YouTube Shorts 101: How to Upload and Tips to Create [2024] 

Going viral with less than 60 seconds of content isn’t a new thing by any means. But when it comes to YouTube, short-form content has never been the center of attention — until YouTube Shorts launched.  

Seeing the popularity of snippet videos on TikTok and Instagram, YouTube decided to jump on the bandwagon and give creators a chance to post without going through the trouble of writing long scripts, filming, and editing long videos. 

This came as a welcome relief for everyone waiting to create bite-sized videos and earn revenue. Normally, YouTube pays nearly $1700 – $30,000 for a million ad views in the US. But when it comes to Shorts, the total payout for a million views would only amount to $10 – $60. While the revenue might not be much, Shorts can help you establish a loyal follower base and gain visibility. (Learn how to monetize on YouTube here.)  

In this blog, I will help you understand how to upload YouTube Shorts and tips to create them. Let’s get started!  

What are YouTube Shorts? 

YouTube Shorts is a short-form vertical video experience that can go max up to 60 seconds. These bite-sized videos can be created, edited, and uploaded using YouTube’s in-app Shorts camera. 

Much like Instagram reels and TikTok videos, YouTube Shorts can also be created by compiling multiple videos, using filters, and remixing the audio effects. Additionally, you get speed controls, a large music library to pick the audio clip from, and a timer to record hands-free.  

YouTube has created a separate Shorts tab to make it easy for users to scroll through these catchy videos and discover new creators.  

How to Upload YouTube Shorts?  

Uploading YouTube Shorts is an incredibly easy process. Here are the steps to follow:  

Step 1: Head to the YouTube application on your smartphone. If you don’t already have one, head to the iOS store or Google Play Store and download it.  

Step 2: Click on the + button at the bottom of the screen.  

You will now see 4 options: Create a Short, upload a video, go Live, and create a post.  

Click on ‘Upload a Video.’ 

Step 3: Allow access to your mobile gallery and upload the selected Shorts video.  

PS: You can also upload the Short from your desktop by visiting the YouTube studio. While there’s no separate posting option, the platform will automatically categorize all vertical short-form videos (under 60 seconds long) as YT Shorts.  

YouTube Shorts Tips and Best Practices  

Being a creator in this highly competitive landscape is challenging. To make the process a bit simpler for you, here are 7 YouTube Shorts tips and tricks that are sure to work.  

Keep the Videos Fast Paced 

In simple words, keep the YouTube Shorts’ length short. Seems ironic, doesn’t it?  

Remember, YouTube gives you a 60-second limit for the short-form videos. However, you don’t need to utilize all of it. (Almost 28% of all YouTube Shorts are less than 16 seconds long.) 

If you convey your message in a shorter duration, go for it. In 2004, the average attention span was measured to be 2.5 minutes, and 20 years later, it is now reduced to 47 seconds. With most of your target audience hanging around with a ‘popcorn brain,’ it is better to be as concise as possible.  

Prefer to Record Vertically  

The preferred video dimension for YouTube Shorts is 9:16. Sure, you can upload horizontal videos also but that wouldn’t make much sense.  

Vertical videos are ideal for offering viewers a completely immersive experience without any blank spaces to deal with.  

Create a Loop  

Have you ever come across a video that never really ends and you realize the same after a few watches? Chances are, you’ve been stuck in a loop.  

Creating loops is an ideal way of improving your YouTube watch time and leaving the audience with a subtle wow impact.  

There are several ways of creating a YT Shorts loop:  

• Use the same frame for the start and end screen.  
• Keep the video short, i.e., less than 15 seconds. This will ensure that the video is looped automatically before the user is mentally prepared to skip to the next one.  
• Avoid using music as the user will recognize the repeating sound.  

Add a Powerful Hook  

To keep the audience engaged from the very beginning, start strong. Make the introduction exciting enough to force the users to watch the video clip till the end.  

You can try different strategies like:  

• Pose a question that will intrigue your audience.  
• Promise a surprise (maybe a pro tip or a discount code) for the end.  

• Show the teaser of what’s about to come next.  

Keep the Brand Voice Authentic  

To stand out amongst your competitors, you need a brand voice that users can identify you with. As such, you must stay authentic instead of blatantly copying your competitors’ content strategy.  

You can do so by developing a consistent visual theme, voice, and tone for your content.  

Experiment with Different Styles  

Maintaining consistency and experimenting with different styles sounds contradicting, doesn’t it?  

However, that isn’t necessarily true.

You can have brand-focused elements and still create videos catering to different trends and patterns. For example: try uploading something humorous one day and educational the next day. Find out what your audience likes best.  

Look for Collaboration Opportunities  

If you are starting out without a dedicated follower base, we highly recommend you collaborate with other creators.  

Not only will this break the content monotony, but also increase your visibility amongst the creative partner’s audience.  

How to Promote YouTube Shorts?  

Once the process of uploading and creating the video is clear, we come to the next question: how to get more views on YouTube Shorts?  

Honestly speaking, there’s no cookie-cutter approach to promoting YouTube Shorts online. Depending on your niche and existing subscriber count, the promotion strategy for each brand might vary.  

Here are a few tips to keep in mind:  

• Cross-promote on other social media platforms: After uploading the video, share its link on your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social pages you might have.  
• Add SEO-optimized titles: While selecting the title for your YT Short, ensure to keep it optimized according to the latest SEO guidelines. Also, keep the title catchy and interesting enough to excite the user.  
• Use the correct YouTube Shorts hashtags: Hashtags can help categorize your content so that new viewers can find it easily.  

Bonus Tip:  

Here are some trending YouTube Shorts hashtags to try – #Youtubeshorts #viralshorts #trendingshorts #shortslife #shortsasmr #shortschallenge #shortscomedy #youtubers  

Find the Best Time to Post on YouTube with Vaizle  

Another crucial strategy to make your Shorts more visible is posting them when the audience is active. If not, your video is likely to be buried under a mountain of content. With over 2 billion monthly Shorts users, there’s no shortage of short-form content on the platform. (PS: If such stats excite you, we’ve just the right blog for you — 43 YouTube Statistics That are Hard to Ignore.) 

To find the best time to post on YouTube , you can use the Vaizle free Best Time to Post on YouTube tool. Vaizle analyses where your followers are from, content niche, and other demographic factors (age, profession, time zone, etc.) to find the best YouTube posting time.  

With Vaizle, you get separate posting hour slots for a single day and a schedule for the upcoming week.  

Conclusion 

There’s no doubt that bite-sized content now rules the web. From Instagram reels to TikTok videos, social audiences have successfully shifted to short-form vertical videos that are snackable (easy to consume in one go) and convenient to watch (perfectly fit to match your phone screen’s dimensions).  

To keep up with the trend, YouTube launched Shorts in September 2020. This feature has given existing and new creators a chance to experiment with short-form content, build an active user community, and a chance to expand their reach by targeting new demographics. 

After posting YouTube Shorts, the next step is to monitor the account’s performance. How many new visitors have you gained in the last few days? Are you noticing an increase in YouTube views or not? Is the average view duration up or down?  

Free YouTube Channel Analytics tool by Vaizle answers all these questions and more! You can now get exclusive access to all premium features and start a 7-day trial for $1 only.