YouTube Shorts: What You Should Know for Your Influencer Marketing Campaigns

YouTube Shorts is a feature introduced by YouTube to compete with the rising popularity of short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels. By estimation, in 2022, over 1.5 billion people watched YouTube Shorts each month. By 2023, the platform had expanded to more than 100 countries and was receiving 50 billion daily views.

YouTube’s decision to monetize the platform suggests long-term support and development for the format. However, despite its potential, the number of influencer marketing campaigns on YouTube Shorts remains relatively low compared to sponsorship YouTube videos.

YouTube Shorts has the potential to effectively promote products and engage a large audience. It can help increase brand recognition and visibility, and foster engagement among viewers. However, there are certain downsides to the format. YouTube’s algorithms may result in YouTube Shorts reaching a different audience compared to the main content on the channel. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully monitor statistics and request screenshots of audience demographics and views data when working with influencers to ensure the intended target audience is reached.

Here are a few tips from our experience at Zorka.Agency with YouTube Shorts to achieve better marketing results in advertising campaigns:

• Make sure that the content of YouTube Shorts does not stand out from the main videos of the YouTube channel. If YouTube Shorts content stands out too much, it may result in a decrease in views and hinder the expected conversions.
• If the goal of the campaign is performance, then YouTube shorts are best used in addition to advertising integrations / dedicated main YouTube videos, as an additional reminder of the product and a driver for reach.
• The YouTube Shorts format can work effectively on its own for brand awareness campaigns. It doesn’t necessarily need to be mixed with other placements or formats.
• If you are collaborating with content creators for YouTube Shorts placements, you have the option to purchase the intellectual property rights for the creatives they develop. By doing so, you can use those creatives in a Google Ads campaign to enhance performance and achieve better results.

To launch a successful advertising campaign on YouTube Shorts, brands should follow four simple rules:

1. Pay attention to the creation of a brief. When creating a 45-60 second video on your YouTube channel or blogger’s, stick to the creative brief to bring the best result for your campaign. 
2. Focus on virality. Strategically plan and create content that has the potential to become viral, capturing the attention and interest of viewers. Check out our recommendations below.
3. Highlight the USP of the product. Emphasize the unique features or benefits of the product or service advertised. This ensures that it stands out and resonates with the audience.
4. Include a direct CTA in the video. Encourage viewers to take specific actions, such as downloading an app, making a purchase, or subscribing to a channel, by including a clear and compelling CTA and QR code within the video itself.

To increase reach and engagement, consider employing a creative approach in YouTube Shorts advertising campaigns:

• Follow YouTube Shorts trends. By following YouTube Shorts trends, such as the popular trend #SummerLoading, you can effectively boost organic reach and engage your audience. This strategy can generate excitement, raise brand awareness, and enhance overall engagement levels.
• Employ an engaging storyteller. Create a video that features a captivating storyteller who can effectively communicate the brand’s message. Additionally, consider incorporating entertaining elements, such as action sequences, to enhance viewer interest.
• Utilize animation. Leverage animation as a simple and concise method to highlight the uniqueness of the product or service advertised. Animation can visually communicate key features or benefits in an engaging and memorable way.
• Evoke emotions and utilize humor. Infuse the video with emotions that resonate with the audience, making a lasting impact. Additionally, incorporating humor can help capture attention and create a positive association with the brand.

Final Thoughts

We successfully applied this experience when creating an advertising campaign for our client, a mobile game developer. In order to attract new users in the USA and Europe we launched different channels: YouTube, YouTube Shorts, as well as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. The creators were faced with the task of natively telling about the product, an action-packed mobile simulator, in the YouTube Shorts format, showing the gameplay on the phone and adding a call to action at the end of the video. The overall results of the campaign were convincing, with the launches in YouTube Shorts yielding particularly surprising outcomes. In comparison to the overall results, where the conversion rate (CVR) and click-through rate (CTR) were both 0.4%, the campaign’s performance on YouTube Shorts stood out with a CVR of 2.6% and a CTR of 1.3%.

Ultimately, it appears YouTube Shorts is a promising platform for brand influencer campaigns, maximizing impact by adhering to briefs, aiming for virality, and employing creative strategies.