How to Get More Views on YouTube Shorts? 20+ Hacks

YouTube Shorts is the answer to rapidly growing short-form content. It became a game-changer for creators and brands looking to make an impact on YouTube. In fact, YouTube Shorts attract more subs than long-form videos.

Take Djerf Avenue, a fashion brand with a massive social media presence. Despite their impressive 7.8 million overall reach, their YouTube reach is still growing at 53.9k.

However, the brand’s “Get Ready With Me” (GRWM) and UGC haul videos show that even a smaller presence can create meaningful connections with the right strategy.

I did the research, so you won’t have to! I curated a list of the 20 top tips to get more views on YouTube Shorts. Let’s dive in!

Learning how to get more views on YouTube Shorts is a complex process. The simple approach requires analyzing data with specialized tools. However, the best results will give you a mix of experimenting with content, using trends, and leveraging data.

What counts as a view on YouTube Shorts?

Before diving into the tips, it’s crucial to understand what qualifies as a view on YouTube Shorts. All social media platforms have their own standards…

Unlike TikTok, where a view is often counted instantly, the YouTube algorithm ensures that the content is genuinely engaging, reflecting the user’s interest in the content.

That’s why a YouTube Shorts view is counted as soon as a user watches your video for at least a few seconds.

If you use bots or buy views – you may be banned!

20 tips and tricks to get more views on YouTube Shorts

01 Use Eye-Catching Shorts Thumbnail

The thumbnail is the first thing viewers see while they browse your YouTube Channel, and it plays a crucial role in grabbing their attention.

On YouTube Shorts, creating a compelling and visually appealing thumbnail can make the difference between someone scrolling past your video or clicking to watch.

02 Respond to mentions

Engagement is key on any social platform. Responding to mentions shows that you are active and engaged with your audience. 

Plus, it increases the visibility of your content. 

Mentions can be positive, negative, or neutral, and tracking them is essential for managing your brand’s image. 

I use social media monitoring tools to track YouTube mentions (both: tagged and untagged).

Engaging with mentions (no matter their sentiment) can significantly boost your profile visits and video views. Active responding makes the algorithm push those videos to more users, which can greatly increase your online visibility!

This is what a YouTube mention looks like in Brand24:

03 Incorporate User-Generated Content

Encourage your audience to create content related to your brand or niche, and feature it in your Youtube Shorts.

User-generated content increases engagement and broadens your reach as users share their own videos with their networks.

Sometimes UGC content can go beyond YouTube and give you visibility also on other social media platforms!

04 Use trending hashtags

Hashtags serve to categorize the content on YouTube. They are a powerful way to get your short videos discovered by a broader audience.

When looking for specific content, people tend to type in the hashtag in the search console to find it. If you use relevant hashtags – the chances are high that they’ll discover you!

Here’s a real-life example:

I wanted to check if people are happy with their Djerf Avenue clothes and see how they look on different body types.

So, I typed in the #djerfavenue and browsed the page:

Fun fact: That’s how I discovered my favorite YouTube channel, and I watched every video it posted from that moment on.

But how do you find relevant trending hashtags? Guessing doesn’t work (unless you’re very lucky). You should use highly relevant hashtags and monitor their performance to adjust your hashtag strategy.

My tip is to use media monitoring tools. These will give you hashtag lists and analyze their performance:

05 Focus on Quality Over Quantity

While it’s important to post regularly, ensure that each video you upload is high quality. Clear visuals, good sound, and valuable content will keep viewers coming back, ultimately increasing your views.

And here’s a trick: more than 70% of YouTube watch time is on mobile.

So, using vertical videos for Shorts is essential to align seamlessly with mobile user experiences. It enhances viewers’ experience and encourages engagement.

I mean, take a look below. It doesn’t look professional at all when people use other formats for YouTube Shorts:

06 Team with influencers

Partnering with an influencer on YouTube Shorts can boost your brand’s visibility.

