The relationship between Youtube creators and Youtube shorts has been very up and down the past year.
The introduction of Shorts on the platform made several long-form video creators a bit worried.
Let’s face it: Shorts is just the uglier and less popular version of Tiktok.
When you think about quick videos and trends, you don’t think about Youtube.
So Shorts were introduced in 2020 in response to the popularity of TikTok and the increasing demand for short-form video content.
However, if you have read my Youtube Shorts article, then you know that not all content creators were happy with the changes.
In fact, instead of helping your youtube channel grow, the Shorts algorithm was actually hurting more than it was helping.
So Youtube decided to make some changes and now they guarantee that if you use Shorts correctly, they can help you increase your reach and grow your channel.
So in this article, I am going to show you the ways that creators can use YouTube Shorts to grow their channels.
Youtube’s New Shorts Update
Youtube announced in 2022 that the shorts algorithm will now help push out the other content on your channel.
What does this mean?
Basically, what shorts did before was that if you have a channel with long and shorts videos, it killed your long videos.
Dead and burried.
The shorts would get promoted and everything else got left behind.
Now with this recent update, shorts are now going to promote your long-form videos to the audience that enjoys your shorts.
Meaning if I watch a short and like the video, there is a higher chance that I will see more of that creators shorts and long-form videos on my feed.
It was about time!
How to Use Shorts to Boost Your Youtube Channel
Create engaging content in a Loop
One of the keys to success on YouTube Shorts is creating content that is engaging and easy to share. This means using catchy music, interesting visuals, and compelling storytelling to capture your audience’s attention.
You should also try to make your content as visually appealing as possible by using high-quality images and video footage.
One of the biggest tips that a lot of people do not talk about is the fact that making your shorts loop around is going to give you a boost in the algorithm.
What a lot of creators are doing nowadays is making sure that the end of the clip flows almost seamlessly with the beginning of the loop. That way, viewers won’t even realize that they are watching the video for a second time.
The algorithm likes to see shorts that are viewed several times. That signals that it is something worth sharing with others. Which will increase your reach.
Use hashtags and participate in trends
Hashtags and trends are a great way to get your content discovered on YouTube Shorts. By using relevant hashtags, you can make your content more discoverable to users searching for specific topics.
You can also participate in trends by creating content that is related to popular themes or challenges.
What you absolutely want to avoid is hashtag dumping on your shorts. The less, the better. I see creators with no more than 3 hashtags on my homepage.
Yes, the hashtags will help you from an SEO perspective, but if you overdo it, it will most likely harm you.
Collaborate with other creators
Collaborating with other creators is a great way to grow your channel on YouTube Shorts. Not only can it help you reach a wider audience, but it can also be a lot of fun and a great way to learn from others.
When collaborating, try to work with creators who have a similar target audience to your own. When you do that, you will both be able to pull in your audiences.
I have noticed that people really enjoy the “unexpected” collaborations that creators do. For example, when I saw Neyo recently collab with one of my favorite creators, it was completely unexpected but highly appreciated.
The comment section was going crazy!
Now you may not be Neyo, but you can mimick the same emotions when you suddenly pop up on another creators video.
Promote your Shorts on other social media platforms
In addition to promoting your Shorts on YouTube itself, you should also consider promoting them on other social media platforms.
Mainly, TikTok and Instagram.
Youtube alone is not always the easiest to grow on. However, Tiktok is the best platform for sharing short-form content. By now, everybody knows what TikTok is and everyone is on it. It has never been easier to grow with shorter videos.
Promoting your videos on TikTok can help you reach a wider audience and drive more traffic back to your YouTube channel.
Engage with your audience
One of the best ways to grow your channel on YouTube Shorts is by engaging with your audience. This means responding to comments, liking and commenting on other Shorts, and asking for feedback from your followers.
We have seen time and time again creators who have millions of subscribers with only a couple hundred comments. This is not what the algorithm sees as “successful.”
On the flip side, you will find smaller channels with 10,000 or 100,000 subscribers who have thousands of comments and likes on their videos. This is what will trigger the algorithm to start sharing your videos.
By building a strong community of engaged followers, you can increase the visibility of your channel and grow your audience.
Analyze and optimize your Shorts
To get the most out of YouTube Shorts, it’s important to analyze and optimize your content. This means using YouTube analytics to track the performance of your Shorts and identify which ones are performing well and which ones are not.
Is there a certain intro style that works better than others?
Is there a specific kind of content that seems to perform better than other content on your channel?
If you have a tool like Tubebuddy, you can try A/B testing and even see if there is a certain thumbnail that performs better. You can even get a free trial of the tool to reach optimal performance in a shorter amount of time.
You can then use this information to optimize your content and improve your overall performance on the platform.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, YouTube Shorts is a powerful tool for creators looking to grow their channel and reach a wider audience.
By creating engaging and shareable content, collaborating with other creators, and promoting your Shorts on other social media platforms, you can immensely increase the visibility of your channel and attract more viewers.
By analyzing and optimizing your content, you can further improve your performance on the platform and achieve even greater success.
