Are YouTube Shorts The New And Improved TikTok?

We love bite-sized video content, and YouTube listened. YouTube Shorts may just be the new-and-improved TikTok, and YouTube has been incredibly eager to roll out ‘Shorts’ to rival its tenacious competitor. 

YouTube is currently home to the highest-quality video content online. Today, this platform has over 2 billion active users per month (a cool quarter of the world’s population.) However, with video sharing apps such as TikTok and Instagram Reels booming due to their response to the demand for short-form video content, YouTube has made dynamic changes to get a piece of the action. After all, failure to pivot and keep up with trends means losing out on huge opportunities. Some people are surprised it took YouTube this long to come up with YouTube Shorts.

They could see that TikTok has the potential to surpass them, so YouTube got their act together and created YouTube Shorts. Now, all they have to do is convince Generation Z that Shorts could be a faster path to fame than TikTok. 

Many of today’s highest paid influencers started as YouTubers and still maintain a thriving YouTube channel. As a YouTube content creator, the YouTube Shorts feature is an excellent way for you to share attention-grabbing, bite-sized videos with your YouTube subscribers and other audiences. If you’re someone trying to get paid on YouTube, you shouldn’t neglect to jump on the Shorts bandwagon. Remember, not all YouTube visitors are there to consume long-form content. Some have busy schedules while others have reduced attention spans with very little patience for long-winded videos.

Consumable and Snackable Video Content

The younger generations have increasingly shorter attention spans, and uncoincidentally, an increasing demand for snack-sized videos. Today’s youth want videos that are easy to digest, quick to the point, fun and easy to consume, like a late-night snack.

Most people watch video content on their mobile device, so the shorter and snappier your content, the better. For the aforementioned reasons, there’s an exponentially growing market that loves quirky, quick and consumable videos. These short-form videos catch their attention and get to the point without losing their attention. YouTube Shorts is here to give you full creativity to take your brand to the next level, in a very short and consumable manner. Below we’ll provide an overview of what you should know about YouTube Shorts to ensure your Shorts are nothing short of spectacular. (Say that three times fast.) Let’s review some general facts about YouTube Shorts:

The Roots of YouTube Shorts

YouTube launched the beta version of Shorts last September, in 2020. They were inspired to launch Shorts, following the success of TikTok’s 15-second video model. On March 18, 2021, YouTube finally rolled out Shorts in the United States. There are currently an estimated 15 billion Shorts views per day proving that sometimes, less is indeed more.  

Shorts allow you to create vertical videos up to 60 seconds in length to attract attention to your channel and gain more subscribers. Apart from appearing on their main YouTube channel page, viewers can find short-form clips on their subscription feed, on the home page “Short Shelf,” and in normal search when they click on “What to Watch Next.” Viewers can tap icons on the bottom right to like, dislike, or comment on your short. They can also readily subscribe if they like your content. 

The platform is currently testing the inclusion of Shorts on the Explore tab of the YouTube app. It will allow viewers to see a featured Short. When they tap on it, they can keep on watching more Shorts. It is slated to roll out sometime soon, which is good news if you’re a YouTuber just trying to get paid on YouTube. Shorts will help you build brand awareness and expand your audience reach. 

Get Familiar With the Shorts Camera

The Shorts camera is your ally for creating short-form video content via YouTube. This tool makes it easy for you to create shorts. It’s default length allows you to record videos up to 15 seconds long. So you can create several 15-second shots and loop them into one continuous video with a max of one minute. 

Though Shorts can be up to 60 seconds, the platform recommends using the Shorts camera to create 15-second videos. It comes with a built-in timer function for easy hands-free recording. Record quickly and share swiftly. This tool will allow you to:

• Add music or audio of choice
• Apply slow motion
• Speed up videos
• Use filters
• Incorporate text

Benefits of Creating Shorts

As a video marketer, it is vital to stay relevant and keep up with the demands and changing trends of your audience. Right now, people are clamoring for shorter videos, so you need to give them what they want or they will look for it from your competitors. Thankfully, Shorts are easy to make, and they are worth doing because of the following reasons:

Reach More People

With YouTube’s more than 2 billion active monthly users already starting to use Shorts, creating catchy Shorts broadens your brand’s reach. Imagine just how many people you could potentially convey your message to by creating the shorter content they want. Apart from that, your solid subscriber list can continue to view your Shorts. This fosters a stronger relationship with your subscribers, especially if you continue to produce consistent content. You’ll be keeping your YouTube subscribers happy while also being promoted to new audiences.

Target the Right Demographics

TikTok is mostly filled with very young consumers, so if your brand falls under a different category or speaks to older generations, you may have a harder time growing awareness on TikTok. In contrast, YouTube is popular with all sorts of age groups, so Shorts may have a leg-up when it comes to getting the attention of the older generations. The YouTube platform also remains dominant in many countries, niches, and industries. With Shorts, you can engage with a much broader audience. 

Enjoy a Stable Platform

In 2020, TikTok was threatened with bans due to data security breaches and sanctioned with censorship regulations. Sadly, this is bad news for content creators because bans render your hard work unusable. In contrast, YouTube is one of the strongest and most trusted platforms that is much more likely to withstand the test of time.

Enjoy Long-Term Results

Shorts won’t disappear from YouTube, unlike Instagram stories that expire after 24 hours. So when a potential subscriber sees your short-form content, they can see all your past uploaded Shorts. Those who search for videos can also see shorts related to keywords they searched for. 

Should You Jump on the YouTube Shorts Bandwagon?

If you already have a successful Tik Tok account, you might be wondering why you should start using YouTube Shorts. After all, right now it seems as though Tik Tok is the most popular choice. YouTube, however, has the potential to grow and surpass Tik Tok when it comes to the go-to platform for bite-sized videos. Don’t forget that Google owns YouTube, and YouTube is a powerful force. Their pockets are deep enough and their audience is huge enough to potentially squash TikTok. You never know, so it’s safest to jump on the Shorts bandwagon.

Remember that there are also many benefits of creating YouTube shorts if you already have a YouTube channel. This includes reaching a wider audience, saving time from having to create long videos, and giving your subscribers what they probably want: shorter videos. Give YouTube Shorts a try, and see if you can expand your audience by giving them something snackable.