In 2021, YouTube jumped on the short form video bandwagon with Shorts - what about you? If you are interested in creating YouTube Shorts, we will walk you through the steps in this article. We’ll also throw in some media expert advice on not only how to make them, but how to make them work for you too! Here's how to use the platform.

First, let’s look at what Shorts are and why they are wildly popular on social media. Shorts are videos that are generally 60 seconds or shorter, or a series of short clips, and they are usually filmed on a smartphone and uploaded to social media. They aren’t professional, full scale productions either which makes them easy for anyone to create. What is more, unlike some other platforms, these videos are here to stay - they don’t vanish in 24 hours. 

How to Make YouTube Shorts

There are two ways to get Shorts to your YouTube channel. The most popular way is to download the YouTub app on your phone and sign into your account. From there, you can record and upload right on your phone. You can also record Shorts and upload them to your YouTube channel from your computer. Whether you upload to the computer or record and publish from your phone, YouTube Shorts should be filmed with vertical orientation. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide to recording and uploading Shorts to YouTube from your phone. 

1. Once you are signed in to the YouTube app, click the plus sign to create and then select create a short.
2. The Short will default as 15 seconds, so to make it longer (but only up to 60 seconds) tap 15 above the record button to add 15 second increments. 
3. Once you are ready to record, tap the capture/record button and start recording. Tap it again when you are ready to stop recording.
4. Then, tap “done” when you are ready to edit the video and insert music, apply filters or add text or graphics.
5. Before you publish, you can edit the video details such as the privacy setting and the audience.
6. When it’s ready, tap “upload” to publish it on your YouTube channel.

Once you’ve published your Short, you want to make sure people see it. YouTube suggests including #shorts in the video description to help its system identify your video as a Short so it knows to push it out on the YouTube homepage accordingly. Trust us, you want people to find your Shorts because it leads them to your channel where they can subscribe, supporting your overall YouTub strategy. 

As we’ve said before, there’s a difference between scrappy and sloppy content. While the idea behind Shorts is to create casual, fun short videos, they still need to have a purpose and of value - even if the value is making someone laugh. As with all video content, be mindful of noise and lighting when recording. Also, since most people are recording Shorts on their phones, keep a steady hand or invest in an affordable tripod - your viewers will thank you. 

How to Make Money with YouTube Shorts

While many of you may be recording content to either have fun or to get your brand out there in front of new people, some may be making content to get paid. YouTube has created the YouTube Shorts Fund which is a program that gives social media Creators access to get a piece of the pie. The fund is designed to give rewards to Creators for contributing to the YouTube video community. Each month, YouTube reaches out to creators based on their Shorts performance and rewards them with anywhere from $100 to $10,000 from the fund. To be eligible for this, Creators must be at least 13 years old, reside in an eligible country and have published a Short within the last 180 days. Of course, all Shorts considered must follow YouTube’s guidelines as well.

With adding YouTube Shorts to your content creation list, you could use some help with managing it all in one place. While it might seem like “just another” social media piece you need to create and publish, there are ways to make your content work for you in more than just one place. Grab this free PLANOLY downloadable video strategy guide for all the ins and outs of the most popular video platforms and how to create high-performing video content. 

Now that you know how to get Shorts on YouTube and are motivated to promote your brand, to make people smile or even make a lot of money, get out there and start recording. We’ll be watching and can’t wait to see what you create.