There’s not a lot of money in YouTube Shorts themselves, but all channels — especially small channels — need a YouTube Shorts strategy.
While YouTube Shorts won’t make anyone rich on their own, posting YouTube Shorts is a great way to drive views and subscribers to your long form videos. You know, the ones that pay.
In this post, we’re going to give you some tips on how you can get started right away with a solid YouTube Shorts strategy, specifically designed for small channels to start grabbing those gains.
If you still need some convincing before you spend your precious time on a YouTube Shorts strategy, let’s look at some facts:
YouTube loves Shorts
TikTok is prioritizing long form video, and YouTube is chasing short form video in a big way. YouTube has expanded its monetization options for shorts, introduced new features, profit sharing for creators, and a massive music library.
The simple fact is, if YouTube wants something to work, it has the clout to make it happen. So while YouTube tries to give short form video on its platform a leg up, creators making short form content stand to benefit.
In 2023, YouTube limited the ways creators (and commenters) can share links in YouTube Shorts. This was an effort to cut down on spam and scam comments and content on the platform. At the same time, it revealed powerful new tools creators can use to drive Shorts viewers over to their long form videos.
In other words, YouTube wants Shorts to work for creators.
Shorts have massive discoverability.
While things have normalized from YouTube Shorts early wild west days, there’s still much lower competition which can lead to faster growth and visibility for creators who start now.
As more creators catch on to the value of Shorts, and as advertisers continue to invest, creators can get paid. Not just directly, with YouTube Shorts monetization, but with brand deals, affiliate links, and so on.
The smartest YouTube Shorts strategy: Start posting Shorts now
While the early-mover advantage is no longer as great as it was in, say, 2023, there’s still plenty of opportunity for creators with the right YouTube Shorts strategy.
YouTube Shorts are highly discoverable on the YouTube platform. Creators can certainly still benefit from that discoverability.
The best YouTube Shorts strategy for small channels is to use shorts to drive viewers to your long form content.
Use a solid short form video hook, deliver value to viewers, and drive them to your channel to subscribe and engage your content more deeply.
Most won’t. That’s OK. YouTube Shorts are a volume game. You don’t need everyone. You just need to find your people… and Shorts can be a great way to do that.
Get help with your YouTube Shorts strategy
If you’re struggling to come up with your own YouTube Shorts strategy, TubeBuddy’s Suggested Shorts feature can help.
Suggested Shorts examines your top-performing long form videos to highlight the sections that can be clipped for YouTube Shorts content. By highlighting the exact moments where audiences have engaged most with your content, it also delivers insights you can use as inspiration for net new short form content you know will connect.
by TubeBuddy as part of 