Would you like to hone in on the opportunity to grow your brand through YouTube Shorts? Similar to TikTok, the popular short-form video-sharing app, YouTube Shorts enables its users to create and share short-form videos containing trending sounds, text, and other creative elements.
Although it has been around since September 2020, most are still getting the hang of utilizing this platform to extend their reach and connect with new audiences, particularly those who regularly use YouTube to watch all kinds of videos.
Because YouTube Shorts provides a way for you to connect with audiences, keep them engaged, and get them to become loyal supporters of your brand, it only makes sense to start taking advantage of what the platform offers.
While it may seem a bit intimidating, there are a few YouTube Shorts hacks that you can use to increase views, make your mark, and grow your brand. Check out this list of the top FIVE viral YouTube Shorts hacks to try to skyrocket your brand.
1. Use Engaging, Keyword-Rich Titles
When it comes to YouTube Shorts, titles are everything. The video’s title is one of the first things viewers will see in addition to the thumbnail selected, so you need to take the time to come up with something that garners attention and gets people interested enough to click.
If you can get people to click on the video, you’re that much closer to potentially gaining a new follower who will enjoy your content and express interest in your business. There are a few simple yet super-effective ways to create more engaging titles that yield better results and boost views.
icon-angle-right Add Words to Your Titles That Capture the Attention of the Viewers
Use actionable words that catch the average person’s attention when scrolling through YouTube Shorts. For example, you can use specific words and phrases, such as “Must-Haves,” “Secrets,” “Crazy Good,” and so forth.
You want these words to spark some sort of interest that makes the viewer question what your video could be about, which will get them to click and watch.
icon-angle-right Consider Capitalizing Specific Words in Each Title
To draw in your audience, capitalize a few of the most important words in your title. After creating the title for the content, consider which words you feel will connect with the audience best and capitalize them, making them even more apparent.
There is something about those large letters that get people to pay attention. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should capitalize every word in the title because that would be overdoing it a bit and could keep individuals from clicking on your video to check it out.
icon-angle-right Try a Controversial Title to Reel People In
You can always consider going with a more controversial title. However, it’s not about being offensive or insulting others when creating a controversial title. It’s more about taking a slightly aggressive approach to get them to click on your video.
For example, if you’re creating a YouTube Short on SEO tactics because you’re running a social media marketing business, you could say, “This is WHY Your Current SEO Practices Are Getting you NOWHERE.”
The video’s title implies you have some valuable advice to offer to help the viewers, which can entice them to click, watch, and then continue browsing through the rest of your content.
icon-angle-right Add #Shorts to Each Description
After selecting the perfect title, don’t forget to include a short description of the video and use #shorts in that description.
It may sound unnecessary, but it’s helpful enough that YouTube recommends that its users do this, so you might as well give it a try to see if it boosts visibility enough to get you more views that can help you grow your brand.
2. Keep Your Videos at the Ideal Length
If you didn’t already know, YouTube Shorts could go up to 60 seconds long, and it’s possible to record them directly through the YouTube app using your smartphone.
But even though you can take 60-second videos, this doesn’t mean you need to use the full minute if you don’t need to. Rather than wasting your viewers’ time, keep it short and straightforward, and get to the point to keep them interested.
icon-angle-right The Shorter, The Better
Thanks to short-form content becoming increasingly popular throughout the pandemic, many people don’t have the attention span to sit and watch lengthy videos anymore.
Most like video content that tells them what they want or need to know in a minute or less, meaning the shorter, the better.
Although this doesn’t mean you should be posting videos that are only five or six seconds long, it does mean that 30-second long videos are just as good as 60-second ones if they offer the same valuable information people want.
icon-angle-right Talk Quickly or Speed Things Up
Because shorter videos are better for those with a short attention span who will scroll right past your videos if they’re not engaging enough, consider speeding things up when you have long videos or talking quickly enough to stay within those 60 seconds.
3. Be Selective with the Sounds You Use
While you can talk in your YouTube Shorts, which you may want to do from time to time to detail the products or services your business provides, adding music and other sounds to your content can help increase your view count.
Not only does it add that creative element to your content, but it can also make it easier to stay on trend.
icon-angle-right Look at the Recommended Songs List for Inspiration
Adding particular sounds to your short-form content can make it more enjoyable, but you need to be selective with which sounds you use. Try to look at the recommended songs list to get some inspiration.
The recommended options are currently trending, so it’s a good idea to use at least one of them in your content.
icon-angle-right Make Sure the Sound Aligns with the Content
Because you’re trying to represent your brand using YouTube Shorts, make sure any sounds you use align with the content you’re producing. Even if that means creating custom-tailored content around the sounds that relate to your brand in some way, it’s worth doing to get the views.
4. Start a Series to Keep Your Viewers Coming Back for More
Start a short series if you genuinely want to capture the audience’s attention and keep them coming back to grow your brand and gain more exposure.
Once people are hooked to the series, they will come back to watch more videos, which boosts your engagement.
icon-angle-right Focus on a Niche-Related Series
The series you start should relate to your niche and brand. For example, if you’re a hairstylist promoting your natural hair care products, you can create a series of hair transformation videos where you can also provide tips on how to take better care of your hair or what not to do if you want healthy hair.
Each of your YouTube Shorts could offer a quick yet helpful tip that others should know.
icon-angle-right Bring Value to Viewers with Your Content
Your content should bring value to the viewers. Each tip should be something new and different that the average person wouldn’t know. Brainstorm ideas for your series in advance to make it easier to create content around it.
icon-angle-right Post Daily to Keep Up with the Series
Once you’ve started a series, commit to it. You should post daily to have something to offer viewers, which makes it easier to grow your brand and build a massive following.
Get in the habit of posting at least five days per week, but it’s even better if you can post every day of the week to keep the momentum going.
5. Make Use of the Text Feature
Don’t sleep on the text feature. When creating YouTube Shorts, you have the option of adding some text to your videos. You can use this as an opportunity to highlight specific words or phrases that would capture the attention of someone scrolling through YouTube.
icon-angle-right Enhance Your Content with Written Words
If you use the words correctly, the addition of text can provide that extra oomph to the content. When selecting your text, make sure it’s big enough to be legible but not big enough to take up the entire screen. You still want people to be able to see what is going on in the video itself.
icon-angle-right Use High-Ranking Keywords in Your Text to Increase Visibility
When using text, try to incorporate a few high-ranking keywords. Adding these keywords may make it easier for internet users to find your content, thus helping you get more views and grow your brand organically.
Final Thoughts
You may be relatively new to posting YouTube Shorts, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have success on the platform and get the views you desire. If you’re not already utilizing this platform and taking advantage of the opportunity to raise awareness for your brand, now is the perfect time to do so.
With simple yet effective YouTube Shorts hacks, such as using engaging titles, choosing the correct length for your videos, being selective with sounds, and more, you can grow your brand with less effort and gain a larger following that can lead to more web traffic, additional sales, and a positive reputation for your brand.
About the Author!
Ivan Leong is the founder of ThatsIvan, where he helps content creators, brands, and businesses grow their social media presence organically and produce viral content at a large scale. Ivan’s background is a content creator who has achieved over a billion views across various platforms.