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Wise Wednesday #59: YouTube Shorts Strategy & Monetization

  • Writer: Samantha K
    Samantha K
  • 1 hour ago
  • 3 min read

This week on Wise Wednesday, we're diving into YouTube Shorts Strategy & Monetization, a critical focus for any brand or creator leveraging video. Shorts—YouTube's short-form vertical video format—is not just a feature, but a fundamental shift in how content is consumed, offering a massive opportunity for growth, discovery, and revenue.

1. The Strategic Role of YouTube Shorts 🎯

Shorts are a powerful tool primarily for audience discovery and channel growth, serving as a highly visible entry point to your long-form content.

  • Discovery Engine: Shorts appear in the dedicated Shorts shelf, on the home page, and are pushed out via the vertical "Shorts Feed," exposing your channel to new audiences faster than traditional long-form videos.

  • Lead Generation for Long-Form: Use Shorts to create "teasers" or highlight reels from your long-form videos. This is called "micro-content" and its primary goal is to drive viewers to watch the full video on your main channel page.

  • Community Engagement: Shorts are an excellent way to participate in trends, post quick announcements, and keep your community engaged with daily, low-effort content.

2. Content Creation and Optimization ✂️

Shorts follow different rules than traditional YouTube videos and must be optimized for the vertical feed.

  • Technical Specs:

    • Duration: Must be 60 seconds or less.

    • Aspect Ratio: Vertical (9:16) is mandatory. The ideal resolution is 1080x1920 pixels.

  • The Hook is Everything: Viewers swipe fast. Your content must grab attention in the first 1-2 seconds. Use clear text overlays, dynamic camera movement, or a bold opening statement.

  • Native Tools: Leverage the native Shorts creation tools, especially for:

    • Adding Music and Sound: Use trending sounds from the YouTube audio library. The algorithm often favors content that uses popular or newly released tracks.

    • Text and Timers: Use text to add context or create anticipation, and utilize the timer feature for hands-free recording.

  • Optimization for Search (The Hybrid Approach): Unlike other short-form platforms, Shorts are indexed by YouTube's powerful search engine.

    • Title and Description: Include 2-3 relevant keywords in the Short's title and description, just like a long-form video.

    • Hashtags: Use the specific hashtag #shorts (in all lowercase) in the title and description to help YouTube categorize your content.

3. Driving Viewers to Long-Form Content 🔗

The greatest long-term value of Shorts is the traffic they send to your main channel.

  • The Related Video Feature: This is your most powerful tool. After a Short is published, you can use the YouTube Studio editor (on desktop) to link the Short to a specific Related Long-Form Video from your channel. This link appears as a non-intrusive tag that viewers can click.

  • Verbal Call-to-Action (CTA): End your Short with a quick, explicit verbal CTA directing viewers to the main video (e.g., "Check out the full breakdown on my channel!").

  • Strategic Channel Funnel: Create Shorts as "previews" for specific long-form videos. For example:

    • Long-Form: "The Full Guide to Mastering Digital Marketing"

    • Short: "3 Rookie Mistakes in Digital Marketing (Full video link below!)"

4. Monetization via the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) 💰

Shorts have a different monetization path than traditional long-form videos.

  • YPP Eligibility: To qualify for the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) through Shorts, you must meet two criteria:

    1. 1,000 Subscribers

    2. 10 Million Valid Public Shorts Views in the last 90 days

  • Revenue Sharing Model: Unlike traditional videos that rely on direct ad-placement, Shorts revenue is pooled and shared based on a complex formula:

    1. Ad Revenue Pool: Ads are run between Shorts in the Shorts Feed, and the revenue from these ads is pooled.

    2. Creator Pool Calculation: Revenue is allocated to a "Creator Pool" based on music usage. If a Short uses licensed music, a portion of the revenue is allocated to music licensing costs.

    3. Payment Based on Views: Creators are paid from the remaining Creator Pool based on their share of total Shorts views from monetizing creators.

  • Direct Monetization: In addition to ad revenue sharing, YPP members can also monetize Shorts through:

    • Super Thanks: A feature that allows viewers to tip or donate to a specific Short.

    • Channel Memberships: Encourage Shorts viewers to subscribe for member-only perks.

    • Shopping: Tag products from your store directly in the Short.

In Conclusion:

A winning YouTube Shorts strategy focuses on maximizing discovery through vertical, fast-paced, and trend-aware content, and then strategically leveraging the Related Video feature to funnel new viewers into your lucrative long-form ecosystem. By meeting the 10 million view threshold, you unlock a new stream of passive income through the Shorts revenue sharing model, solidifying a complete and robust YouTube presence.

 
 
 

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