It seems that YouTube is focusing on enhancing short-form video content. Last January, the platform started beta-testing Clips. It is a fun way to share the highlight of a live stream or videos on demand. The creator’s attribute will show in the sharing. In February, YouTube enabled the comparative data tools for Shorts and TrueView ads. In March, it launched the checks tool to analyze videos including Clips and Shorts before publication. As YouTube sees the potential of Shorts to turn into a profitable ad format, YouTube now funds creators of Shorts with $100 million.
YouTube’s Shorts fund is open to anyone, not just to creators under the YPP program. As long as creators create original Shorts videos following YouTube’s community guidelines, they are already qualified. Every month, YouTube will reach out to creators of Shorts that reach the highest thumbs up and views to reward them financially. Together with the Shorts fund, YouTube also updates the Shorts tools with the following addition:
- Adding color filters to Shorts
- Adding phone gallery clips
- Auto-caption for Shorts
- Remixing audio from YouTube Clips
- The length of Shorts videos is also extended to 60 seconds.
Implications for Marketers:
Marketers should keep a watch on the development of YouTube Shorts. This short-form video content can possibly turn into powerful YouTube video ads sooner.
