videos, make good use of the community tab by:

• Sharing updates, behind-the-scenes videos, and creating polls.
• Provide teasers for your upcoming projects.
• Get feedback from your community. You can use this information to determine the kind of content to create next.

Create Captivating Thumbnails

Regarding YouTube videos, people judge a book by its cover. In this case, the cover is the thumbnails that make them decide whether to watch a video or let it pass. You can quickly increase your click-through rate and views with a beautiful thumbnail. While the thumbnails will not be visible on the Shorts tab, they can be seen in:

• Shorts section of the YouTube channel.
• Subscription tabs of videos.
• YouTube home page recommended videos.

Therefore, if you want to increase your views, create captivating thumbnails. Here are a few tips for creating captivating thumbnails:

• Include text in the video to explain more about the video.
• A/B test with different kinds of thumbnails to determine the best-performing one.

Use the Correct Short Dimensions

Shorts recorded in the vertical format tend to perform better than horizontal ones. This can be attributed to the fact that they fit better on a mobile phone, providing an immersive experience for viewers using the mobile screen. 

If you use a horizontal format, your videos will somehow look out of place because they will have noticeable blank spaces on either side. Offering a similar engagement level will be hard, meaning that your viewers will be greatly disappointed. Therefore, it's advisable to create Shorts with an aspect ratio of 9:16 and a resolution of 1920 x 1080.

Diversify Your Content 

Just as you would not create one type of content with long-form videos, you must avoid creating similar content with short videos. The good thing about different types of content is that they attract different segments that keep your channel fresh and engaging. For instance, you can have videos with your family and others on some of the commonly misused words and phrases. There are several tips you can use to diversify your content. These include:

• Creating how-to videos showcasing your expertise in your field.
• Showing the behind-the-scenes videos to provide a glimpse of what goes behind creating your brand. You can use these videos to give a glimpse of the challenges you face and how you overcome them.
• Create vlogs. You can create videos about days in your life, personal experiences, and other topical issues. Vlogs can help you connect with your audience more personally.
• Interview. You can either collaborate with other creators in your industry or other industry experts.
• Join a trend. Trending topics can make your content more relevant to your content. This can help capture your audience’s attention and possibly increase visibility.
• Audience feedback. Collect feedback from your audience on the kind of topics they want to see and the format. This will foster community and add valuable insights into your audience's preferences.

Feel free to try out different content formats. You can even experiment to determine what will resonate best with your audience. Once you have a wide range of content formats, you can easily engage with a larger viewer spectrum to add value to your community and grow your channel.

Create the Right Length of Shorts

You can create YouTube Shorts with a maximum length of 60 seconds. However, this doesn't mean you need to use 60 seconds. Instead, focus on delivering the message concisely while adding value to the viewer’s watch time. With the right idea, you can create a short story in 20 seconds while providing value to the viewer. You can read our guide on understanding the average YouTube video view rate.

You need to make two key considerations when deciding the length of a Short. These are:

• The period you will need to make a point.
• Can you eliminate parts of the content to reduce the maximum watching time while adding the necessary effect?

When you answer these questions, you can tailor your content to a compact version while increasing effectiveness.

Use the Right Loop

After a YouTube Short has ended, it automatically moves to the beginning of the clip and begins playing again until the viewer scrolls away. By using this looping feature correctly, you can increase your views. It's advisable to use a funny moment or a catchy tune that gets better when viewed for a second time.

Alternatively, you can create a story that transitions from ending to beginning. That way, you can create an infinite loop that will keep your viewers hooked. This can result in many views, signaling to the algorithm that you have created quality content. Your Short will be ranked higher on the YouTube search, increasing its visibility. Use the right tools to track the average YouTube view rate for even better results.

Be Consistent

If you want to increase the visibility of your Short, you need to stay consistent. This can result in better brand loyalty and recall in short and long-form videos. A good idea would be to plan your content and have a posting schedule for your YouTube channel.

Since it's not easy to maintain a consistent posting schedule, you can leverage the YouTube scheduling tool that comes with a content calendar. A good example of such a tool is the Social Pilot, which can enable you to schedule, upload, and plan your YouTube videos, including Shorts, in advance and from a single place.

Start Your Shorts with a Hook

With so many video alternatives, viewers are always scrolling on their phones. Therefore, if you want them to watch your Short, you must give them a reason to do so. The best way of doing that is by starting with a strong hook. Here are a few tips to hook viewers in the beginning:

• Add an outstanding first frame. Use compelling visuals to grab the viewer's attention.
• Use engaging audio. Captivating music and sound effects will instantly set the video’s mood.
• Start with a question. Ensure that your video begins with a question that resonates with the viewer.
• Use a teaser. Provide a quick preview of the interesting stuff coming up in the video.
• Add captivating text. You can make your video snappy and compelling if it has a text start at the beginning.
• Show movement. Add fast transitions and animation to prevent users from getting bored by the screaming monotony.
• Evoke emotion. Add a scene that will trigger awe or humor.

Add Value to Users

While Shorts are usually 60 seconds long, that doesn't mean viewers are content with mediocre content. You can still use Shorts to deliver informative and valuable content to users. Therefore, create an impactful message inviting viewers to engage more with the video, channel, and brand. You should use the short videos to convince prospective viewers to engage with your other content. Some of the content that you can use to add value to yours include:

• Product teasers
• How-to and tutorials
• Behind-the-scenes videos
• Customer testimonials
• Quick tips and flash sales
• Launches and events
• FAQ sessions
• Trending challenges
• Brand stories

Project Authenticity in Your Shorts

Social media users hate fake content. Therefore, you must project your authenticity if you want your Shorts to be received well. This is even more important for pivotal content such as YouTube Shorts. You can use them to provide information quickly but rawly. When creating a YouTube Short, following your video-making guidelines and values is essential to keeping your purpose and message consistent.

Use Current Trends to Create Videos

You can improve the reach of your Shorts by leveraging current trends, challenges, and trending audios. To see current trends, you can check the Trending page on YouTube. This will provide you with insights into what viewers are watching. While it's great to follow trends, you also need to create genuine content. Therefore, be creative and create relevant and engaging Shorts.

You can find trending music to use in your Short in several ways.

• YouTube audio library and TikTok trending sounds. Ensure that you stay updated on the trends in these platforms.
• Integrate trends creatively. Instead of blindly following a trend, try creatively integrating it into your content. Ensure that movements are well choreographed and that the storyline matches the mood and rhythm of the music well.
• Add music that aligns well with the content. When your visuals and audio flow seamlessly, your audio can have a greater impact.
• Ensure that you only use music for which you have a license, or that is loyalty-free, as this can affect your monetization.

Cross-share Your Shorts Across Platforms

Sharing YouTube Shorts on other platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram reels, can help increase their visibility. It will also help you maintain consistency in the different platforms.  Since Shorts have the same format as reels and TikTok videos, they can perform well on those platforms.

Conclusion

With their ability to go viral, YouTube Shorts allow you to make viral marketing campaigns. They are also an excellent choice for bringing to the attention of your long-form videos and channel. However, with so many videos getting uploaded every day, you need to be creative if your viral content will have an impact. By following our guide, it's possible to create Shorts that garner millions of views. You can read our guide on YouTube metrics that matter.