Social Media

How and Why Brands Are Using YouTube Shorts

|
Following TikTok’s wild success with short-form content, YouTube has launched its own version: YouTube Shorts. Click to learn how brands are using it and why.

TikTok’s impact on the content creation landscape cannot be overstated. 

Just four years after being launched in China in 2016, TikTok has become the most visited site in the world. The app has also spawned a cottage industry of content creators who have used TikTok’s features to turn short-form video into both works of art and revenue generation machines. 

It didn’t take long for brands to take notice. Businesses quickly began to launch their own TikTok accounts shortly after the site caught fire. TikTok, in turn, monetized their interest through advertising. As noted in RetailWire

TikTok’s US net ad revenues will rise by 184.4% to $5.96 billion in 2022, By 2024, TikTok’s US ad business will be larger than YouTube’s. To put this into perspective, it will take TikTok just five years to accomplish what YouTube did in 16. 

YouTube and its owner Alphabet are not happy as TikTok eats away at YouTube’s dominance. So, they’ve done something about it: created their own version of TikTok, YouTube Shorts. 

What Are YouTube Shorts? 

Shorts, launched in 2020 in India, makes it possible for people and brands to express themselves ideally in 15 seconds or less (although users can make Shorts for up to 60 seconds in duration).   

YouTube’s Shorts creation tools makes it possible to create short-form videos that are up to 60 seconds long with our multi-segment camera. The Shorts themselves pretty much look like TikTok videos by design, resplendent with special effects and music if a user chooses. And YouTube has periodically rolled out new tools to help creators make better ShortsShorts also launched a $100 million fund to help creators

Source: YouTube

How Popular Are YouTube Shorts? 

According to YouTube, more than 1.5 billion people use Shorts. This number actually surpasses  TikTok’s user base. Why? One reason is that Shorts is a feature of an app –YouTube -- that has existed for years, giving content creators a built-in audience. And, of course, YouTube is no slouch. It’s the most popular search engine in the world next to Google. It remains one of the most visited sites in the world. It’s still more popular among the coveted Gen Z population than TikTok is.  

How Are Brands Using YouTube Shorts? 

For the most part, brands are relying on organic content to build awareness and sometimes to drive sales. Shorts does not have a full-fledged advertising program yet  -- although that’s changing soon. Brands have been capitalizing on Shorts in a number of ways, according to The Wall Street Journal. For example: 

  • In July, Glossier created a challenge in order to sell products. One hundred influencers were provided with pencil eyeliners and encouraged them to create Shorts videos with the hashtag #WrittenInGlossier in the caption. People who tapped the hashtag were brought to the Glossier website, where they could buy the eyeliner (and were asked to recreate a look as part of the challenge). Any Shorts video that included the hashtag was shoppable. 
  • Kitchen and home marketplace Food52 Inc. is posting Shorts that offer sneak peeks at its longer-form content on the traditional version of YouTube, as well as repurposing some recipe videos. 

Shorts are also ideal for media companies. For instance: 

  • ESPN publishes Shorts that cover topics such as trending videos and sports highlights. Shorts is an ideal format for ESPN, which long ago mastered the art of the highlight reel. In addition, ESPN taps into its YouTube audience of 8.5 million to drive awareness for Shorts. 
  • The Voice. To promote its new season, NBC's The Voice created a Short featuring this year's hosts, Ariana Grande, Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, and John Legend discussing their love for each other’s work.  

Tips for Brands 

  • Consider how Shorts figure into a Connected Content strategy that applies to all your audiences – from employees to customers.  
  • Generally, what works for TikTok works for Shorts: vertically oriented, catchy snippets of content that engage people. They don’t need to be slick – in fact, high-concept, overly produced video content might turn off Shorts viewers. Think fun and authentic. Behind-the-scenes tours, you-are-there content on the fly, and quick how-to content work well.  
  • Humanize your brand. Help your audience relate to your brand by featuring your own people rather than creating generic corporate content. 
  • Involve your audience with challenges and guest Shorts. 
  • Re-purpose TikTok video (and vice versa) but be mindful not to upload a video that you already uploaded on TikTok – you don’t want the TikTok watermark to appear on a Shorts video. Check to make sure you are uploading the source video. 

Contact IDX  

At IDX, we help businesses build trust on multiple platforms all the time by creating content that engages audiences ranging from investors to customers to job seekers. Click here to learn more about our social media services or contact us to speak with an expert.