When is it worthwhile for marketers to create and publish YouTube shorts?

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Firstly, YouTube Shorts can give a regular channel a huge boost, because the algorithm prioritises the high engagement of this format, among other things. Added to this, the subscribers field is placed very prominently, which can attract more attention and, consequently, followers. Furthermore, YouTube Shorts give you the opportunity to be present online with less produced content, due to their easy and fast nature. You can post YouTube Shorts about company events, product launches or updates, and even give users a behind-the-scenes look at a workplace renovation, for example.

YouTube Monetization: How Much Does YouTube Shorts Pay Content Creators?
YouTube Shorts monetization began on February 1, 2023 , replacing the YouTube Shorts Fund. Creators who wish to earn revenue must display ads between videos in the Shorts feed. To do so, they must comply with YouTube’s monetization policies, including our Community Guidelines, Terms of Service, and Google AdSense policies . They must also opt in to Shorts ad revenue sharing.

Here's how Shorts ad revenue sharing works:

Revenue Pooling : Revenue from Shorts feed ads is pooled and used to reward creators and cover music licensing costs.
Calculating the Creator Fund : Revenue is allocated to the Creator Fund based on views and music usage on Shorts uploaded by creators who monetize content.
Creator Fund Distribution : Creator Fund revenue is distributed among creators based on the percentage of total views generated by their Shorts in each country.
Revenue Share Application : Creators who monetize content keep 45% of the allocated revenue.
If third-party content is used in the creation process of Shorts, views are split between the creator and third-party copyright holders, but the use of music in a Shorts does not affect the creator fund allocation or creator revenue share. Additionally, YouTube Premium subscription revenue is shared with YouTube Shorts creators based on subscriber views in each country.

Finally, the YouTube team will not count views that are not suitable for calculating Shorts payouts. This includes views of Shorts that are not original, such as unedited clips from other people’s movies or TV shows, content from other creators that has been re-uploaded from YouTube or another platform, or compilations that lack original content. Artificial or fake views of Shorts, such as those generated by automated clicks or scrolling bots , as well as views that do not meet advertiser-friendly content guidelines, are also excluded . These views will not contribute to Shorts creators’ earnings.

YouTube Shorts vs. Reels vs. TikTok
Social media marketing is becoming increasingly diverse, with platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts all vying for users’ attention. Depending on target audiences and brand goals, some businesses may see a higher return on investment from TikTok , while others may find that Instagram is still more effective. YouTube Shorts , the newest player in th owner/ partner/ shareholder email database e short video industry, is showing great potential with over 15 billion daily views and 2 billion monthly active users .

For its part, Meta offers highly engaged Reels creators financial compensation through a large bonus program . The main goal of the program is to increase user activity. This is because, as eMarketer showed in a report, ad impressions on Reels remain low even though user engagement rates are increasing. This paradox may be one of the main reasons for the drop in revenue.

On the other hand, TikTok shows a significantly higher engagement rate compared to Reels and Shorts. The Chinese short video platform outperforms Reels and Shorts , with an average of 0.09% versus 0.05%. Brands post twice as much content on TikTok compared to Reels and Shorts, with a posting frequency of 16 videos per month on average on TikTok.

When it comes to average view rate , Instagram Reels leads with 13.08%, followed by TikTok with 9.06%, and YouTube Shorts with 2.52%.

Ultimately, choosing one platform over another will strictly depend on your brand’s goals and the target audience you hope to connect with. By understanding engagement trends, view rates, and user behaviors on platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, you’ll be able to make more informed decisions about where to allocate your resources and how to tailor your content to maximize its impact.