Whether you’re a popular YouTuber, a celebrity, or a niche micro-influencer, this strategy helps you reach a larger audience and build trust.

The followers of the influencer will likely go further than watching the video. They might visit your channel and… maybe even subscribe.

Collaborating with influencers can lead to more views, higher engagement, and possibly more interest in your products.

A good example is the collaboration between Gucci and Emma Chamberlain, a popular lifestyle and fashion influencer. They crossed to highlight Guccis’ latest collections in a series of YouTube Shorts.

Emma’s laid-back and relatable content style helped Gucci reach a younger demographic in a fresh and authentic way.

It was a perfect match! 

But choosing the right influencer for you is a hard task…

How do you pick the right influencer for your YouTube Shorts?

Look for influencers who fit your brand and have strong engagement with their audience.

Plus, focus on those who have a high Influencer Score (influencer marketing metric describing popularity – the higher, the better).

Tools like Brand24 can help you find the right partners:

07 Experiment with Video Length

While YouTube Shorts are designed to be brief… You should experiment with different lengths.

How long are YouTube Shorts? The limit is 60 s.

Trying different lengths can help you find the sweet spot that resonates most with your audience.

Some content might perform better at 15 seconds, while other topics might benefit from the full minute.

08 Increase positive mentions

Positive mentions are a key factor in your brand’s reputation. They can greatly enhance your online reputation.

How do positive mentions impact your digital reputation?

If you are mentioned positively on YouTube, people will more likely trust you and subscribe to your channel.

So, the more positively mentioned you are online, the higher your chance of getting more YouTube Shorts views.

09 Add Captions and Subtitles

Not all viewers watch videos with sound, especially on mobile devices. Adding captions or subtitles can help you reach a broader audience, including non-native speakers and those who prefer to watch without sound.

But don’t ever resign from sound in your YouTube Shorts content! Subtitles are nice to have while utilizing the YouTube audio library, and adding music is a must.

Pro tip: There are tools that can simplify the process and add your subtitles automatically. I personally like to use captions.ai tool.

10 Use relevant emojis

Emojis add a visual element to your content, making it more engaging and easier to consume.

Using relevant emojis can help your YouTube Shorts stand out, making them more likely to be viewed and shared.

These also serve to create a “vibe” you want to join. For example, different emojis would be used in tech-related content and completely other for aesthetic girly routines.

How to find emojis that match the particular vibe?

One of the easiest ways to do it is using an AI emoji analysis in Brand24.

This is what the analysis looks like for a Djerf Avenue brand:

11 Leverage YouTube Shorts Trends and Challenges

Participating in challenges or trends related to your niche can boost your content’s visibility. This type of short video content often goes viral, and by jumping on a trend or starting your own, you can attract a large audience.

Exactly how it was with the “Brat summer” trend recently:

12 Arouse emotions 

You want to avoid crossing the line? I get it. But there’s no need to fear some emotions in your content. 

Actually, arousing emotions can be a very effective strategy to increase your views on YouTube Shorts.

If your video arouses viewers’ emotions, they are likelier to comment, like, share, and repost it! And these are the main YouTube algorithm indicators.

And here’s the fun part – you can monitor the emotions your content generates! How?

It’s easier than it sounds – just go to Emotion analysis in the Brand24 dashboard. You can see how it changed over time:

13 Create a Consistent Posting Schedule

Consistency is key to building an engaged audience.

By posting regularly, you create anticipation among your subscribers, leading to higher engagement and more views over time.

I use scheduling tools to maintain consistency, as sometimes I can’t post manually.

Additionally, scheduling YouTube Shorts allows you to plan your content in advance and have it automatically published, enhancing efficiency and ensuring a consistent posting schedule.

14 Make YouTube Shorts about relevant topics

Content that resonates with your target audience is more likely to go viral. Posting about relevant topics ensures that your content is engaging and shareable.

I have a great tip for finding new YouTube Shorts ideas – AI tools can help analyze your channel mentions and suggest trending topics for you.

