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YouTube Shorts
Short-form video content is the most popular and effective social media content format for this year and the years to come. Just take a look at TikTok, the pioneer of the short-form video content movement. The application is the fastest-growing social media platform, having generated over 1.6 billion users since its inception seven years ago.
YouTube has over 2 billion active users on its website and application, which spreads to its Short shelf. According to Google, YouTube Shorts crossed 50 billion daily views in February 2023. Like TikTok, Shorts allows users to create and watch videos up to 60 seconds long. They are designed to be quick and easy to create, and they can be shared directly on YouTube.
Read more: Why You Should Absolutely Create YouTube Shorts in 2023
YouTube has published a new interview with Shorts Product Lead Todd Sherman, in which Sherman answers some of the most common questions about Shorts, including how the algorithm works, how views are counted, and more. Here is what to take away from the interview.
On the Algorithm
YouTube advises its users to “think audience, not algorithm” and “the audience is the algorithm”, especially since the Shorts algorithm is different from the regular YouTube feed as it is an entirely different format, with different consumption behaviors.
The algorithm aims to display content that users enjoy by considering their viewing habits, including watch time and re-watches. In addition, it takes into account likes, shares, and comments. YouTube is continuously improving its algorithm to showcase more relevant content based on these factors.
Shorts Views
Unlike with TikTok, Shorts views are not measured when a short-form video appears on screen. Instead, it is more aligned with user interest and intent. A view is only counted if a viewer is deliberately watching the Short, rather than just scrolling past it in the feed.
Read More: Adam Waheed hits 40M views on YouTube Shorts
This means, as a Creator, the way to get more views on Shorts is by creating a compelling start. If it catches user interest, and they stay on the Short for a certain amount of time, only then will it be counted as a view.
Additionally, since YouTube Shorts does not have a thumbnail option, but only has the capacity to select a frame from your clip as the thumbnail, users need to choose a convincing frame in order to click on the Short.
Quality over Quantity
Quality over quantity is the best approach for YouTube Shorts, as there is nothing in the algorithm that dictates expanded or reduced reach if you post more Shorts.
However, YouTube advises that there can be negative impacts because of posting lots of lower-quality clips. If engagement is low, it’s probably from low-quality Shorts, and effort should be made towards compiling and editing high-quality clips only.
Read more: 4 of the Best YouTube Video Editing Softwares
How to Use Hashtags
While they’re not required while posting a Short, they can be helpful in gaining views. If users want to watch Shorts on a specific event or topic, hashtags would be the way to go. In order to cater to that, creators should also use them in order to be found, especially in terms of trending discussions and/or niche topics.
Deleting and Re-Uploading for Reach
Many creators online have recommended deleting and re-uploading Shorts. These creators imply that new Shorts are “fed” to another batch of people. However, Shorts Product Lead Sherman does not suggest doing this. He stated, “I think that there’s also a risk that it gets seen as spam in our systems.”
Instead, use hashtags, make better quality videos, and let the algorithm do the rest.
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