It’s no secret that short-form videos have taken over social media and they are here to stay. In their 2022 Marketing Industry Trends Survey, Hubspot found that short-form video has the highest ROI of any social media marketing strategy. Furthermore, more than half of marketers who use short-form video, plan to increase their investment throughout 2022.
Knowing this, we wanted to focus in on YouTube Shorts and the power and potential of repurposing content for this feature on the second largest search engine in the world!
According to earthweb.com, the most up-to-date stats shows that YouTube Shorts receives 15 billion views daily… and YouTube Shorts can be used to gain long-form subscribers.
So armed with these motivators, this podcast episode and blog post takes a closer look at YouTube Shorts. We discover how they differ from other short-form, vertical videos and how to effectively repurpose content for this feature.
Press ‘play’ to listen to the podcast episode or read on to find out more….
What are YouTube Shorts?
YouTube Shorts was launched globally in 2021 and allows users to post short vertical videos between 15 and 60 seconds in length.
YouTube report that 70% of watch time on the platform is via mobile, so what better way to hold the attention of mobile users than by allowing creators to post snappy, easily digestible video content?
How to create a YouTube Short
Just like with TikTok and Instagram Reels, you can either upload a pre-recorded video or record it natively. You can then add music, filters, text and other features.
It has similarities to TikTok and Instagram Reels – all three platforms host short-form, vertical video content. But there are some key differences…
YouTube Shorts vs. TikTok vs. Instagram Reels
Firstly, YouTube Shorts is available globally, unlike TikTok.
Another plus is that YouTube Shorts are editable post-publishing. We’ve all posted to TikTok or Instagram Reels and then spotted a minor error. It’s so frustrating!
YouTube Shorts also offers a scheduling tool, just like the one used for long-form YouTube videos. An absolute must for content marketers, when time is of the essence and organization is key.
Another unique component is that YouTube Shorts can only last up to 60 seconds, whereas TikToks can be 3 minutes and Instagram Reel can now be 90 seconds long.
YouTube Shorts vs. ordinary YouTube videos
As a content creator, you may wonder whether adding Shorts to your content strategy will impact the views of your regular content. .
The YouTube channel Creator Insider, run by YouTube employees, address this concern in this video. They found that channels that shared both ordinary YouTube videos AND Shorts grew more rapidly than those just posting one or the other.
Another common question is whether it’s a good idea to create a separate channel for Shorts. Creator Insider suggests it’s not necessary unless you’re targeting an entirely different audience with your Shorts.
TOP TIP
If you are keeping your usual videos and Shorts on the same channel, create a playlist solely for the Shorts so your audience can find them easily.
YouTube made some changes to Shorts this year. They now allow creators to repurpose sections of their long-form YouTube content into Shorts to share directly on the platform. No separate tool required. No learning video editing software. Go from long-form to short-form all-in-one platform. You can essentially repurpose content for YouTube Shorts on YouTube itself!
An excellent example of a major platform embracing content repurposing. We love it!
How to repurpose content for YouTube Shorts
Now we’ve outlined what YouTube Shorts is, how it sets itself apart from TikTok and Instagram Reels and how you can use it, let’s look at repurposing content for it.
One opportunity is reposting Instagram Reels and TikTok videos to YouTube Shorts. We wouldn’t really call that ‘repurposing’, but it is a good idea.
In fact, we do it ourselves! Take a look at our TikTok profile and our YouTube Shorts…
There are a couple of important things to remember if you’re doing this though. The length of the video, plus YouTube are strict on copyrighted music. If you’ve added copyrighted music to a TikTok, then be wary if you’re sharing it on Shorts. YouTube may warn you or ask you to remove the video.
TOP TIP
Shorts can be taken from long-form videos, or you can create standalone Shorts that drive people to other content. If you have a blog or a podcast for example, you can take elements from them and summarize them in Shorts.
Look at our YouTube Shorts…
We have been posting YouTube Shorts since the summer of 2021. They are taken from the weekly blog post and podcast episodes.
We also repurpose video footage from events into Shorts.
They capture the attention of a different audience and introduce people to our longer-form content too.
Will you be embracing YouTube Shorts and trying out new content today? Let us know how you get on!
If you need support with content repurposing, get in touch.
Our bespoke content repurposing services align with your content marketing strategy to help you maximize and prolong the life of your content. To read more about our services, click here.
For more tips, browse our back catalogue of blog posts and podcast episodes. Plus, get your hands on Content 10x: More Content, Less Time, Maximum Results – the ultimate guide to content repurposing.