Not heard of YouTube Shorts? It’s a must-try short video-sharing platform for brands!

YouTube Shorts is a tool or, more accurately, a new feature from YouTube that allows short-form video sharing. YouTube Shorts can only be used on mobile, and the videos must be less than 60 seconds.

We all know that short video clips (15 – 60 seconds) are popular nowadays. Whether that’s because of changing user behaviour or different situations, people rarely want to consume long videos these days, meaning brands need to adapt their communications.

What is YouTube Shorts?

YouTube Shorts gives regular users more features and options for posting videos that require less planning and time than regular video content. 

If you’re using it as a brand or business, short videos on YouTube can be a great way to increase your brand awareness. Because users like to watch short video clips, they often want to watch content summarised in a single video clip that’s easy to understand and interesting.

What kind of content is suitable for YouTube Shorts?

You need to make sure that your video is interesting enough to make them want to watch the next. As a platform for short video content, your videos should be less than 60 seconds. Or, if you want to make a video series, you can divide content into episodes, but there should be a summary for the audience to understand what they’re watching. 

As an example, imagine you make a skin-soothing soap product using 100% organic essential oils extracted from nature. You might want to do something like this: 

Clip 1 – Introduce customers’ skin problems. What problems do those with dry skin face? What’s the problem with oily skin? Then, you can conclude by saying these problems can be solved by bathing your skin. This can include a brief mention of your product.

Clip 2 – Tell the story of daily skin bathing. Of course, everyone showers every day, but they may not be using the right products for their skin condition or problem. Then you can end by highlighting the selling points of your product.

Clip 3 – Close the series by showing product results and explaining where they can buy your product.

That’s just one quick example of how a brand might use YouTube Shorts. You don’t need to use a hard sale on every video because customers want to make their minds up once they’re satisfied that the product will solve their problems. Therefore, it’s important to make your content exciting and engaging.

How Do I Use YouTube Shorts?

Open the YouTube app on your smartphone. At the bottom, you will see a + button;

Tap it once, and choose ‘Create a Short’.

Below, you will see the number 15; you can tap the number to change it to 60. If you want to make a video clip, tap the red button to record the video. Or, if the clip is already recorded, you can tap the square on the left and select a video clip from your device. Then tap the checkmark when you’ve finished recording or selecting the finished video clip.

Next, you can insert music or text (press on ‘Timeline’ to insert text at the desired time) and add filters. When finished, tap the ‘Next’ button in the top right corner of the screen.

Then, add a caption to your short clip. You can make the video public, unlisted, or set it to private. You can also set a timer for the video clip. Select the audience you want and tap ‘Upload Short’ when everything is done.

YouTube Shorts is yet another channel that business owners can adapt to suit their brand’s marketing plans. Now you know what it is and how it works, you can start using it your brand’s advantage.