Short-form video has taken over the internet, and YouTube is no exception. With the rise of TikTok and Instagram Reels, YouTube introduced YouTube Shorts to keep creators and audiences engaged in a world where 60 seconds can spark millions of views.
YouTube Shorts are vertical videos up to 60 seconds long, designed to be quick, catchy, and endlessly scrollable. Whether you’re a brand looking to boost engagement, a creator building your audience, or a marketer chasing the algorithm, Shorts offer a new way to reach viewers directly in their feeds—without needing to produce long-form content.
What are YouTube Shorts?
While YouTube Shorts are vertical videos up to 60 seconds long, they’re more than just bite-sized content: they’re a fast, mobile-first format built to boost discovery and engagement.
Using YouTube’s in-app creation tools, you can:
- Record and edit multiple 15-second clips
- Add licensed music from top labels
- Overlay animated text
- Adjust speed for dramatic or time-lapse effects
- Seamlessly upload from your phone
Shorts live permanently on your channel and can appear in the YouTube Shorts feed, search results, and suggested videos. making them a powerful tool for growing your audience and increasing visibility.
Why consider YouTube Shorts for your business?
YouTube Shorts aren’t just a TikTok-style feature: they’re a strategic growth vehicle to help established brands increase visibility, engagement, and conversions.
With an astounding 200 billion daily views worldwide as of mid‑June 2025, Shorts offer unparalleled exposure potential for large enterprises looking to scale their reach.
For marketers and brands, here’s why Shorts matter:
- Unmatched discoverability. Shorts appear in multiple places — the Shorts shelf, search results, homepage, and suggested videos — helping your content reach far beyond your subscriber base.
- Subscriber–conversion engine. Viewers can subscribe with a tap while watching, turning spontaneous views into lasting channel growth.
- Low-cost, high-impact. Produce vertical, mobile‑friendly content quickly using in-app tools, making it easier to consistently deliver fresh brand messaging.
- Evergreen value. Unlike Stories or ephemeral platforms, Shorts remain permanently on your channel, delivering incremental views and engagement over time.
- Platform leverage. Shorts live within your main YouTube channel. Merging short‑form and long‑form content helps audiences transition between formats and increases overall channel dwell time.
On a strategic note:
Maintain Shorts within your main channel rather than creating a separate one. This consolidates engagement, strengthens brand identity, and encourages seamless movement between Shorts and long-form videos, boosting session time and watch-through on flagship content.
How long are YouTube Shorts?
YouTube Shorts are vertical videos that must be 60 seconds or less. You can either upload:
- A single 60-second video, or
- A series of shorter clips (e.g., four 15-second segments stitched together)
However, if you use music from YouTube’s licensed catalog, your Short is limited to 15 seconds max due to licensing restrictions.
Pro tip: YouTube automatically categorizes any vertical video that’s 60 seconds or shorter as a Short — no separate setting or tag is required.
Step 1: Use the official YouTube app (mobile)
Open the YouTube mobile app on iOS or Android. this is the only native way to record Shorts using YouTube’s in-app creation tools
Step 2: Record your YouTube Short
Tap (+) icon on the button of the app homepage, then tap Create a Short
Use the built-in recorder to:
- Capture up to 60 seconds (tap “15” above record to switch to 60s)
- Control speed, switch camera, add filters, countdown timer, magic wand retouch, green-screen, and align ghost overlays
- Add licensed music before or during editing. Note: when music is applied, length is limited to 15 seconds
- Undo mistakes with the reverse arrow
You can also use the AI Playground / Create tab (new in mid-2025) to add advanced features, like animated photos, stickers, and remix effects.
Step 3: Edit and publish your Short
Once recorded, tap the checkmark, then:
- Add text overlays, filters, music, or AI visuals
- Use the timeline view for precise text timing and clip trimming
- Tap Next, then enter title, description, visibility (public/unlisted/private), audience settings (kids/adult)
- Finally, tap Upload Short to publish
Step 4 (optional): Upload from YouTube Studio or desktop
To publish Shorts up to 3 minutes, upload via YouTube Studio (PC or desktop mobile):
- Click + Upload video → select vertical video ≤ 3 minutes → add details and publish
- YouTube auto-classifies vertical content under 3 minutes as a Short, even if edited externally
Strategic Shorts Notes for marketers
- Stick to 15–60 sec lengths when using in-app tools for quick batch production.
- Use 2–3 min Shorts strategically when deeper storytelling or brand messaging is needed.
- Take advantage of new AI tools to repurpose imagery or produce branded content rapidly.
- Use screenshots in your documentation to explain the AI Playground flow, template selection, and desktop upload steps.
If you’re a business or brand looking to monetize Shorts, here’s the modern monetization framework as of mid‑2025:
Step 1: Meet YPP eligibility
Unlock Shorts ad revenue by qualifying for the YouTube Partner Program. As of 2025, the primary criteria are:
- 1,000+ subscribers, plus either:
- 10M+ public Shorts views in the last 90 days
- OR 4,000 watch hours on long-form content in the past 12 months
Step 2: Understand the ad revenue model
YouTube pools all ad revenue generated between Shorts in the feed and divides it based on creators’ share of total monetized Shorts views.
Creators receive 45% of that pool, and YouTube keeps 55% (including music licensing costs).
Step 3: Stay compliant
As of July 15, 2025, YouTube enforces stricter authenticity rules. Content must:
- Be original and non-repetitive
- Not reuse unedited clips or rely on templated formats
- Not be AI-generated unless it’s significantly transformed and valuable.
Channels not meeting these standards may be penalized, even when views are high.
