Why You Should Include YouTube Shorts in Your Video Marketing Strategy

TikTok democratised and popularised the consumption of short-form content.

Soon after TikTok launched in 2016, major social media platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube pivoted their strategy towards short-form content. They started expanding their offering to cater to short-form video consumption.

Instagram Reels, Video Pins, and YouTube Shorts were born!

Short-form videos are so popular these days that 85% of marketers say that they’re the most effective format on social media.

Got you hooked?

Great!

Let’s take a closer look at what YouTube Shorts is and why you should incorporate Shorts into your video marketing strategy. And we’ll also share four tips on creating YouTube Shorts that convert.

What Is YouTube Shorts?

YouTube Shorts is a short-form video-sharing platform available on YouTube. Chris Jaffe, YouTube’s Chief Design Officer, said it was designed for creatives who wanted to “shoot short, catchy videos” just using their mobiles.

YouTube Shorts was launched in 2020 to compete with Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram Reels. The main difference with the primary platform is that the videos uploaded by users can only be up to 60 seconds long. Also, unlike YouTube and Instagram Stories or Snapchat, YouTube Shorts don’t disappear. And video creators can enhance their Shorts using music overlays and video segmenting.

Users can discover your Shorts on your homepage or by clicking the “Shorts” tab on your channel. Your audience can also ask to be notified every time you publish new ones.

Why Should You Use YouTube Shorts?

There are many benefits to using YouTube Shorts for business but here are two of the main ones:

• Increase Your Visibility

If you’re looking to skyrocket your visibility, look no further. YouTube has over 2 billion monthly active users. But more importantly, YouTube Shorts are getting, on average, 15 billion views daily.

Creating compelling YouTube Shorts will allow you to tap into this incredible user base and build your brand awareness faster than on any other platform.

YouTube Shorts is, without a doubt, a golden opportunity for businesses to scale their marketing and boost their engagement rate.

• Hook Your Audience

From 12 seconds in 2000, the attention span has dropped to 8 seconds . We’re constantly bombarded with information, whether it be on social media, emails, texts, or advertising in the street. And all these external stimuli tend to negatively impact our attention span.

This explains why short-form video content is doing so well with viewers. Creating YouTube shorts is an excellent way to connect with users who will be prime to engage with your video due to their short format.

YouTube Shorts: The Basics You Need To Know As A Creator

Here are some important things you need to familiarise yourself with before you start creating YouTube Shorts.

• YouTube Shorts can be vertical or square and are up to 60 seconds long. Note that if you use music from YouTube’s Audio Library, your videos can only be up to 15 seconds.
• You can either record a 60-second video or split it into 15-second segments combined.
• YouTube’s built-in creation tools allow you to edit your video, control the speed, add music and animated text, and edit 15-second video clips to create fantastic Shorts.
• YouTube Shorts include the hashtag #Shorts in the title and/or description.
• Viewers can share, like, dislike, and comment on your Shorts.

You’ll find more information on creating YouTube Shorts on the support page .

4 Tips To Create Engaging YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts could prove a powerful tool in your video marketing toolbox. But that’s if you create engaging Shorts that will keep your viewers coming back.

Here’s how:

• Keep Your Videos Short, And Catchy

When he said YouTube Shorts was created for brands and creators looking to produce short and snappy content, Chris Jaffe gave us a hint. So, if you want to be successful on the platform, keep it short and sweet.

Now, creating an engaging video that’s short enough to keep your audience hooked and long enough to convey your message is challenging.

That’s why we’ve provided some tips below:

• Get straight to the point
• Break complex or longer topics into engaging series
• Optimise your video clips based on the platform’s requirements
• Use a hook in the first second to grab your audience’s attention
• Tell stories to captivate your audience
• Create custom eye-grabbing thumbnails

• Understand Your Audience And Clearly Define Your Objectives

We will never say it enough; knowing who your customers or potential customers are is critical. And knowing what your goal is when creating video content is equally important.

So, to help you, here are some questions you should ask yourself before creating YouTube Shorts:

• Who is your ideal customer?
• What are your audience’s pain points?
• Where do they look for information to solve their problems?
• How can you help them, and what differentiate you from your competition?
• Are you looking to educate your audience through your Shorts? Or do you want to make people laugh and showcase your fun side?
• What’s the goal behind your Shorts? Create brand awareness? Build credibility? Increase your sales?

• Add Value

In a world where content is king and creating compelling content every day has become the ultimate goal of millions of companies, value can sometimes be overlooked. Sure, fun videos do very well these days. But as a business, you’re here to solve a problem your audience encounters. While showcasing your fun side is important, so is demonstrating your expertise. And there’s nothing better to show that you’re an expert at what you do than by providing value through your video content.

So, use your Shorts to provide your audience with inspiration, tips they can apply to their everyday life, and even food for thought. If you know your audience and what they need, you’ll be able to create high-quality content that resonates with them.

• Partner With An Experienced Video Production Company

Outsourcing your video marketing needs to a reliable and highly experienced video production company can make the difference between poorly performing and highly converting videos.

At DreamCube Productions, we’re passionate about all things video.

That’s why we always have our fingers on the pulse of video production and marketing trends. We’ve been working on many exciting YouTube Shorts projects recently and would love to help you with yours.

So, don’t hesitate to drop us a message or give us a call when you’re free.

We’d love to help you create video content to boost your engagement and drive your sales.