Introduction
YouTube Shorts is a relatively new video format on YouTube that allows creators to upload short, vertical videos up to 60 seconds long. As someone interested in building an audience and making money online, I decided to start a YouTube Shorts channel from scratch and document my experience over a 30 day period.
In this time, I was able to gain valuable insights into YouTube Shorts and how beginners can use this format to grow their channel. Specifically, I learned 5 key lessons that I believe all YouTube Shorts creators need to know, especially if you want to monetize your channel.
Here is a summary of what I’ll be covering in this blog post:
How I created 100+ YouTube Shorts in 30 days
5 important lessons I learned from starting a Shorts channel as a beginner
Strategies for optimizing your Shorts and channel for maximum views
When and how you can start monetizing your Shorts channel
Why long-form content should still be a focus alongside Shorts
My goal is to provide a detailed case study showing my results and strategies so you can learn from my experience creating and optimizing a brand new YouTube Shorts channel.
How I Created 100+ YouTube Shorts in 30 Days
To start, let me explain how I was able to quickly create and upload so many Shorts in a short timeframe.
The key is that I repurposed existing content from other long-form videos on my main YouTube channel rather than creating 100% original Shorts from scratch.
Specifically, I extracted short clips from my existing videos and turned them into vertical Shorts optimized for mobile viewers. This allowed me to easily produce 4 new Shorts per day without having to film or edit anything new.
Of course, not everyone has a backlog of long-form videos to pull content from. If you’re just starting out, some other strategies are:
- Compiling short clips from trending YouTube videos in your niche
- Working with video creators on Fiverr or Upwork to produce original Shorts
- Using AI video creation tools like Vidnami to automate Shorts production
The key is consistency. Uploading 1-2 new Shorts per day gave me a library of 100+ videos in a month. You don’t need fancy equipment or skills to compile Shorts this way as a beginner.
Now let’s get into the biggest lessons I learned after posting 100+ Shorts in 30 days…
Lesson #1: Not Every Short Will Perform Well
The first reality check I had was that not every Short gets a ton of views, no matter how high-quality it is. My expectation was that each Short would get at least 500-1000 views.
But in reality, it was a rollercoaster:
- Some Shorts exceeded my expectations and got 5,000+ views
- Others only got a few hundred views despite similar quality
- On average, I’d say I got 1,000+ views per Short
The main takeaway here is consistency is key. Even if one Short flops, you need to keep uploading daily to maximize your chances of being seen.
One Short may randomly take off while others don’t, but you’ll never know unless you consistently publish new content. YouTube Shorts rewards persistence.
Lesson #2: Optimize Your Titles, Descriptions, Tags
Another lesson I quickly learned was the importance of optimizing your titles, descriptions and tags for each Short, just like with long-form videos.
While Shorts have a more casual, fun vibe to them, you still need to do on-page SEO to maximize views.
For example, on one of my top performing Shorts I:
- Included the keyword “Dropshipping” in the title
- Stuffed the description with relevant keywords
- Used all 500 characters for keyword-rich tags
This gives YouTube more signals about who your target audience is and what the Short is about. Doing proper on-page SEO is crucial, even for Shorts.
Lesson #3: More Shorts = More Exposure
It’s obvious, but worth emphasizing: the more Shorts you upload, the more chances you have to be discovered.
Some creators think they only need to upload a Short occasionally. But my experience shows daily uploads are ideal to build momentum.
By uploading 4 Shorts per day, I gave myself the most chances to appear in Shorts feeds and be seen by new viewers. More shorts equals more opportunities for views.
In my first month, I gained almost 50,000 views by staying consistent with daily uploads. The more content you have, the higher chance of being discovered.
Lesson #4: Focus on Views First, Monetization Later
With any new YouTube channel, it’s tempting to try monetizing it right away through AdSense, affiliate links, etc. However, monetization should not be the initial goal with a new Shorts channel.
At first, your only focus should be on:
- Building your subscriber base
- Increasing your average views per Short
- Improving audience engagement
Once you have an established audience watching your content, then you can start exploring your options for generating revenue through the channel.
But trying to monetize low-performing Shorts with no audience rarely works out. Build your viewership first, then focus on money later.
Lesson #5: Long-Form Videos Still Matter
My final takeaway is that even with Shorts, you can’t neglect long-form videos. Ideally, you want a mix of long videos and Shorts to maximize viewership.
Shorts are great for quick entertainment, but long videos allow you to build deeper connections with viewers and share ideas in more detail.
So even as I built up my Shorts channel, I made sure to keep uploading 10+ minute videos on my main channel a few times a week.
You need both short, vertical videos optimized for mobile AND longer videos for more in-depth storytelling and analysis around your niche.
Final Thoughts
In the end, starting a YouTube Shorts channel as a complete beginner was an insightful experience. Within 30 days, I learned a lot about the Shorts format and how to optimize a new channel for growth.
It takes consistency and persistence, but Shorts represent a big opportunity for anyone trying to build an audience on YouTube right now.
Just focus on providing value first and foremost, stay consistent with daily uploads, do basic on-page SEO, and you’ll be on the right track. Over time, you can start monetizing Shorts once you build up your subscriber base.
YouTube Shorts won’t replace long-form video, but they can help attract new viewers to your channel. I still recommend maintaining long-form videos as your core content alongside Shorts.
Hopefully this case study gives you a good blueprint for launching and optimizing your own YouTube Shorts channel as a beginner. Let me know if you have any other questions!