How to Make Shorts on YouTube That Get Views

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So, you want to get started with YouTube Shorts? It's actually pretty simple to jump in right from your phone. Just pop open the YouTube app, hit the "+" icon, and you can either shoot a new clip or upload a vertical video you already have. After that, you can sprinkle in some trending audio, text, and filters to make it pop before hitting publish.

Why YouTube Shorts Are a Growth Game Changer

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of making your first Short, let's talk about why you should even bother. Shorts aren't just another shiny object YouTube rolled out; they're a fundamental change in how people find and watch content, and that presents a massive opportunity for channels trying to grow. Think of them as the ultimate top-of-funnel tool, introducing you to viewers who might otherwise never stumble upon your long-form videos.

The numbers are just wild. In 2025, Shorts are pulling in over 70 billion views every single day. That's a huge jump from 30 billion a few years back, with more than 2 billion people tuning in monthly. This isn't just a trend; it's a clear signal that people are hungry for quick, snackable content. For a deeper dive into these stats and what they mean for creators, the insights on awisee.com are well worth a read.

Tapping into a New Audience

Here’s the real magic: Shorts are driven by a discovery-based algorithm, which is a totally different beast from the search-and-browse system that long-form videos rely on. This means your content can get pushed out to thousands of people who have never heard of you, instantly breaking down the walls that often make channel growth feel so slow.

I like to think of each Short as a quick handshake with a potential subscriber. A funny moment, a super-quick tutorial, or a glimpse behind the scenes can be the perfect first impression. It’s a low-commitment way for a viewer to get a taste of your personality and what you offer, which can build a community much faster than if you were just posting longer videos.

Key Takeaway: The Shorts algorithm is built to show your content to new people. This gives you a golden opportunity to turn casual scrollers into loyal subscribers by using Shorts as an on-ramp to your main channel.

How to Plan a Short That Actually Hooks Viewers

Let's be real: viral Shorts don't just happen. They're built on a solid plan that’s designed to grab someone's attention in the first couple of seconds. Before you even think about hitting record, you need a clear, focused idea that can stop a scroller in their tracks.

So, where do you start? Begin by doing some recon. Go scroll through the Shorts feed in your niche and see what's actually working. What sounds keep popping up? Which video formats are racking up views and comments? The goal isn't to copy, but to adapt. If everyone's using a trending sound for a dance challenge, how could you twist it for a quick tutorial or a funny sketch that your audience would love?

The Secret Formula: The Three-Act Structure for Shorts

Every killer Short, whether it's 15 seconds or 60, follows a surprisingly simple narrative structure. It’s a micro-story with a beginning, a middle, and an end, all packed into a tiny timeframe.

The Hook (1-3 seconds): This is it—your make-or-break moment. You have to give them a reason to stop scrolling. Lead with a provocative question, a bold claim, or something visually shocking. Instead of, "Here's how I make a smoothie," try something like, "You've been making smoothies wrong your whole life." See the difference?

The Story (5-20 seconds): This is the meat of your video. It's where you deliver on the promise you made in the hook. Keep it fast, concise, and full of value. Show the cool technique, tell the joke, or reveal the surprising fact. No fluff allowed.

The Payoff (3-5 seconds): You need to stick the landing. End with a satisfying conclusion that makes the viewer feel like their time was well spent. This could be the big reveal, the punchline, or a simple call-to-action like, "Follow me for more kitchen hacks."

This simple Hook, Story, and Payoff framework is your best friend. It keeps people watching until the very end, which is a massive signal to the YouTube algorithm that your content is engaging and worth showing to more people.

Mapping all this out doesn’t have to take forever. AI-powered tools can be a huge help here. For instance, you can use a platform like revid.ai to analyze what's trending right now and even generate script ideas specifically for your niche. This takes a lot of the guesswork out of the process, helping you turn a vague idea into a concrete plan that’s built for success from the ground up.

Your Guide to Filming and Editing Standout Shorts

Alright, you've got your plan locked in. Now for the fun part—actually making the thing. Forget needing a high-end studio; the best tool for creating killer YouTube Shorts is probably in your pocket right now. Your smartphone is built for the 9:16 vertical format, making it the perfect camera for the job.

