YouTube Shorts is a new platform that will give creators more opportunities than ever to promote their brand. However, it comes with its own set of challenges. Let’s dive into what the pros and cons are of YouTube Shorts so that you can make the most out of this new app.
WHAT ARE YOUTUBE SHORTS?
YouTube Shorts are short-form videos that are less than 15 seconds long. They’re also called “snackable videos,” because they can be watched in just a few bites. What’s great about the platform is that they allow marketers to provide value to their audiences without having to commit the time and resources necessary for a TV commercial or an hour-long infomercial. Plus, with so much competition out there these days, you want something that will stand out from the crowd.
A NEW TIKTOK COMPETITOR.
It’s safe to say, YouTube Shorts are coming for TikTok’s lunch. But it will also be used by creators to build an audience for their content. In many ways, Shorts combines the best of both worlds: it allows creators to create engaging content for themselves while still offering them access to one of the largest audiences in existence (and all without having to post their content directly onto YouTube).
WHAT ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES?
If you’re a content creator, this will be a new platform for you to use. It can help you build your audience, reach new audiences and even help you (gasp!) grow your brand. Yes, it sounds crazy, but YouTube Shorts are actually not just another place where people go to watch clips of cute cats doing weird things. If done right and if done well, this will put brands in front of their target audiences in an extremely effective way—and they can do so by combining videos with native advertising and sponsorships. YouTube has already been working with advertisers on short-form video ads as part of its TrueView system (which allows viewers to skip ads after five seconds). But now it’s investing further into this area by making sure that there are more opportunities for brands to be associated with high quality content by partnering directly with creators on these projects rather than simply relying on traditional ad buys.
WHAT ARE SOME CHALLENGES?
The first, and most obvious challenge with YouTube Shorts is that it’s new. It’s different from any other video platform and people are still trying to figure out how to make the most of it. The second challenge is that because it’s been around for less than a year, there isn’t much data available on how popular they are or how they’re performing compared to other types of video content. This makes it hard for marketers who want to know if their money is well spent on creating these videos since they don’t have anything concrete yet either way.
The third major challenge is that while there are more tools available than ever before when creating videos in general—and even specifically short ones—it can still take time just like any other piece of content you create: writing scripts; finding actors; editing footage; making sure everything looks good together visually before posting.
HOW SHOULD BRANDS AND INFLUENCERS APPROACH YOUTUBE SHORTS?
YouTube shorts are a great way to get your brand in front of the right people. But how can you make sure that your content is engaging enough to win their attention and keep it?
- Create content that will resonate with the audience
- Create relatable and entertaining content that’s relevant to your brand
- Make sure the content is authentic and genuine
SHORTS WILL BE A HUGE OPPORTUNITY, BUT WILL ALSO ADD MORE COMPLEXITY TO INFLUENCER MARKETING.
Influencer marketing is already complex enough. With the rise of so many new platforms, there are so many ways to manage influencer partnerships that it’s easy to get overwhelmed even before you start trying to figure out what exactly you’re buying or selling. Now we have the added layer of YouTube Shorts (and possibly other short-form video platforms), which require even more time and effort on both sides of the relationship until they become more standardized. On the plus side, because these new platforms are still so new and haven’t yet been fully figured out by advertisers, there’s room for creativity when it comes to how short videos are produced.
HOW CAN MARKETERS KEEP UP WITH VIDEO TRENDS?
How can marketers keep up with video trends?
We wish it was cut and dry, but it’s not. Marketers need to create a video strategy that is consistent with the platform they are using and know their audience and their preferences. They also need to be aware of the latest trends and what their competitors are doing. Maybe it’s a custom hashtag so people can follow along with all of your posts. If done correctly, a good video strategy will help increase engagement with an audience while driving traffic back to your business objective.
YOUTUBE SHORTS WILL BE A FORCE TO RECKON WITH.
YouTube Shorts are a new video format that allows for more flexibility and creativity, which is why you should care about them. The videos are shorter than most YouTube videos. This means they can be used in many different ways:
- As an introduction to a longer series or documentary (think “trailer”)
- To act as a standalone clip that may be shared on other platforms (like Facebook)
- To engage viewers in a way not possible with traditional long-form content
We’re excited to see how brands and influencers are going to respond to the rise of YouTube Shorts. It’s going to be a great opportunity for both sides—but it’s going to be challenging too. So whether you’re a brand marketer, a business owner, or a content creator, it’s time to dive in. We’ll see you on the Shorts.