Why this matters for brands
- Reliable revenue potential. With Shorts monetization now performance-based, brands can plan and scale campaigns predictably.
- Subscriber pathway. Brands can accelerate full YPP eligibility through Shorts alone (no long-form content required).
- Content standards. Authentic storytelling and thoughtful production pay off. Mass-produced Shorts run the risk of demonetization.
YouTube Shorts: best practices for brands in 2025
Hook viewers in the first 3 seconds
YouTube Shorts autoplay in the feed, so your opening frame must stop the scroll. Use motion, strong copy, or a surprising visual to spark curiosity. Think of it as a headline for your video.
Use quick cuts and creative pacing
Static, unedited clips are easy to swipe past. Instead, keep your audience engaged with jump cuts, quick transitions, and changes in camera angle or audio tone. Attention resets every few seconds—use that to your advantage.
Optimize for replays
Shorts loop by default, so consider how your message lands when repeated. Seamless transitions or punchline loops can increase replays and watch time.
Align Shorts with a business goal
Treat Shorts like you would any other marketing asset. Define a clear purpose for each one—e.g., drive newsletter signups, tease a product launch, increase YouTube subscribers. Add CTAs where appropriate (e.g. “Subscribe for more” or “Link in bio”).
Provide immediate value
Educational? Entertaining? Inspiring? The best Shorts offer instant value. Consider quick how-tos, myth-busting facts, social proof, or brand storytelling in a concise format.
Repurpose, don’t recycle
Don’t just cut down long-form videos. Create Shorts-native content: fast-paced, mobile-first, and designed to stand on its own. Repurpose ideas, not footage.
Match the format, not the platform
Shorts aren’t TikToks or Reels—though they may feel similar. Study what performs best on YouTube specifically (e.g., memes, how-tos, “Did you know?” intros, commentary formats) and tailor accordingly.
Bonus tip:
If your Shorts align with a broader content campaign (e.g., product launch, event coverage, influencer activation), group them using a Shorts playlist on your channel. This boosts watch-through and channel-level engagement.
7 strategic ways businesses can use YouTube Shorts
Shorts are one of the fastest-growing features on YouTube’s platform, and 40% of Shorts users are not on TikTok or Instagram Reels.
Here’s how brands are putting Shorts to work:
Promote your regular channel
Use YouTube Shorts to promote and grow your main YouTube channel. Every time you post a Short, it’s an opportunity for your content to get a view, and that view could turn into a channel subscriber or someone who engages with your main channel content.
The subscriber box is always visible when you post a Short, making it easy for people to subscribe if they like what they see.
Shorts also help you to navigate YouTube’s algorithm because your channel will see an increase in engagement, one of the key ranking factors for how YouTube prioritizes content. This should increase the number of people who are exposed to your channel.
Showcase less polished video
Not every video you create for YouTube needs to be pre-planned and polished to perfection. Behind-the-scenes (BTS) video footage will give your audience a sneak peek into the background of your channel, brand, and products or services.
Behind-the-scenes footage can take on many forms. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Company events
- Product launches
- Product updates or coming soon
- Workplace updates, e.g., a renovation
BTS videos help establish your brand as authentic (a huge plus for tapping into the authenticity-driven Gen Z) and deepen consumer trust.
People buy from people, and showcasing your brand’s human side with BTS is a great way to establish a strong relationship with your potential customers, subscribers, and viewers.
Popular US singing show The Voice used Shorts to show exclusive BTS footage.
Tease your audience
Think of Shorts as the trailer of video marketing and use the format to whet the appetite of potential leads.
For example, you could post a 30-second Short about an upcoming product release, along with a CTA to drive viewers to a longer YouTube video that goes into more detail and directs your viewers to a landing page to sign up for early access.
Dental Digest is one of the most successful Shorts creators. Here, they’ve created a short teaser review of a famous toothbrush line.
The Short works because it’s snappy, engaging, relevant, appeals to a younger audience, and positions Dental Digest as an authority in its field.
Create engagement on the fly
YouTube Shorts allows your audience to engage with your brand on the fly rather than commit to watching a full-length video.
And because many viewers stop watching videos after the one-minute mark, snappy, short-form content ensures that your audience watches until the end, receives all of your messaging, and engages with your CTA.
Jump on trends
In 2021, the world-famous K-pop group BTS (not to be confused with the acronym for behind-the-scenes!) partnered with YouTube to announce the Permission to Dance Challenge and invited audiences across the world to record and share a 15-second version of their recent hit song.
YouTube’s global head of music, Lyor Cohen, said: “We are humbled to be partnering with them [BTS] on the ‘Permission to Dance’ challenge on YouTube Shorts, helping to spread happiness and build lasting connections amongst their fans on YouTube across the globe.”
Shorts provides brands and creators with an opportunity to jump on a trend, e.g., a dance move or challenge that’s doing the rounds on social media. We’re not saying that you need to commit to every dance challenge that does the rounds on social media, but keeping on top of video trends will position your brand as current and up-to-date and improve your chances of going viral.
Level up your user-generated content
YouTube Shorts are a straightforward format to ask for user-generated content (UGC) because Shorts can be created by anyone, anywhere, with access to a smartphone.
For example, you could send your new product to a group of brand loyalists and ask them to create YouTube Shorts that showcase the unboxing experience to help expand your brand reach.
Save money
Creating YouTube Shorts is a cost-effective video marketing strategy. The format can be created by anyone with a smartphone, eliminating the need to hire a creative agency or video marketing company to create your video content.
YouTube Shorts should be an essential part of your video social strategy, not become your entire social strategy. Work with your social and content teams to uncover opportunities to incorporate Shorts into campaigns, and always have a purpose for your video.
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