The secret to good footage isn't expensive gear, it's getting the basics right. Find a window and face it. That natural light will do wonders and keep your video from looking grainy. Audio is just as important. The mic on your earbuds is a massive step up from your phone's built-in one, ensuring your voice comes through crystal clear. Keep your subject front and center to grab attention the second your Short appears on someone's feed.

Editing for Maximum Engagement

This is where the magic happens. Editing is all about injecting pace and energy to stop the dreaded swipe. You don't need a complicated desktop editor; most of what you need to do can be handled right inside the YouTube app itself.

A few quick tips can make a huge difference:

Trim Ruthlessly: Be merciless. Cut every breath, every pause, every wasted moment. A Short lives and dies by its pacing.

Add Text Overlays: So many people watch with the sound off. Use bold text to emphasize your main points and keep them engaged.

Use Trending Audio: Tap into what's already popular. Adding a trending sound from YouTube's library can give your content an instant boost.

All that planning work you did earlier? This is where it pays off, making the entire editing process smoother and faster.

As you can see, a little structure upfront saves a ton of headaches when it's time to create and edit.

Of course, if you're looking to work smarter, not harder, AI tools are changing the game. A platform like revid.ai can automatically generate those flashy, animated captions you see everywhere. It's a small touch that has a huge impact on retention—it can be the difference between someone watching for three seconds or sticking around for the full fifteen.

Pro Tip: Don't get lost in the pursuit of perfection. The most viral Shorts often have a raw, authentic feel. Focus on clear messaging and high energy, not cinematic polish.

Shorts Creation Workflow Comparison

To really see the difference, let's compare the traditional editing grind with a more modern, AI-assisted approach.

Task	Manual Process (YouTube App/Editor)	AI-Assisted Process (with revid.ai)
Captioning	Manually typing and timing each line of text.	Automatic transcription and animation of captions.
Cutting/Trimming	Manually scrubbing through footage to find and remove pauses.	AI identifies and suggests cuts for dead air or filler words.
Adding Visuals	Searching for and manually placing relevant emojis or B-roll.	AI suggests and automatically adds relevant visual elements.
Trend Analysis	Manually researching trending sounds and formats.	AI identifies viral audio and content styles to recommend.

As the table shows, integrating an AI tool can significantly cut down on the tedious parts of editing, freeing you up to focus on the creative side.

This fast-paced creation style is also baked into how Shorts monetization works. Creators typically keep about 45% of the ad revenue, with YouTube taking 55% to cover things like music licensing. This model rewards consistency and volume, so learning how to make Shorts on YouTube quickly is a huge advantage. To get a deeper dive into these kinds of creator trends, you can find more YouTube stats and insights over at lenostube.com.

Make Your Shorts Algorithm-Friendly for Maximum Reach

So, you’ve created a fantastic Short. That's a huge step, but the work isn't quite done. Now you need to make sure YouTube knows exactly who to show it to. This is where a little optimization makes a massive difference.

It all starts with your title. Think of it as a headline designed to stop a scroll. You want something short, punchy, and packed with keywords. For instance, instead of a generic title like "My Morning Coffee," try "This 1 Trick Makes Better Coffee." It sparks curiosity and immediately promises value to the viewer.

Dial in Your Hashtags and Post at the Right Time

Hashtags are basically signposts for the algorithm. They help YouTube categorize your video and serve it up to the right crowd. Your approach here should be focused and strategic.

The Must-Have: First and foremost, always include #shorts. This is non-negotiable; it's the primary way YouTube identifies your content for the Shorts feed.

Get Specific: After that, add 3-5 other tags that are highly relevant to your video's topic. If you’re showing off a coffee trick, you might use #coffeehacks, #espresso, or #homebarista. This helps you reach people who are genuinely searching for or interested in that specific content.

When you post is just as important as what you post. Take a look at your YouTube Analytics in the "Audience" tab. It will show you the exact times your viewers are most active. Scheduling your Shorts to go live during these peak windows gives them a crucial initial push. It's also helpful to have a basic grasp of general Search Engine Optimization (SEO) principles, as they directly apply to getting discovered on YouTube.

