Create YouTube Shorts And Monetize Them
Lately, short-form vertical video has taken over how we watch videos on smartphones. With TikTok and Instagram stories focusing on short-form vertical video content, other video content platforms like Facebook and YouTube are taking notice.
TikTok has become too much of a competitor to the big social media platforms and taking a key demographic with them, that tech giants needed to do something fast to stop keep influencers from leaving.
With Facebook launching IG Reels, which is basically TikTok on Instagram, Google has decided to join the competition with YouTube Shorts. (TikTok, but on YouTube).
With YouTube shorts, is this YouTube vs. TikTok? I guess so. Right now, the whole situation is a little confusing, and nobody yet knows where this all leads, but with YouTube shorts being a new player in the game, there’s a lot of potential with the platform. If you are a content creator looking to expand your reach to a broader audience, now is the time to adapt to a new platform.
If you don’t want to miss out on this new social media trend, here is a breakdown of YouTube Shorts, and a guide of everything you need to know from what it is to how you can start creating on the platform and even monetize!
Create YouTube Shorts And Monetize Them - How To Guide
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What is YouTube Shorts?
What is YouTube Shorts? It’s TikTok for YouTube. If you are unfamiliar with TikTok, it’s the concept of an infinitely scrolling feed of short videos that can be anywhere up to 60 seconds in length.
It’s a social media platform where you watch, you like, you scroll down to the next video. YouTube Shorts offers the same creative concepts and trends that you see on TikTok but on YouTube.
Also, due to YouTube shorts still being a new platform, you will find many TikTok videos re-uploaded to YouTube Shorts.
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How Can You Watch YouTube Shorts?
So, how can you watch YouTube short videos? Compared to TikTok, where there is a standalone app on your smartphone, Google has built the YouTube Shorts platform straight into YouTube.
All you need to do to access YouTube Shorts is open the YouTube app on your mobile app, and you’ll see the button for “Shorts” at the bottom of your screen in the menu navigation tile. It’s front and center and has replaced the “explore” button.
By configuring the navigation of YouTube, it just shows you all you need to know about how badly Google wants YouTube shorts to be a major media platform for years to come.
When you want to access YouTube Shorts, all you need to do is tap the “Shorts” button, and you are in and ready to start scrolling through YouTube short videos immediately.
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What To Know About Creating A YouTube Short Video
To create a YouTube Short, all you need to think about is creating something easy and accessible to your audience.
With YouTube shorts, there are two steps to be aware of in creating your video:
The rest is up to you. If you are curious about what makes a video trend on YouTube Shorts, scroll through the feed to see what’s trending and working for others. The great thing about this social media platform is there are so many different directions you can take.
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Why Should Content Creators Use YouTube Shorts?
When a social media platform launches a new feature, it (rather, the algorithm!) wants its creators to use the new feature and popularize it.
Essentially, if creators engage with this new feature, there’s a chance your YouTube channel will witness a spike in both profile and video views. This is also the case with new Instagram Reel features. (Source:clipchamp.com)
Will YouTube Shorts Take Off?
The early signs look positive. There’s a big appetite for short-form content and Shorts’ already has strong usage numbers in the markets it’s available. Daily views were reportedly reaching 6.5 billion. (Source: vamp-brands.com)
Who Will Be Using YouTube Shorts?
Demographically speaking, the average YouTuber is older than the average TikToker. Roughly 77% of YouTube’s audience is 18-35, meanwhile, over 60% of TikTok’s audience is under 24.
It also may offer a higher intent audience as many people turn to YouTube seeking information that often informs purchase behavior, such as tutorials or product comparison research in the form of video reviews. (Source: vamp-brands.com)
How to upload a YouTube Short
If you are familiar with uploading a video on YouTube, then you will find the process of uploading a YouTube Short video surprisingly easy. Anyone with a smartphone can do it.
- On the mobile app homepage, tap the”+” button at the bottom of the screen
- Select the “Create a Short” option
- From there you will be taken to the YouTube Shorts camera, where you can record a 15-second video from scratch (with the ability to add effects and tracks just like TikTok music). Alternatively, you can upload a video from your camera roll (which is probably the favored option as this video can be up to 60 seconds in length).
- Once you’re satisfied and have made all the edits and adjustments you want (cycling through the ‘next’ menus), you’ll reach the upload screen.
- Then, all you need to do is add a title or caption to your video and click Upload. Painless!
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How can you monetize YouTube Shorts?
Currently, there’s no direct way of monetizing YouTube Shorts. While that will probably change over time, as of right now, YouTube Shorts is ad-free.
The best way to utilize YouTube Shorts from a monetization point of view right now is to understand how to produce short-form content that people want to watch so you can grow your views and subscribers.
By using YouTube Shorts as a tool to grow your subscriber base, you can then funnel those viewers into watching your longer, standard YouTube videos that can be monetized.
It’s a great growth hack for those struggling with low subscriber counts on a standard YouTube account.
But something to keep in mind with monetization on YouTube shorts is ads are not the only way to make money on YouTube. Affiliate marketing, selling merchandise, and so much more can be done with a YouTube video that can help with monetization.
Here’s an example of what you can do to get paid using YouTube shorts.
- Get traffic to your video
- Address your audience with a nice call-to-action
- Sell or promote something via a referral link you place in the description box of your video.
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Conclusion
So, that’s the breakdown of the YouTube shorts platform. We’ve wrapped up everything from what YouTube Shorts is, how to watch YouTube short videos and how to upload a YouTube Short.
As of right now, it is YouTube vs. TikTok, and the battle will be interesting to see how it all pans out over the coming years.
But, there is one thing we can be certain of, big-tech companies are all going to keep investing in their platforms to capture your attention as both an audience member and a creator. If you are thinking about being a content creator, there’s never been a better time than now to start!
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About the author: Trent (IMDB | Youtube) has spent 10+ years working on an assortment of film and television projects. He writes about his experiences to help (and amuse) others. If he’s not working, he’s either traveling, reading or writing about travel/film, or planning travel/film projects.
