Learn all about using YouTube Shorts for branding and marketing.
Videos are a great way to reach out to your customers and potential clients. And in today’s times, the shorter the video the better.
Did you know that 66% of consumers find short-format videos to be the most engaging kind of content on social media?
Owing to this increase in the popularity of short and vertical format videos, even YouTube, the world’s second-largest search engine, has launched its own version called YouTube Shorts.
In this blog, we’ll deep-dive into everything you need to know to get started with YouTube Shorts to reach your brand audience.
What are YouTube Shorts?
YouTube Shorts are short (60 seconds or less), bite-size videos optimized for mobile viewing. They’re great for reaching your brand audience because they’re a simple way to get in front of consumers who are on the go, and they can be a great way to engage with them.
With YouTube Shorts, you can tell a story with just a few seconds of footage, and you don’t need expensive equipment or hours of editing. These short videos are a great way to get your brand’s message across in a way that’s short, sweet, and to the point.
They’re also an excellent way to show off your brand personality and let your viewers know more about your brand in mere seconds.
What’s the ideal format for YouTube Shorts?
YouTube Shorts are vertical videos specifically crafted for mobile viewing. They are typically 60 seconds or less in length and usually follow a single storyline or idea.
What audio can you add to your YouTube Shorts?
You can add your own audio files to your Shorts or choose one from the YouTube library.
Where can viewers find your YouTube Shorts?
Viewers can find and watch Shorts on the YouTube homepage. There’s a dedicated Shorts Tab on the YouTube app as well as on your channel homepage.
YouTube Shorts statistics you need to know
- YouTube is used by a quarter of the world’s population.
- YouTube Shorts receives 15 billion views daily.
- Over 70% of YouTube watch time is through mobile.
- It is estimated that 1 YouTube subscriber is worth 25 TikTok followers!
- YouTube Shorts are growing at a rate of 135% year over year.
Why should your brand leverage YouTube Shorts?
1. Quick and easy content creation
If you’re running a business, chances are you’re already busy. You don’t want to spend hours creating videos for your brand.
That’s why YouTube shorts are the perfect way to get your message out there quickly and easily. They can be made in a matter of minutes! Just record a short video, upload it to YouTube, and voila! You’re done!
2. Increased brand visibility
YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, and it’s growing faster than any other search engine. This means that if you want to reach your target audience, you need to be on YouTube. And if you want to compete with the big brands for visibility on that platform, you need content—and lots of it.
Shorts give you the ability to do just that with minimum effort.
3. Repurpose existing content
You don’t have to make everything from scratch. Sometimes, you can repurpose existing content and turn it into a Short! This is especially effective when you’re trying to reach your target audience in a new way.
For example, if you have a blog post that’s getting lots of traction, but it’s not exactly the right format for video, consider turning it into a series of 3-4 YouTube Shorts. You’ll be able to reach more people with the same content—and you’ll save yourself some time by not having to create something new!
4. Showcase your products and/or services in action easily
YouTube Shorts are the best way to show off your products and services in action.
They’re also a great way to get your audience interested in your product or service, without having to sit through a full-length video.
If you’re trying to sell something, a short video is ideal – it will help you get your point across quickly and effectively, while still being able to answer any questions that might come up during the process.
5. Cost-effective advertising
Do you have a budget that’s too tight to even consider long-form video? Are you looking for an affordable way to reach your target audience? YouTube shorts can be the solution.
YouTube Shorts are an incredibly cost-effective way to reach your brand audience.
They’re inexpensive to produce, and they can be used in a variety of ways. You can use them as part of your social media strategy, or as standalone advertisements—either way, they’re a great way to drive traffic to your website.
Furthermore, Shorts are a relatively new feature on YouTube, and the competition for ad space is lower than on other platforms. Hence, you’ll be saving money and also have less competition.
YouTube Shorts Guide: How to make and upload Shorts?
YouTube Shorts allow you to connect with your audience in a way that other mediums can’t. With YouTube, you can create content that is fun, engaging, and exciting. You can be funny or serious, silly or motivational—the possibilities are endless when it comes to creating engaging content for your audience.
Shorts also give you the chance to get creative with your ads. Since a short is not as long as an actual video ad, it doesn’t need to tell an entire story from beginning to end. Instead, it can focus on one specific aspect of your brand or product such as its benefits or how it works. This makes it easier for viewers who aren’t interested in watching long videos about the technical aspects of products or services because they might find those types of videos boring and unengaging.
