Why You Need to Start Using YouTube Shorts Marketing

Video consumption is increasingly moving short-form. Ofcom recently reported (August 2022) that short form video is being watched by 32% of adults aged 15 years and over and 69% of people 15-17 years old. The shift to short form video is being driven largely by demand from the younger audiences for more snackable fast content. And where younger audience eyeballs go, ad dollars will soon follow. This is why short form video has become the key battleground for the major tech platforms. It is seen as the route to eyeballs, engagement and revenue.

The short form video battle is being led by TikTok who’s exponential growth has caught Meta and Google off guard. But Meta and Google have responded accordingly. Meta launched Reels its own short form video play and Youtube launched Youtube Shorts - its own answer to TikTok and Meta’s Reels.
‍

What are YouTube Shorts?

‍
YouTube Shorts is a new short-form video format for creators to express themselves in 60 seconds or less.  It is a quick way for creators to connect with a new audience using just a smartphone and the Shorts camera in the YouTube app. It’s designed for speed, to create high frequency creative content that drives engagement. And it appears to be working. Following its initial beta launch in India in 2020 and before its global launch in 2021, YouTube shorts surpassed 6.5 billion daily views. Currently, YouTube Shorts receives 30 billion views daily.
‍

How long can a YouTube short be?

‍YouTube Shorts are vertical videos (9:16)  that can be 60 seconds long or less. If you use music from the YouTube catalogue, your Short will be limited to 15-seconds only. YouTube also automatically categorises any content that’s 60 seconds or less as a Short.
‍

Why use YouTube Shorts for your Marketing Strategy?‍

YouTube is a leading video streaming platform but it is also the second largest search engine in the world. This means when they launch a product it is almost guaranteed to generate fast reach in the short term while they push it out to the existing user base.

There is a window of opportunity for fast mover brands that are prepared to get in and experiment early.  

So what are the opportunities for brands with Youtube Shorts:
‍

• Increased Search Visibility: Unlike TikTok and Instagram, YouTube is a video search engine. YouTube Shorts now has more than 1.5 billion monthly logged-in users, around three-fourths of YouTube’s total global base of upwards of 2 billion logged-in monthly users. Since users on the platform search based on their interests, there are increased chances of your content being discovered by the right target audiences. By including relevant SEO keywords in your titles, you are also likely to rank on Google for video results. It will drive more relevant people to your brand
  
  
• Sustained Visibility & Engagement: YouTube Shorts are added to your channel library as well as the shorts feed. The videos continue to be accessible to viewers at all times. With most short-form content platforms, popular videos can disappear with time as the views decrease. YouTube Shorts allow subscribers and other users to find your content forever. This increases the relative return on your content investment over time.
  
  
• Increased Reach: YouTube Shorts are snappy and quick, allowing viewers the opportunity to interact with the content on the go. The format is designed to attract younger audiences. So if you are a brand looking to extend reach among younger audiences that are hard to reach with longer form content you may well benefit from this new Youtube format.
  ‍
  

How to create effective YouTube Shorts?

Just like any other platform, optimising your video enables you to maximise viewers. Here are 3 tips for creating an effective YouTube Short:

1. Understand your audience

Analyse the performance of your previous videos and define your content strategy. Ask yourself who your target audience is, what might appeal to them, and what you want to achieve with that content. Define a tone for your content and be consistent.

2. Develop thumb stopping creative

• Use custom thumbnails to grab people’s attention initially.
• Video itself should grab attention in the first 5 seconds. Make sure you deliver high impact value straight away.
  

3. Optimise your YouTube Shorts title

Optimising your titles with relevant keywords helps the site’s algorithm discover your content and show your video to the relevant audience. Follow the following steps to optimise your titles:

1. Research keywords.
2. Use hashtags.
3. Limit title characters to 50-70.
4. Overlay titles onto captions.
   ‍

YouTube Shorts is an easy and accessible channel to reach a growing audience. Create the perfect YouTube Shorts strategy for your brand with one of our Social Media Experts.

‍