Pro Tip: Strong engagement in the first few hours tells the algorithm your video is a winner. This initial momentum can be the difference between a few hundred views and a video that goes viral.

Don't underestimate the power of this format. Data shows that channels actively posting Shorts often see a 25% increase in audience retention compared to their long-form content. People are hooked. If you really want to dive deep into growing your channel, check out our guide on https://www.revid.ai/blog/how-to-get-more-views-on-youtube-shorts.

Using Analytics to Improve Your Next Short

Hitting "publish" isn't the finish line; it’s really just the start. The real secret to growing your channel is digging into your YouTube Analytics. This is where you stop guessing what your audience wants and start creating content you know they'll love.

Your data tells a story. For Shorts, there's one metric that's brutally honest: “Viewed vs. swiped away.” This percentage is your most direct piece of feedback. It tells you exactly how many people were intrigued enough to watch versus how many swiped away almost instantly.

If your "Viewed" percentage is high, your hook is landing perfectly. If it's low, you've got to rework those first three seconds.

Pinpointing Your Wins

Beyond the hook, you need to figure out which of your videos are the real winners. I always look for patterns in my top-performing Shorts by focusing on a few key areas:

Audience Retention: Look at the graph. Where do people drop off? A huge dip at the 10-second mark is a major red flag. Go back to your video and see what's happening at that exact moment. Was it a boring transition? A confusing point? That’s your clue.

Traffic Sources: Where are people finding you? The Shorts feed is obvious, but are you getting views from channel pages, search, or even external sites? This helps you understand your discovery path.

Engagement: Comments and shares are gold. If a Short sparks a ton of conversation, you've just found a topic your audience is passionate about. Make more content around that.

When you consistently check this data, you stop throwing content at the wall and start building a smart, data-driven strategy. Every Short becomes a small experiment that teaches you something for the next one, creating a powerful feedback loop that leads to real growth.

Answering Your Top YouTube Shorts Questions

Even the most seasoned creators have a few lingering questions when they jump into the world of YouTube Shorts. Let's tackle some of the most common ones I hear so you can hit the ground running.

What's the Real Sweet Spot for a Short's Length?

YouTube allows Shorts to be up to 60 seconds, and sometimes even a bit longer for certain vertical videos. But just because you can use the full minute doesn't mean you should.

From what I’ve seen, the magic really happens between 15 and 45 seconds. The single most critical element isn't the total runtime—it's your hook. You have about three seconds to give someone a reason to stop scrolling. If you can't do that, the rest of the video doesn't matter.

A pro tip? Dive into your YouTube Analytics. Look at your audience retention graphs for your Shorts and pinpoint where people are dropping off. This data is gold—it tells you exactly how long you can hold your audience's attention.

Is It Actually Possible to Make Money from Shorts?

Yes, you absolutely can. Once you're in the YouTube Partner Program, you're eligible to earn from ads that play between videos in the Shorts Feed.

The model is a bit different from long-form videos. Instead of direct ad placement on your video, YouTube pools all the ad revenue from the Shorts Feed. This pool is then divided among eligible creators based on their share of the total views. So, the more views you get, the bigger your slice of the pie.

While the revenue per view might seem small compared to a 10-minute video, don't underestimate it. Shorts are a volume game. A few viral hits or consistent daily views can build into a surprisingly steady income stream.

Do I Need a Fancy Camera to Get Views?

Definitely not. In fact, your smartphone is probably the best tool for the job.

The vertical 9:16 aspect ratio is native to phones, so it just feels right. Many of the most-viewed Shorts have that raw, in-the-moment feel that comes from being shot on a phone. Viewers on the platform often prefer authenticity over a super polished, cinematic look.

Forget about expensive gear for now. Instead, focus your energy on two things that make a massive difference:

Good lighting: Natural light from a window is your best friend.

Clear audio: Make sure viewers can hear you without background noise.

A simple, clean setup is all you need to create content that connects.

Ready to create scroll-stopping content without the hassle? revid.ai uses AI to turn your ideas into viral-ready videos in minutes, complete with animated captions and trending audio. Try it today and see how easy it is to grow your channel. Learn more at https://revid.ai/.