Over the past decade, YouTube has embraced the trend of short-form videos on several social media platforms. You could see significant growth on your channel if you’re willing to complement your longer-form content with shorter bite-sized pieces.
Listed below are a few ideas you can try when publishing short-form content on YouTube if you don’t know what to post.
Snippets of video
Video of a person recording
Many of your favorite creators often repurpose existing content. This has several benefits, one of which is that you’re not constantly thinking of new ideas.
You can also share snippets from your YouTube channel in addition to the videos you normally post. This will not only boost your reach, but will also provide value to those who don’t have time to watch the full video.
Sharing snippets of your videos a few weeks after the full version goes live will still encourage people to watch the full version.
2. Give one quick tip
If you’re struggling with YouTube Shorts ideas, explaining a quick tip is a good start. You can learn more about your audience’s pain points as your channel grows. You can find this information in multiple ways, including reading your comments section and viewing your YouTube analytics.
You can then provide simple tips users can implement once you know what users are interested in. Explain the problem briefly before sharing what worked for you. Shorts can be published up to 60 seconds in length at the time of writing in December 2022. If you need more, consider making a longer-form video.
What have you learned this week?
Sitting in front of an iMac, a man writes in a notebook
Creating content, engaging in a career, or engaging in a hobby will allow you to learn new things. You might pick up new information every week if you’re actively involved in one. Even though you may not give much thought to these learnings, it is likely that they will be useful to someone else in the future.
If you want to start a YouTube Short series, you can quickly share the top three things you’ve learned each week. You can share these every Friday and use them to encourage viewers to sign up for your newsletter.
4. Provide multiple quick tips
While your audience will likely find one tip in your YouTube Shorts useful, you can share multiple quick tips if you are able to solve their problems quickly.
As you only have 60 seconds to work with, you’ll have to be pragmatic. Include a sentence or two for around three points that you think will help your viewers achieve their goals or answer their questions.
How Have Apps Helped You Achieve Your Goals?
If you are a freelancer, you will probably use several software solutions; if you are a student or employee, you will likely use several software solutions. Your viewers probably watch your content because they have a pain point, and you probably know something they don’t.
The market is full of useful apps these days, like Notion and Evernote. If any of these apps significantly change the way you work, tell users how they can sign up.
On your YouTube channel, you can include this tip in a longer tech review.
Explain a concept quickly
There is no doubt that technology can help you accomplish your daily tasks, but there are other things that are also important. Whatever you do, you probably have your own unique way of going about life and getting things done, and it’s likely that others could benefit from your ideas, too.
Create a YouTube Short to explain a theory or concept that you’ve been working on. You can also give an example of how the viewer can apply your ideas to their daily lives.
Explain productivity concepts that have worked for you, such as the Pomodoro technique.
7. Comment on Trending Topics in Your Niche
An image of a camera next to a MacBook
While you will likely have some evergreen topic ideas for your YouTube channel, you should also leave room for any trends or discussions that arise throughout the year in your content calendar.
Creating long videos often takes a lot of time, but you don’t need to leave your subscribers in the dark. You can predict what may happen in your industry over the next 12 months, but you can’t be sure.
Make use of YouTube Shorts to provide quick thoughts on a trending topic in your industry as it arises or to mention that you’re working on a longer-form video to give them more insight.
8. Showcase Your Editing Process
If you’re into visual art, such as photography, you’ve probably noticed that some of your favorite creators post videos of their workflow on Instagram Reels. You can also use YouTube Shorts to share your own editing processes if you plan on starting a YouTube channel.
Although it’s difficult to demonstrate your entire editing process in 60 seconds, you can provide quick steps and show how your work looked before and after editing.
Write a summary of a book or piece of equipment
On a windowsill, a pile of books
Investing in new equipment and learning resources will likely occur as you become more interested in your niche. It is not uncommon for people to want to know whether a book is worth purchasing before they spend their money. For example, new cameras or lenses are expensive.
Both of the above can be summarized in YouTube Shorts. If you’re reading a book, talk about the key things you’ve learned and what it’s about. If you’re summarizing an item of equipment, briefly describe the specifications as well as your overall opinion about whether it’s worth the purchase.
You Can Grow Your Channel With YouTube Shorts
Creators can use YouTube Shorts to extend their long-form content. It is also versatile; creators can record and upload videos with their smartphones.
To complement the longer videos you share on your channel, consider sharing four Shorts posts per week.
