YouTube Shorts Keeps Things Sweet With New Features for Creators

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YouTube shared an update on what’s to come for YouTube Shorts in its third “Release Notes” discussion. While there’s no definitive date on when creators and businesses can expect the six new tools, the update shows YouTube is keen to make Shorts more accessible and user-friendly for all.

In this article, I’ll outline the new features for creators and examine whether it’s worth exploring Shorts as part of your video marketing strategy.

YouTube Introduces New Features for Shorts

So, what’s coming soon for Shorts? YouTube teased six new additions to the toolkit:

  • Automated framing when converting videos on Android devices – when you’re producing Shorts from long-form videos, the new Auto layout tool will handle a lot of the editing work for you by keeping the focus on the main subject automatically
  • Add narration – choose from a range of text-to-speech voice styles to narrate your videos
  • Create engagement through the “Add yours” sticker – encourage your audience to create related content and build a community online
  • Minecraft anniversary effects – YouTube is celebrating the video game’s 15th anniversary with two new Shorts effects to bring the world of Minecraft to your content
  • Improved captioning – you’ll soon be able to edit the captioning style to suit your video, making Shorts more accessible for viewers
  • Enhanced remixing tools – on top of the existing remixing tools, YouTube is adding the ability to remix a remix which is handy if your brand is looking to jump on an existing trend

As a reminder, these features are all coming soon with some expected to roll out over the next few weeks.

Should Your Business Create YouTube Shorts?

With 70 billion daily views, YouTube Shorts strives to rival TikTok’s popularity with its short-form videos. Shorts are great for building your audience reach and engaging with viewers – and, to get more subscribers, you need to capture people’s attention quickly.

Should your content strategy focus on Shorts? Is it the only method you should use to create a community? Absolutely not. I recommend using Shorts to complement a wider library of video content, such as long-form YouTube videos, TikToks, and Instagram Reels. Shorts are a useful video type for sharing product teasers, breaking down key info, and giving viewers a peek into your business.

YouTube Shorts are especially key since over 60% of YouTube views come from mobile devices, meaning the short content style will help you tap into this market.

How To Create YouTube Shorts

If you’re interested in creating YouTube Shorts for your personal account or business, it only takes a few steps:

  1. Download the YouTube app on your mobile device
  2. Once the app is open, tap the “+” at the bottom of the screen
  3. You’ll be taken to a recording screen – make sure “Short” is selected
  4. Click the red button to start recording and tap the tick mark once you’re happy with the video
  5. This will take you to the editing screen where you can add text, use filters, trim the video, insert narration, or add a Q&A element
  6. Click “Next” when ready to proceed
  7. Edit the video’s details, such as location and labels for paid promotions
  8. Select “Upload Short” once you’re ready to publish

If you want to create Shorts, read our detailed guide on YouTube’s algorithm and learn more about how to become a YouTuber before you get started.

Written by:
Headshot of Emma Ryan
Emma is Lead Writer at Website Builder Expert, having first joined the team in 2022. She manages the website's topical content strategy to help website owners navigate the highs and lows of being online. Emma also specializes in following the development of leading website builders Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify, through hands-on testing and research. Her work and expertise have been featured in Startups.co.uk, Digiday, TechRound, Industry Today, and Digital Information World.

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