How to Utilise YouTube shorts for your business

What are Youtube Shorts?

Youtube Shorts are a short form of video, limited to 60 seconds in length. They’re similar to Instagram Reels and TikTok, where users can speed up, slow down, and add filters and captions to short videos to create engaging and fun video content.

You can add music from the YouTube audio library for extra effect, but this does limit your video to 15 seconds.

Like any social media, viewers can like, comment, dislike, share, and even subscribe to the channel from which they’re watching the Shorts.

What are the benefits of using YouTube Shorts?

YouTube Shorts provide your brand with a good opportunity to reach a broader audience and boost brand visibility. This form of content tends to appeal to younger audience because the videos are so short and snappy. 

Shorts also allow for an element of creativity. You can find ways to make a big impression with 15-60 seconds worth of video. It’s a great way to get your brand identity over and show consumers what your business can offer. 

YouTube advertising is also cost-effective and simple to run. This makes Shorts ideal for smaller businesses looking to boost brand visibility. 

One of the biggest advantages of YouTube Shorts is that they’re not just limited to YouTube; they show in the Google search results too. This can help to increase brand awareness and drive organic traffic to your website. As a result, using YouTube Shorts gives your business to potential to reach a huge array of people and audiences through your video content. 

What are YouTube Shorts used for?

There is no set way you should be using YouTube Shorts, as long as you’re using it in a way that benefits and promotes your business. Here are a few suggestions of how you can utilise Shorts:

• Show off your products and services and give a sneak peek into how they can solve their pain points 
• Publicise sales and discounts
• Tease new lines and ranges of products to captivate an audience. Intrigue them and leave them waiting for the big reveal
• Show your audience everything that goes on behind closed doors. This helps them feel like you’ve trusted in them and that you’re building a connection with them
• Tell a story with the products you’re promoting. Engage your audience and make them feel connected to the product
• Giveaway and challenge announcements
• Celebrate your business’ milestones
• Create engaging videos with tips and tricks only your employees know. This will boost engagement and intrigue around the Short

How to use YouTube Shorts for Business:

The first step is creating a YouTube channel so that your Shorts have somewhere to upload. Then, creating a Short will be easy if you’ve ever used TikTok or Instagram Reels, as it’s a very similar method.

Once you’ve recorded or uploaded your choice of video, you can edit it by cutting and trimming the video and adding music and captions.

When you’re happy with the Short, you’ll be able to preview the video before you upload it to give it a final once over. Don’t forget to add a title, description, and relevant hashtags so that your content reaches the right audience.

Then, most importantly, press ‘upload’!

Our top tips:

1. Be creative

Viewers want to see original content. If you can think of original ideas, make them fun and engaging, and representative of what your brand offers. When there’s so much video content already out there, you need to do everything you can in order to stand out from the crowd.

2. Use the Shorts effectively 

Just because you only have 60 seconds to work with doesn’t mean that you have to use every second. The goal should be to deliver your message concisely, whether that’s in 6, 16, or 60 seconds. Viewers in today’s age have a short attention span, so consider this when filming and editing your Shorts.

3. Have engaging captions, music, and thumbnails

These elements are key to creating an engaging Short. Think about what sort of caption or thumbnail would draw you into watching your video. Also consider which music is most appropriate for the video, not just the song you’ve been enjoying lately. Even better if it’s a trending song!

Also add relevant hashtags because they will boost your video’s discoverability.

4. Vertical videos are more immersive

Most Shorts are filmed vertically, which makes them easier and more impressive to watch on a mobile device. This creates a contrast with regular YouTube videos that you watch horizontally.

5. Evoke emotion

Attempt to engage and connect with your audience on a level that’s deeper than surface level. If you make them feel something towards your Shorts, it’s more likely that your brand will stick in their heads, and they’ll buy something from you in the long term. The emotional connection also establishes a relationship between the customer and the values of the brand they felt connected to. 

6. Jump on current trends

Trends trend for a reason. They’re popular, well-liked, and have a global impact. So, if a certain song, dance, or meme is trending, it’s worth utilising similar trends to market your own brand and products. Using trending hashtags that are relevant to what you’re posting also allows a wider audience to find you through them rather than solely relying on the YouTube feed or Google search results.

7. Create content for your audience

As a business, you’ll understand the demographics and type of audience you want to target. If you’re targeting younger audiences, use songs that are trending amongst this age group and make your content relatable to them. If you’re focusing on targeting women aged 30-40 about skin products, ensure your Shorts are about skin products and don’t divert to follow other trends that aren’t relevant.

Key takeaways 

YouTube Shorts is ultimately an effective way to engage with a broad audience and boost brand awareness. Getting it right sometimes takes time, so try not to be disheartened if your first Short doesn’t go viral. Logica Digital is skilled at creating effective content strategies for specific target audiences. We also specialise in crafting tailored social media posts that we’re confident will produce positive outcomes. 

If you’d like to talk to us about how you can get your Youtube Shorts where you want them to be, contact our team today!