With 70 billion daily views, YouTube Shorts has quickly become one of the most popular short-form video platforms. And with growing uncertainty around TikTok’s future in the U.S., many creators and brands are shifting their focus to Shorts as a more stable, scalable alternative. However, with an estimated 25 million new Shorts uploaded each month, the competition for attention is intense — making platform-specific content more important than ever. Repurposed content often misses the mark on Shorts, which demands dynamic, tailored creative that resonates with its unique audience and consumption patterns.
Incorporate an Attention-Grabbing Hook
With a length of just 15-60 seconds, Shorts need to make an impact fast. The competition for viewers’ attention is intense, and the window to engage them is small. That’s why it’s necessary to hook them in the first 2-5 seconds. Use dynamic visuals, intriguing questions, or surprising facts to immediately grab attention, encouraging viewers to stay engaged and ultimately boosting video completion rates.
Prioritize Authenticity With UGC
YouTube has always been a platform where creators build authentic relationships with their audiences, and this expectation extends to Shorts. Viewers expect the same level of authenticity in short-form content as they do in longer videos. UGC, which reflects the everyday lifestyle and concerns of real users, makes content highly relatable. On YouTube Shorts, where content needs to resonate quickly, this relatability is key to capturing and holding viewers’ attention.
Choose an Attractive Thumbnail
As the first thing viewers see, thumbnails play a crucial role in whether they click on a video or scroll past it. To maximize the impact of Shorts, choose an eye-catching thumbnail that instantly grabs attention. Thumbnails should have a clear, uncluttered design, be high-quality, and highlight the key elements of the video.
Pro Tip: Maintain consistency in your thumbnail style to strengthen your brand identity, and use A/B testing to refine designs and boost click-through rates (CTR) over time.
Create a Seamless Loop
YouTube Shorts loop automatically, so creating a video with a seamless loop can keep viewers watching and engaged without them realizing it. Each loop that retains a viewer beyond the initial play counts as an additional view and increases the video’s watch time. YouTube’s algorithm tends to favor videos with strong engagement metrics like watch time and rewatch rate, making seamless looping a strategic technique to enhance your video’s visibility.
Implement Trends and Challenges
Staying current with trends and challenges on YouTube Shorts can significantly boost content visibility and engagement. Trends and challenges often dominate the platform, allowing brands to join conversations that are already resonating with viewers. However, participating in every viral trend can dilute a brand’s identity, so it’s crucial to selectively choose trends that align with your brand’s message and values.
Maintain Consistency and Experiment
Consistency is key to building a loyal audience on YouTube Shorts. To keep viewers engaged, upload content regularly and experiment with different video lengths, formats, and styles to help identify what resonates most with your audience. By monitoring Shorts’ performance, it’s possible to identify the elements that effectively engage viewers.
Pro Tip: Shorts that are 50–60 seconds long tend to perform better than shorter ones.
Optimize for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO isn’t just for websites and blogs — it’s essential for Shorts as well. Optimizing Shorts with relevant keywords in the title, description, and hashtags makes it easier for YouTube’s algorithm to understand what a video is about and match it with users’ search queries. To find these keywords, use the YouTube search bar to see what autocomplete suggestions pop up, explore YouTube Analytics, or utilize tools like TubeBuddy or VidIQ.
brkfst.io can help your brand create tailored UGC content that performs on YouTube Shorts, boosting visibility, engaging audiences, and building a strong community. Send us a message to get started.