We know you’re excited and want to leverage this marketing channel.
Here’s a quick YouTube Shorts guide to getting you started:
Step 1: Download the YouTube app
First things first, you need to download the YouTube app. If you already have a smartphone or tablet, you can find it in the App Store or Google Play. Just search for “YouTube” and it will pop up.
You can then either sign into your account or create a new one.
Step 2: Plan your content
Start by brainstorming what types of content might be interesting to your audience. Are there specific topics that they’re always asking about? What are the big issues facing your organization right now? How can you use this information to create a video?
If you’re not sure where to start, try looking at other short-form content on YouTube and see what topics they cover. If there’s something in particular that’s popular with your audience, consider doing something similar.
Here are a few tips to plan better content that can be easily picked up by the YouTube algorithm –
- Identify your target audience
- Determine your brand message
- Create a content calendar
- Hop into trends
- Repurpose existing content
Step 3: Create your YouTube Short
- Tap the ‘+’ icon on the bottom center of the YouTube app screen.
- At the bottom of the camera screen, you’ll see several options, including “Create a Short”. Tap on it to open the Shorts camera.
- Press and hold the record button to start recording your Short.
- If you want to record a video longer than 15 sec, tap the number 15 in the top right corner to change the video duration.
- To add elements to your video, browse the toolbar on the right side of the screen.
- Tap the Add sound icon at the top of the screen to add audio to your video.
- Tap the reverse arrow next to the record button to undo any mistake.
- Alternatively, you can also directly upload videos from your photo gallery. Simply click on the icon at the bottom left of your screen and select your video(s).
Step 3: Edit and upload
- Click on the checkmark to save your Short.
- Finish up your Short by adding text, audio, filters, etc. You can also tap the timeline icon to change when text appears on the video timeline for a better visual experience.
- Tap Next in the top right-hand corner.
- Add a description and select whether you want your video to be public, unlisted, or private.
- Select whether your video needs an age restriction.
- Tap Upload Short.
Tips for maximizing your YouTube Shorts reach
1. Keep it short and sweet
If you’re making YouTube Shorts to promote your brand, it’s crucial that you keep them short and sweet. If you go longer, you risk losing viewers’ attention—and if they lose their attention, they’re not going to remember who you are or what your product is all about.
So keep it short, keep it sweet, and make sure that the message of your video comes through loud and clear.
2. Utilize hashtags
If you want to maximize your reach on YouTube Shorts, you need to make sure that your videos are getting seen. You can do this by using relevant hashtags in the description of your video.
3. Think about replays
One of the coolest things about YouTube shorts is that they can be watched over and over again, in a loop. So, pay attention to how your content will look when played in a loop.
The more times people watch your video, the more likely they are to share and like it, which will help you reach new audience members.
4. Engage with your audience
As you begin to build your YouTube Shorts audience, you’ll want to make sure you’re engaging with them in a way that is both authentic and fun.
Make sure you’re regularly checking in with them, responding to comments, and posting updates on what you’re working on. You want to keep your invested viewers and/or customers engaged so they come back for more!
5. Experiment with different styles
YouTube Shorts are a great way to experiment with different styles of content and try new things. You can make a short that’s funny, or one that’s more serious. You can use the same style for all your shorts, or try something new each time. The possibilities are endless!
6. Add value
You may have heard that you can’t just post a video and expect it to go viral. But what if we told you that you can?
The key is to add value to your content, and then make sure people know they can get it.
The best thing you can do for your viewers is give them something they can use or learn from. Whether that’s a funny joke, a practical tip, or even some inspiration for their own content creation, make sure you give them something they’ll love and keep coming back for more!
Wrapping up!
Your brand’s success with YouTube Shorts will majorly be dependent on the topics you pick, and how well you optimize the videos.
You can easily leverage social listening to uncover these insights.
Powered by AI, Radarr is the best social listening, monitoring, and tracking platform that helps you get better results faster.
Book a demo today!
FAQs
How do I grow my YouTube audience with Shorts?
- Find a niche.
- Use a consistent brand voice.
- Make sure each video is as long as it needs to be—but not longer!
- Be consistent in posting new videos every week.
- Don’t forget to post on other platforms too!
How do I get started with YouTube Shorts?
- Define your audience
- Write an outline or treatment
- Record your script and/or storyboard a scene or sequence of shots based on the outline
- Shoot your footage and edit it
- Upload!
