In 2018, Instagram launched Stories, a direct competitor to Snapchat. The script quickly took hold and within a few months, Stories was used twice as much as Snapchat.
Now, with the success of TikTok and Instagram reels, YouTube is attempting a similar coup in the world of short-lived video competition. Their new feature, Shorts, is available worldwide.
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What is YouTube Shorts?
In order for a YouTube video to qualify as a YouTube short, three criteria must be met:
- Video must be 60 seconds or less
- Hold it vertically on the mobile phone
- The title or description must contain the hashtag #shorts
Unlike TikTok, the short editor has very few features, such as only a few music options, as well as the ability to slow down or speed up the video in some sections.
According to YouTube, shorts are promoted “across the platform“. (Until now, all campaigns have been on the homepage.)
When the user clicks on the YouTube short videos from the mobile device, an interface like Tik Tok is displayed and the user can scroll through the short videos of their favorite creators vertically. Users can also watch shorts on the desktop, but the interface is similar to any other standard YouTube video.
High YouTube shorts video trend
YouTube shorts allow YouTube to dominate the video market with an unprecedented number of users. Judging by their existing video infrastructure, we were a little surprised that it took so long to implement.
For long-format videos, YouTube is the clear winner. Its most direct competitor, Vimeo, has specific niche uses, but on another level is YouTube, the largest visual search engine in the industry powered by Google’s advanced technology. Wherever you look, YouTube is in the top 5 most popular websites and Vimeo is not even in the top 100.
YouTube shorts – The short format videos for YouTube
YouTube has recently expanded into video streaming in an attempt to isolate Twitch, Amazon’s video streaming platform. They’ve definitely got a grip – YouTube has 700,000 monthly streaming viewers in all categories, which is nothing short of ridiculous. But there are 15 million in Twitch, which still has a long way to go. The data clearly reflects the high trend in YouTube short videos.
With YouTube shorts, YouTube is looking to enter the traditional social media marketplace, where short videos are common. IG Reels launched YouTube Shorts and launched a few months ago, but we think there is still a lot of room in the market. Although TikTok is popular, its relationship with the Chinese government causes instability in some countries.
For example, a few months back TikTok was banned in India, where YouTube shorts run its beta tests. YouTube Shorts now claims to receive over 3.5 billion impressions every day in India. Such numbers are certainly of concern to the Tik Tok leadership.
Overall, the YouTube shorts aims to surpass TikTok and conquer the short-form video content market. Considering the infrastructure of YouTube and the TikTok controversy, we expect YouTube Shorts to be more successful than YouTube streaming. Creators, artists, and marketers should have YouTube shorts on their radar.
YouTube shorts- The Target Audience
TikTok growth between Generation Z is no less than an explosion. By the end of 2019, 4% of teenagers in the United States used TikTok. One year later, 29% of young people in the United States are using the platform. According to statistics, 70% of American youth use the platform at least once a month.
Why does Gen Z like Tik Tok? The short video definitely has something to do with it. Although people of all ages today enjoy less content, teens and young adults are generally attracted to less than 30 seconds of content. (Remember the wine? It was before it was time to impress the same audience with its iconic six-second video.)
Therefore, YouTube shorts are aimed at capturing the younger generation first. However, due to the general popularity of YouTube, short videos are more likely to reach older generations. Everyone who logs in, regardless of age, sees YouTube shorts on their YouTube homepage.
In short, although YouTube Shorts offers support more appropriately for those between the ages of 16-24, there is a lot of potential for influencers and marketers across different age groups to take advantage of the feature.
Understanding the algorithm of YouTube for shorts
Most creators know that video length is required by the YouTube algorithm. The ideal video is between 10 and 20 minutes, with some precautions.
If your video is too long or too short, your video is unlikely to get algorithmically significant organic coverage.
This part of the YouTube algorithm is very useful for keeping video quality high: it generally prevents spam.
However, this prevents creators from uploading what they want. Considering the importance of Organic Reach, creators often do not upload short videos. They fear that the algorithms will penalize them for uploading unpopular videos.
YouTube Shorts allows YouTube creators to make more comprehensive use of this platform. They can now easily load short clips with their simple loading program. By combining YouTube shorts tag, creators can create a kind of mini storyboard that opens the door to a whole new level of ingenuity.
How to take advantage of YouTube shorts?
As with any new platform, pre-receivers are always on the upper hand. Although YouTube shorts are a well-known feature on YouTube, there is plenty of room to step in the door without much hassle, as most people are not yet focused on emerging activity. You already have an audience when the rest of the world joins you.
For creators
View YouTube Shorts as an extension of your YouTube efforts. They are a great way to showcase your personality and engage your audience between uploads. Everyone is waiting for your videos, so they are also waiting for your short videos.
YouTube shorts can also be used to promote future video releases. A well-positioned clip will keep viewers interested in future content and improve scales across the board.
Finally, you can use YouTube shorts for classic promotions. Like the popular Instagram video, the popular YouTube short content is gaining wide reach. If one goes viral, you can earn a huge number of new subscribers.
For marketers
YouTube shorts are short. (How is that actionable advice?)
But seriously, do not expect your audience to be patient for too long.
If you ever see someone randomly scrolling through TikTok, it can be confusing how fast everything moves. You do not have more than a few seconds to make an impact. Use it wisely.
In a very short amount of time, advertising is always the best approach for brand recognition. Keep your name in their mind, and then use long-format content like long ads on traditional YouTube videos to get conversions.
Thus in this way, the creators and marketers can take benefit from YouTube shorts.
Summary
YouTube Shorts is a new YouTube feature aimed at emulating TikTok and gaining a share of its user base.
However, unlike TikTok, YouTube shorts have a wide range of applications beyond just music, which means that YouTube influencers and marketers should not ignore them.
We can not wait to see where YouTube shorts lead. Anything can happen in the world of social media. Will they be thrown in the trash like Google+ or will they really disrupt the industry just like Instagram articles do?
Regardless, we probably have to wait more than 60 seconds to find out.
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3 Comments
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