YTB SHORTS could RUIN your YOUTUBE CHANNEL!…if you don’t do this.
Are you facing a significant decline in the reach of your YouTube channel ever since you started using YouTube Shorts? Don't worry, we have got you covered. Learn about the 7 drawbacks of using YouTube Shorts and gain insights into how the algorithm works. This will help you fix the issue and keep growing your audience without sacrificing views or even damaging your channel.
Table of Contents:
- Should I publish YouTube Shorts on YouTube?
- What is the difference between YouTube Shorts and YouTube
- Monetization on YouTube Shorts
- How much can you earn with YouTube Shorts?
- 7 Disadvantages of using YouTube Shorts
- How to use YouTube Shorts to grow your YouTube channel
- Personal Conclusion
- Services to grow your YouTube channel
SHOULD I PUBLISH YOUTUBE SHORTS ON YOUTUBE?
If you’re considering posting YouTube Shorts, there are some negative side effects to be aware of. While it’s true that Shorts can help you gain more subscribers and create new opportunities, you should also consider some important factors to avoid harming your channel.
In this article, I’ll share my experience optimizing YouTube channels for clients with small and large followings. Many of them have experienced significant drops in their channel’s reach due to the incorrect implementation of Shorts and not considering the seven disadvantages of using this feature.
Finally, I’ll provide a solution to help you overcome these obstacles and continue to grow your channel while taking advantage of the benefits of Shorts. But before we dive in, let’s address some common questions that beginners often have about YouTube Shorts.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUTUBE SHORT AND YOUTUBE?
YouTube Shorts is a feature/tool that YouTube provides for creators to promote their content. It is available on the same platform as regular, longer videos. However, the main difference between YouTube Shorts and regular videos is the aspect ratio and duration.
In regular YouTube videos, the content is displayed horizontally with a standard 16:9 aspect ratio. In contrast, YouTube Shorts have a vertical orientation, with an aspect ratio of 9:16. Therefore, it is crucial to upload videos in portrait orientation when creating YouTube Shorts.
Another significant difference between YouTube Shorts and regular videos is the duration. Regular YouTube videos have no specific time limit and can last as long as you desire. However, YouTube Shorts are limited to 60 seconds (1 minute). If your video is within this time limit, it will not be considered short and will not appear in the Shorts section of the feed, but rather with other longer videos.
Apart from the differences in attributes, there is a significant difference in the concept of YouTube Shorts, which can determine the success or failure of its implementation in your channel. YouTube shorts aim to capture the viewers’ attention quickly, prioritizing random and brief content. On the other hand, longer-duration YouTube videos provide more depth and engagement with the content.
MONETIZATION ON YOUTUBE SHORTS
In order to join the YouTube partner program, and start earning money through YouTube shorts, you must have reached 1,000 subscribers, and 10,000,000 (Ten million) public and eligible views, in the last 90 days. Also, those who have 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of viewing in their public and eligible long-form videos can qualify.
YouTube encourages the creation and production of original content. Therefore, something important to keep in mind to avoid penalties from Youtube, for infringement of rights, is to upload original content or reuse existing content as long as you contribute something to such content, through transformation or reversion of the content, using, for example, its remix tool.
Unlike the monetization for long videos, the revenue sharing and monetization in YouTube Shorts is a unique model that consists of 4 steps:
1 — On a monthly basis, the revenue generated by the ads shown in the Shorts feed is accrued. This revenue is used to reward creators and defray expenses related to music licensing.
2- The funds for creators are calculated based on the number of views and the use of music in their Shorts videos. Advertising revenue generated from the Shorts feed is allocated accordingly. If a creator uploads a Short without music and earns revenue through monetized content, then the entire revenue generated by the views is directed to the creators’ fund. However, if a creator monetizing content uploads a Short with music, then YouTube will distribute the revenue generated from the views between the creator fund and the music partners. The distribution will be proportionate to the number of tracks used in the content.
3 — The next step is to allocate revenue to the dedicated creator fund. In this fund, the revenue is distributed among creators who generate revenue through their content. The amount each creator receives is determined by the proportion of the total Shorts views generated by creators with monetized content in each country.
For example, if a creator represents 5% of all eligible Shorts views generated by creators who monetize their content, they will receive 5% of the revenue available in the creator fund.
Finally, YouTube will implement the revenue ratio. Creators who monetize their content will retain 45% of the revenue allocated to them, regardless of whether or not they have used music in their creations.
So…
HOW MUCH DO YOU EARN WITH YOUTUBE SHORTS?
As a content creator, you may have enabled monetization and uploaded a YouTube Short that includes a music track. In this scenario, let’s assume that you want to know how much income you would earn for your Short in a particular country, say Spain, during a monthly period.
Suppose that in Spain, there are a total of 100 million views for all the Shorts uploaded by creators who monetize content. From these views, $100,000 is generated from the ads shown between each Short in the Shorts feed.
20% of the Shorts in Spain use a music track, meaning $90,000 goes to the creator fund, and $10,000 is used to cover music licensing costs.