This is what it looks like for “Bridgerton”, a viral Netflix series:

15 Engage with Comments

Engagement doesn’t stop with mentions. 

Actively responding to comments on your Youtube Shorts fosters community and signals to YouTube’s algorithm that your content is engaging, potentially boosting its visibility.

Plus, some creators admit to having fantastic results by adding the first comment by themselves. It can even be a simple “subscribe for more” like below:

16. Track YouTube reach

Understanding your reach on YouTube Shorts is vital for optimizing your content strategy. How?

Monitoring YouTube Shorts reach can:

• Provide insights into what content resonates most with your audience
• Help you determine the best times to post
• Find out which hashtags perform best

You can use YouTube Studio to analyze specific video performance and engagement metrics:

But, to get a broader perspective I would opt for a social listening tool. It enables to track how your channel performs overall, how the hashtags you use spread online and also benchmark your results against competitors.

Brand24’s Brand Assistant, which combines ChatGPT knowledge with its social listening data, can conduct one for you:

17 Optimize Video Titles

A compelling title can make a huge difference in attracting viewers.

Your title should be concise and descriptive and include relevant keywords that are likely to be searched by your target audience.

PS Incorporating a bit of intrigue or a question can also encourage more clicks.

18 Track YouTube Shorts trends 

Keeping up with the latest trends is crucial for reaching new audiences on the YouTube app.

When you create YouTube Shorts that include trending music, hashtags or concept – you join a bigger movement that is pushed on the Shorts general page.

How to find YouTube Shorts trends worth participating?

1. You can try to do it manually. Most of the time you realize when a new trend is coming up. But this method makes it supe easy to miss a trend or to be late.
   
2. Use an AI social media monitoring tool that identifies trends in social media, including YouTube.
   For example, the previously mentioned Brand Assistant is perfect for identifying new trends. It can provide an overview of YouTube Short trends supported by data.

19 Use Strong Calls to Action (CTAs)

Don’t forget to tell viewers what you want them to do next. Whether it’s liking, sharing, or subscribing, a clear and compelling CTA at the end of your Shorts can lead to more engagement and, consequently, more views.

20. Loop your videos

A simple yet effective way to get more views on your YouTube Shorts is by creating a loop – ending your video in a way that it seamlessly connects back to the beginning.

This encourages viewers to keep watching the video on repeat, which can increase your views significantly.

For instance, if you’re making a YouTube Short about a cold coffee recipe, you could start with, “You need to make this iced coffee!” This grabs attention right from the start. Then, at the end of the video, say something like, “If you’re thirsty and hot…” This ending naturally flows back into the beginning, making the video feel like a continuous loop.

This strategy sounds tricky at first, but with a little creativity, it can boost engagement and views on your Shorts.

And that was my final YouTube shorts tip. Try incorporating these techniques into your videos to keep your audience hooked!

Ok… but I know there’s one more thing you die to ask – Can you earn money on YouTube Shorts?

The answer is simple – yes. Your YouTube account can monetize YouTube Shorts directly. What you need to do is join the YouTube partner program.

Conclusion

There isn’t a single magic formula for growing your YouTube Shorts views. Instead, you need to combine various strategies – from responding to mentions to using trending hashtags and teaming up with influencers.

YouTube Studio provides valuable YouTube analytics about your performance…

However, the best insights you get after enriching it with data from external tools. It gives you a more competitive edge.

Having a successful YouTube channel is never-ending work. While all of the mentioned tips are worth trying – you should focus on creating YouTube videos, including Shorts, that are relevant to your niche and match current trends.

Key takeaways:

1. Creating vertical videos for YouTube Shorts is a must for your YouTube channel to reach new audiences.
2. Create high-quality videos and keep them on a similar level on your channel.
3. You need to be social. Engage with your audience by responding to mentions and comments.
4. You don’t need a pre-designed YouTube shorts strategy. It’s okay to experiment and use analytics to improve your creative process.

Ready to increase your YouTube Shorts views? Start with a Brand24!