4 can't miss tips on Shorts from our Twitter Spaces creators
Dec 14, 2022 – [[read-time]] minute read
Dec 14, 2022 – [[read-time]] minute read
In 2022, we launched a Twitter Spaces Series: YouTube Shorts Community: Creators in Conversation on @youtubecreators. In each episode of the series, we spotlight top creators from our YouTube Shorts Creator Community to offer a platform for them to tell their story.
Moderated by me, Community Partner Manager Sonali Karmarkar, we made this Twitter Spaces series so creators can share tips, strategies and journeys on YouTube Shorts to foster and uplift this community together.
We are excited to continue our Creators in Conversation series into 2023 so folks can find even more success on YouTube Shorts and stay in the know. So, if you want to learn more about how to make it on Shorts, be sure to submit an application to our YouTube Shorts Creator Community to join us on our Twitter Spaces series. Also, be sure to follow @youtubecreators on Twitter to get all the latest updates.
Want a little sampling first? Let us send you off into 2023 with some top tips from our creators.
While our creators talked about the importance of learning content strategies from other creators, everyone agrees: success looks different for everyone. The balance is to look to inspiration from others and then figure out how you can tailor an approach that works for your niche and style.
The point isn't to adopt [strategies and techniques that other creators use ... It’s about] hearing from other creators, seeing which parts work for them, and what resonates with you.” Gohar Khan
“I’ve learned that content creation isn’t just one-size-fits-all. When you go to these sessions, you really get an idea of the strategies and techniques that other creators use and the point isn't to adopt them,” Gohar Khan says. “[It’s about] hearing from other creators, seeing which parts work for them, and what resonates with you. I've really honed my own style which has really given me the ability to make more content and be able to make better content. So I think that really just comes from the benefit of being a part of the Community, hearing from others, being inspired and then experimenting, iterating and figuring out what works for you.”
“Keep an eye out for what people are talking about specifically in your niche and put your own spin on it,” Heidi Wong adds.
Creators emphasized the importance of community both in terms of having a community among other content creators and in building a community through their audience. The YouTube Shorts Creator Community helps creators find other creators in their niche to collaborate, bounce ideas off each other and stay motivated.
“I grew my subscribers because of Shorts and just being part of the Shorts Community. I learn something literally every time I joined these awesome Community meetings,” SushiBAE says. “Just hearing about all these creators’ experiences and being around people that make content — it's just enlightening.”
To build a community from their audience, creators cited the importance of thinking about content as the balance between what you’re passionate about and what your audience is passionate about. Creators turned to audience strategies like using polls in the community tab to engage their audience and help shape future content, and using the comment section of Shorts to continue the conversation with their community.
“I listen to my community — your audience has a great idea of what they’d like you to do, which helps with engagement between the viewer and creator,” Marie Stella says.
Many creators attributed their growth on Shorts to consistency. They pointed out the importance of figuring out how you can consistently show up for your audience as a way to build an engaged community long term. Creators turned to tools like the schedule feature to help them schedule out their Shorts.
“Focus on being consistent for yourself. Focus on consistency over virality and your people will find you. Look at what content does well and keep it going by creating a series,” Studio Jibby says.
“Set goals you have control over (consistency over performance), which is better for mental health,” Rishi Draws adds.
Shorts offers creators a more experimental canvas where they feel empowered to try new things and continue to iterate as they learn what content resonates with their current audience and what content will attract a new audience.
“If you’re a longform creator, try to get into the world of Shorts - think about liberation vs. limitation,” Jon Kung says.
When I’m scrolling through Shorts, I ask myself what do I want to see in a video?” fritzdoesart
If you’re feeling stuck, Shorts are a great space to test new ideas and expand content and reach. To stay creative, creators emphasized not being afraid to test out new ideas, look at the analytics then figure out what strategies work best for them as they build out their content.
“Analyze what was the reason the video did well and apply it in future videos,” JT Casey says.
Still looking for ideas? Make the content you personally want to see.
“Think about how to make this interesting,” fritzdoesart says. “When I’m scrolling through Shorts, I ask myself what do I want to see in a video?”
Listen to our most recent YouTube Shorts Community: Creators in Conversation Twitter Space here. Make sure to follow @youtubecreators Twitter to stay in the know for upcoming Twitter Spaces talks!