You are a creative genius just waiting to be discovered. Maybe you have tried the whole YouTube channel deal before but didn’t have as much success as you previously hoped. But the idea of a YouTube short is intriguing and you want to give it a go! However, you want to make sure that you are going about it the right way.
To make a successful YouTube short, you need to make a video that is under a minute long. This content should be intriguing in a humorous, inspirational, or attention-grabbing way. It ultimately must invite people to look at your channel and interact further with it. Shorts should be to the point.
With this simple process, you have the foundation to really delve into this idea and create something memorable! We just need to sit and delve into what a YouTube short is, the types of YouTube Shorts there are, and the process of making a quality YouTube short.
What is a YouTube Short?
A YouTube short is a new type of video that YouTube has recently introduced to its content creators. This video is unique to other video types for a few reasons. The first reason is that it has a different view. Most videos on YouTube are horizontal while shorts are vertical.
Another reason they are unique is the length. YouTube videos can be any length of time. YouTube shorts have a time limit, they have to be under a minute. This format is comparable to TikTok videos and reels on other social media platforms.
Finally, YouTube shorts are shown in a random stream. On YouTube, you can search any topic and it will bring up what YouTube thinks you are wanting to see. This algorithm is impacted by the popularity of the video and the channel that produced it. Oftentimes, you will only see popular videos and streamers unless you are searching for smaller channels.
Shorts are not like that. They are shown randomly, so your content will be shown and given an equal chance with other streamers. They are also shown to everyone. Shorts are not targeted to specific audiences, so you will reach people who normally wouldn’t be interested in your content type. This can help you gain a following and help your channel videos have more success than there previously would have been.
The main thing to remember about shorts is that shorts are meant to invite others to look at your videos and channel content. They are a means to an end.
What Types of YouTube Shorts are There?
There are four types of YouTube Shorts: quicky and punchy, inspirational, humorous, and repurposed. (source).
Quick and punchy YouTube shorts are short videos that are meant to catch your attention. They employ different techniques to do that, mostly relying on the shock factor to get you to look into the rest of the content.
Inspirational YouTube shorts are short videos that show content meant to melt your heart. These are like shorter campaign videos for a certain purpose. They are using emotions to get you to look at their videos and channels.
Humor YouTube shorts are meant to make you laugh! They are supposed to bring you joy and make you want more. This desire to continue to laugh makes you want more similar content. It will cause you to go and look at their content and potentially subscribe to see more.
Repurposed YouTube shorts are short clips of content you have already created. The main idea behind them is to take the highlights of a video and make them an appealing commercial for your channel. This can help you because the viewer has already seen and is interested in the content you have already made. If they like your shorts, you have a higher likelihood of them seeing and following your channel.
Now that you know what types of shorts there are, it’s time to make a short.
How to Make a YouTube Short
There are 7 steps to making a good YouTube short. (source).
1. Make sure you have a good idea
With YouTube shorts, it is incredibly important that you have a solid idea. One of the factors that make a solid idea is that it can be done and feel like a complete thought within a minute. A complete short usually will have one focus and one action. You will talk about whatever your focus is whether it is funny, punchy, or inspirational, and then direct your viewer to subscribe.
A good question to ask yourself during the creative process is what the viewer gets out of this video. If the viewer doesn’t get something out of the video, it will not help you reach your goals. The main goal with a short is to build your subscriptions so keep both of those factors in mind.
2. Plan out each point
This is an important step because you have a limited amount of time to accomplish your goal and complete your video from beginning to end. It is necessary to think through what needs to be said. If you have too many points, you won’t be able to make a good short due to time constraints. Try to plan out the time frame each shot will be. The thought is to keep it short, sweet, and complete.
3. Plan out your shots
You need to be plan out your shots because each second is crucial. Make sure each moment is fulfilling your focus and is visually intriguing. You want to have your viewers hooked and willing to give up their time to see the whole thought through. Three tools to keep in mind are visuals, variety, and speed. If each shot is interesting because it is either quick, shows variety, or is visually interesting, you are a lot more likely to see success.
4. Shoot the shots
Now it is time to begin the actual production process. You can film a short with a phone or a camera, the main thing that matters is that you film with a vertical orientation. Another thing to keep in mind is to film each shot within a specific time frame you planned in step two. This is key because it will help you reduce the amount of time you spend editing later on.
5. Edit it together
The first step to editing all the shots together is to invert the measurements. By doing so, you will get the vertical frame and resolution you need to make a good short. Next, you will want to put all your shots in your software, in order and under 58 seconds. Then you will want to add text. Adding text helps you call your viewers to subscribe and improves the visual interest of your video.
After that, you will want to add transitions. These transitions can further heighten your viewer’s experience. They will want to watch the short and compel them to act and subscribe.
You can also add sound effects. These sound effects can continue to pique interest and keep people watching.
The last thing you want to make sure you have is your call to action. Add text, add arrows, and make it clear what you want the viewer to do. It’s important to note that you should have it around two-thirds of the way down your screen. The bottom quarter is completely covered to the viewer, so don’t put it too low.
6. Upload the short to YouTube
This might seem a little odd but upload it just like a normal video you make for your channel. YouTube will begin to recognize it as a short due to the orientation of the video. It is also vital that you put #shorts in the title and/or the description. This is another tool that will help YouTube recognize and organize your content as a short to send out to other viewers.
Some other important things to keep in mind are that the title needs to be less than 40 characters long. Although you can have a longer title, technically only 40 characters will show to the viewer when they watch the video on mobile devices. On a desktop, they could see the longer title, but ultimately having a longer title will not benefit you in the long run.
7. Enjoy the aftermath
Once you upload the video to YouTube, it could take a second to be organized as a short and show up as one. This is not a big concern because it won’t impact your current followers, and everyone knows what it is intended to be. Within 3-7 days your video will be marked short and all will be made right.
The time it takes for it to be marked as a short does mean that it could be a little bit before you see success from it. Don’t let this stress you out too much, the return will likely outweigh the costs.
Ultimately YouTube shorts are a great new tool that you can use to find new followers using short, focused content that is shown to a variety of people. Using this process, we are confident that you can create amazing shorts! Good luck with your content creation.
