Let’s talk about Shorts.

Let’s talk about Shorts.

Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes, 55 seconds

Shorts (and short-form content) are taking over.

You might not like it but it’s the truth.

What does this mean for YouTube and long-form content?

Let me explain…

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There are 3 main areas I want to talk about:

1/ Attention is shifting

2/ The ‘mechanic’ of short-form content

3/ The future of Shorts

But firstly, let’s set the record straight.

I don’t hate Shorts.

It has its problems (that I’ll get into) and I don’t like the way some creators have used Shorts, but it’s not inherently bad.

I’m optimistic but lets get into it.

1/ Attention is shifting

The numbers don’t lie.

In 2021 (before YouTube fully released Shorts and it was entirely a battle of long-form vs short-form), younger people spent 91 minutes per day on TikTok vs just 56 minutes on YouTube.

The way people consume content is changing. You can’t ignore it.

On mobile, short-form content makes sense. On-the-go, full-screen, flexible viewing sessions. Never mind the fact that it appeals to our ever-shrinking attention spans.

Some creators understand this.

They understand that it’s probably wise to have some form of ‘short-form strategy’.

That doesn’t mean becoming a short-form creator, or posting Shorts purely for views and subscribers but that it can actually help them.

How?

• Act as a ‘top of funnel’ to help new viewers discover you

• An opportunity to create with less investment and risks

• Experiment and test different topics or content

• Another way to ‘spread your message’

Making short-form content doesn’t mean you have to make bad content.

They can benefit both the viewer and the creator.

Right?

2/ The ‘mechanic’ of short-form content

That being said, short-form content does have its problems...

The main one is the ‘mechanic’.

TikTok changed the way we consume content (and everyone else followed).

The everlasting, ongoing, full-screen feed removes all the barriers to consume.

Consuming content is easy. Too easy.

As soon as you open up TikTok, Shorts or Reels, you’re met with content and with a simple swipe of your finger you’re on to the next one.

In a minute you could have watched 20 or so videos, all with new information, all with a little bit more dopamine.

No stopping, no ‘exit-points’.

The problem?

If you don’t get and hold the viewer's attention for every single split-second, you’re done.

The current solution?

Most creators have turned to ‘retention hacks’. Ridiculously quick cuts, text on-screen and visual effects to keep viewers watching.

The real solution?

Making compelling videos that keep the viewer's attention by choice (not force).

But that’s hard. Really hard.

I’m not saying you can’t leverage a certain type of editing to keep people engaged, you have to, but there has to be something more than just ‘retention editing’.

The video has to actually be worth the viewer's time.

Something more than just an attempt to get views and subscribers.

That's a choice every creator needs to make (but it is possible).

3/ The future of Shorts

Shorts are going to change.

They’ve only been around since 2021. Long-form content as we know it has been around since 2012 (YouTube in general since 2005).

It’s going to take time for the algorithm, features and content to develop.

The Shorts algorithm will adapt towards satisfaction (hopefully) and improve Shorts to long-form recommendations.

Future features will hopefully better enable creators to use Shorts to their advantage.

And the content will continue to improve and develop as we better understand what makes good short-form content.

We’re so early in ‘short-form’ content, who knows what the future will hold.

So what’s the takeaway?

Well, short-form content doesn’t have to be bad.

The creators that realise it can be used to their advantage, not for subscribers and views but to help them provide value to their viewers are going to win.

The optimal strategy is yet to be found but more and more creators are going to be testing and experimenting to find it.

But only time will tell how it all plays out.

Thanks for reading. Jay Alto.

Too busy to reread? Here’s a summary written by AI:

This chapter of the Curious Creator discusses the rise of short-form content and its implications for YouTube and long-form content.

Key takeaways:

1/ Attention is shifting towards short-form content, and creators should consider having a short-form strategy.

2/ Short-form content has its problems, such as its 'mechanic', creators' intentions and techniques used to keep viewers watching.

3/ The future of Shorts is uncertain, but creators should strive to make compelling videos that give the viewer real value.