YouTube Shorts have exploded as the hot new video format – gaining over 5 billion daily views in less than two years. As a savvy content creator, you need to be all over this. But simply shooting and uploading random Shorts won’t cut it. To stand out from the crowd and build a thriving channel, you need to make Shorts that truly engage viewers.
This in-depth guide shares pro tips and strategies to create best-in-class Shorts worthy of going viral across YouTube. Follow these and you’ll be well on your way to Shorts success.
Tip #1: Shoot Vertically and Stabilize Your Shots
Shorts live in the vertical 9:16 aspect ratio – so shoot specifically for this portrait orientation. Landscape videos will get awkward black bars slapped on when uploaded as Shorts.
Position your camera to capture the most interesting visual details. Get intimate with close-ups of people’s expressions and emotions – these connect far more than wide shots according to filmmakers. Fill the frame creatively with compelling compositions.
And keep that smartphone steady! Shaky footage screams amateur hour. Eliminate jitter and capture smooth pans and camera movements by using smartphone tripods, mini tripods, or gimbals like the DJI OM 5.
Professional YouTuber Max Fulton swears by tripods for Shorts: “Once I started shooting with tripods, my Shorts production value increased 100x. Smoother camera moves make your content infinitely more watchable.”
Tip #2: Light and Edit Your Shorts Like a Pro
Proper lighting can make or break your Shorts. Harsh shadows and glare from indoor lights or sunny windows create unflattering visuals. Instead, softly diffuse the light by filming under cloud cover or using a portable LED light. If shooting indoors, place a clamp light with a white lampshade near your subject to illuminate evenly.
Shorts also require snappy, streamlined editing. Use mobile apps like CapCut, iMovie, or Premiere Rush to combine clips, insert text overlays, and add music and sound effects. Jump quickly between scenes using slick transitions like luma fades. Adjust color filters and apply stylized presets to give your Shorts visual impact.
Shorts expert Aileen Day recommends keeping edits simple: “Viewers want to see you and your message, not fancy filters and effects. Stick to clean edits that enhance the content.”
Tip #3: Entertain Viewers With Binge-worthy Concepts
Nailing compelling Shorts concepts keeps viewers glued to their screens. Analyze trending Shorts to understand what’s resonating right now, such as challenge videos, pranks, life hack tutorials, and vlogs.
Comedy and shock value rule Shorts, so don’t be afraid to show some personality and go over-the-top. That said, also try tapping into more inspiring themes using storytelling. For example, Lefty (4M followers) tells dramatic fictional stories through his serialized “One Second Shorts.”
Check out these creative Shorts concepts that could work for your channel:
- Parody pop culture or recreate viral memes
- Review trendy products, gadgets or video games
- Respond to trending songs, shows, or events
- Make commentary on news, pop culture, and societal issues
- Teach quick life hacks and skill tutorials
- Show funny reaction videos or challenges
- Share your talents – singing, dancing, art, comedy
- Post vlogs documenting your day or travels
- Craft cliffhanger stories to keep viewers hooked
Tip #4: Dial-in Your Shorts SEO to Get Discovered
Optimizing your Shorts for discoverability is crucial for channel growth.
Laser-target keywords in your titles and descriptions so the YouTube algorithm serves your content to viewers searching those terms. Research trending topics and keywords using Google Trends and YouTube Suggest.
For example, a makeup tutorial Short could have the SEO-rich title: “Glam Green Eyeshadow – Easy 5 Minute Makeup Tutorial For Beginners”.
Fill out descriptions maximizing the 5000 character limit to explain your Shorts, products, and people featured. This expanding on your key terms signals relevance to YouTube.
Tag thoroughly with additional keywords and niche details the algorithm associates with your content. Separate tags with commas.
Feature people‘s names prominently in titles/descriptions if they have large followings that could amplify your content.
Add captions not only for accessibility, but because YouTube indexes textual content.
Include chapters to divide your content into easily navigable sections which boosts watch time and rankings.
Apply these SEO tips to ensure YouTube recommends your Shorts to the right audiences.
Tip #5: Promote Your Shorts to Expand Reach
Don’t stop your efforts after publishing your Shorts. Promoting brings in precious views and subscribers.
Share Shorts across your other social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Collaborate with creators in your niche and cross-promote each other’s Shorts.
According to YouTube’s own best practices, add end screens linking to your other Shorts and channel content. Make playlists to feature your best performing Shorts.
Jump on viral trends, songs, hashtags, and challenges popular on YouTube and TikTok. Align your Shorts with hot topics gaining insane traction.
For example, one creator gained 50K subscribers in a month by making Shorts based on the exploding “Couch Guy” TikTok meme.
Curate custom Shorts carousels in your own channel page to highlight your content rather than just relying on the Shorts feed.
Conclusion
Mastering YouTube Shorts represents a tremendous opportunity for creators – but only with thoughtful strategy and production. Apply the tips in this guide to shoot high-quality Shorts, keep viewers engaged, optimize for discovery, and expand your reach.
Implementing even a few of these best practices can quickly yield more satisfying view counts along with precious subscribers. Now get out there, be creative, and start taking your channel to the next level using the power of amazing Shorts!
