Why YouTube Shorts are Essential for Social Media Growth

Breaking into YouTube Shorts, or even TikToks or Instagram Reels, comes with many benefits. For starters, the short-form nature of these platforms guarantees that your content will get more views.

This is mostly because YouTube Shorts caters specifically to mobile users. Almost 90% of people prefer watching videos or browsing through social media on their phones and handheld devices.

YouTube Shorts are easy to make and give much better results. They’re the perfect definition of the 80/20 rule in play.

So to make it as a content creator, YouTube Shorts is a good place to start. Short-form video content is low commitment but with higher engagement rates and better SEO.

Creating Attention-Grabbing Content for YouTube Shorts: Tips and Tricks

Here are some things you can do to make your YouTube Shorts more appealing and improve their chances of going viral:

• Add Captions: Automated captions can make a significant impact on the watch time and engagement of your YouTube Shorts. People will keep watching your videos when you have animated captions. Besides, it also improves the user experience.
• Keep Things Short: You don’t want to keep rambling on with YouTube Shorts. Keep things short and on point. If you have any long silences be sure to trim these out with an AI-video editor.
• Use Popular Music: The latest tracks and music can sound cheesy. But they're catchy and relatable. So don’t be afraid to include trending music in your videos, especially if the content allows for it.
• Use Hashtags: Hashtags can help you gain momentum when your posts go viral. So be sure to research hashtags and use the right ones. You can also use a hashtag generator to speed this up.
• Plug Your CTA: Always encourage viewers to like, comment and subscribe at the end of your videos. This is crucial as it will reinforce your viewers to engage and boost your content up the ladder.

Cross-Promoting YouTube Shorts on Other Social Media Platforms

Despite the millions of TikToks, YouTube Shorts and Reels out there, everything flows much faster with these platforms. Thanks to this, your Shorts have a higher chance of making an impression on someone.

So if you have the time and energy, be sure to cross-promote your videos on various social media platforms. This is much easier with YouTube Shorts. You can easily repost these on TikTok and Instagram Reels without re-editing videos.

A few reasons why you want to start with YouTube Shorts or similar platforms are:

• Better Use of Repurposed Content: With YouTube Shorts, you can repurpose content from other mediums. You can make things like podcast clips and short snippets of longer videos and post them on YouTube Shorts.
• Participate in Trends and Challenges: YouTube Shorts and TikTok are where the most popular trends and challenges come in. So be sure to maintain your presence on these platforms and take part in them to boost your reach.
• Linkback to Your YouTube Channel and Other Socials: YouTube Shorts is perfect for promoting content. With Shorts, you can announce your long-form YouTube videos, and showcase a trailer or CTA.
• Gather Analytics and Feedback: YouTube Shorts is the perfect place to test your content. You can do things like A/B testing and improve your strategy. The platform provides more detailed analytics. Besides, you can get feedback faster since users are more likely to watch your content and engage with you.
• Showcase a Different Style for Your Content: You have more freedom to experiment with different ways of YouTube Shorts. You can show behind-the-scenes footage, take on a more lighthearted approach to your content or even engage with your followers. You can display a completely different persona in YouTube Shorts and help make yourself more relatable to your audience.

These short-form video platforms aren’t that much different from each other save for a few things. Be sure to check out this article on the differences between TikTok and YouTube Shorts to learn more.