Now, if your Short receives 1 million views in Spain, you would be allocated 1% of the creator fund, which amounts to $900. It is important to note that the use of a music track does not affect your creator fund allocation.
To determine your income, YouTube applies a 45% income percentage to your allocation. Therefore, you would earn a total of $405 from that million views of your YouTube Short in the country Spain.
After these initial considerations, let’s discuss the most dangerous item for your channel.
7 DISADVANTAGES OF YOUTUBE SHORTS THAT COULD RUIN YOUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL.
1. Duration Limitation
The 60-second time limit of YouTube Shorts can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. While it makes it easier to create short and snappy content, it also limits the depth of the content you can provide. Therefore, it’s not ideal for detailed explanations, extensive educational content, or complex approaches. The time limitation also conditions the delivery of the content, which must be structured in an effective, entertaining, dynamic, and punctual way.
2. Intense Competition
Due to its massive popularity, the competition in YouTube Shorts can be higher than in long videos. Although it will depend on the niche in which you develop your content and the frequency of publication, quality, and other aspects, standing out among thousands of creators can be a challenge, especially if you’re new to YouTube and have not yet mastered key aspects such as hook, audience retention, SEO, and storytelling.
3. Less Monetization Opportunities:
It’s worth noting that the revenue generated from ads through YouTube Shorts is significantly lower than that of longer videos. In a 9-minute video, you can give permission for 3 ads to be included, but in Youtube Shorts, the opportunity to do so is limited to the total revenues that are then distributed. This means that to maximize revenue from ads on YouTube Shorts, you must have a large number of views and subscribers.
Additionally, the low engagement and loyalty of the audience with the content makes it challenging to create deeper connections that could increase revenue from the monetization of products or services provided outside the platform.
4. Ephemeral Attention
The audience attention span for YouTube shorts is limited and fleeting. Viewers tend to browse through quickly, which can make it challenging to retain their attention and keep them engaged in the long run. This can also affect the memorability of the content consumed, leading to a weaker connection between the channel and the creator.
5. Creative Restrictions
As a consequence of the fast-paced nature of social media content consumption, videos with a vertical orientation and limited duration of 60 seconds or less tend to be favored by the algorithm. This preference for fast and effective videos can hinder the delivery of content that may not fit the algorithmic retention patterns, such as those that require a slower pace or a more in-depth approach. Consequently, this limitation can negatively impact creativity, experimentation, and depth in content creation.
6. Difficulty in building audience loyalty
Shorts have the potential to generate high engagement due to their spontaneous nature, which allows for quick reactions. However, creators may find it challenging to establish deep and lasting connections with their audience because of the quick and fleeting nature of the content.
7. Negative impact on long content
One of the most important things to consider is the audience of YouTube Shorts. It is different from the audience of long-form videos. People who watch short videos may not have the same attention span or interest in longer videos. This affects the algorithmic performance of the entire channel.
Even if someone has subscribed to a channel, if they only watch short videos, they may not engage with longer videos that are uploaded. As a result, the retention rate may decrease, and this could be seen as a sign of “dissatisfaction” or “low relevance” of the long video. This is not because of the content itself, but because it is not reaching the target audience within the same platform. This can decrease the possible reach of a long-form video.
HOW TO USE YOUTUBE SHORTS IN THE RIGHT WAY (SOLUTION)
Undoubtedly, the drawbacks of using YouTube Shorts are important to consider. However, it does not mean that you should avoid using YouTube Shorts in your content strategy.
In fact, YouTube has recently launched a feature to address the problem of limited reach. This new feature is an internal connector link between YouTube Shorts and long-form YouTube videos, which can be thought of as intra-links or inter-links in SEO jargon.
With this new feature, users can connect their YouTube Shorts to a long-form video by linking it as “related content”. This feature aims to introduce the less-engaged audience to the longer content in a sort of funnel. This approach can lead to greater loyalty to the creator’s content, while also encouraging viewers to stay on the platform for longer sessions. As a result, creators can earn higher revenue per ad, and YouTube can benefit from higher engagement.
PERSONAL CONCLUSION
Lately, I’ve been experimenting with a new approach. I’ve found that, except for videos longer than 10 minutes, my strategy has been effective in increasing conversions without negatively impacting the views of medium-length videos (between 2 to 9 minutes).
So, if you’re looking to develop or implement a content reuse/production strategy using YouTube Shorts to grow your channel, here are 7 factors to consider.
And, since not all factors are disadvantages, you’ll want to read on to discover the 9 benefits of YouTube Shorts that you can take advantage of to grow your channel.
If you found this content helpful, I would greatly appreciate it if you showed your appreciation by giving it your applause (you can do this up to 50 times!). It won’t cost you anything, and it will motivate me to continue creating useful content to help you achieve your professional or business goals on YouTube.
In my next article, I will be sharing the best secrets to succeed on YouTube Shorts. If you’re not already following me, I suggest you start so you don’t miss out on all the ideas and hacks that I will be sharing.
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