"Why are my YouTube Shorts not getting views?"
If you find yourself thinking this often, you're not alone. Getting views on a YouTube Short — millions of views, for that matter — is a challenging goal. It seems like everyone is making shorts now and creating more competition as they do.
But there are other reasons you might struggle to get views. Your Shorts could be lacking any of these elements:
In the video above, our Boost creators Travis and Jenn discuss why your Shorts might not be getting views. Two signs you might need to click on that video right now are:
When a short is posted, the YouTube algorithm pushes it out to as many viewers as it can. Some of these viewers might not be interested in your niche, or style. But following our methods helps you cast as wide a net as possible to catch the most viewers!
Entertaining your viewers is a powerful way to make better YouTube Shorts. If you can show something interesting, funny, or action-packed right off the bat in the first three seconds, there's a chance viewers will stick around for the next 30 (give or take).
If you don't know what entertains your viewers, start by asking some basic questions. Which videos have the most views on your channel right now? What are they about, and what makes them so intriguing? And finally, How can you pack those elements into a YouTube Short?
For example, look at this Short from Jesse Heffels called "How Many Flips Was That?"
This video is incredibly entertaining for three reasons:
But how did Jesse know that turning flips would make the video go viral with 13 million views? Our guess: He noticed what worked on his channel versus what didn't.
Here are some of Jesse's most popular videos:
And here are some of the least popular:
It's clear that viewers show up to see multiple flips in the sky, especially on a trampoline. That's what they find entertaining and choose to watch on Jesse's channel.
Revealing something shocking or unexpected is another way to get YouTube Shorts views. This works because sometimes, as humans, we're exposed to the same things every day. That could be our jobs, where we live, the restaurants in our neighborhood, etc.
I'll admit that before I watched a Short about 3D billboards, I had no idea they existed. So I was amazed to see what they look like in Dylan Anderson's video, "These 3D Billboards Stop Everyone on the Street." The Short has 38 million views and counting, so I know I'm not alone in my amazement.
Plus, Dylan makes the video 10 times better by explaining what's happening:
"These 3D billboards look so real when they show 3D animations, like a lion breaking through the glass and jumping onto the street, which even had this lady scared…. So many of these have gone viral for how incredible they look and immediately stop everyone on the street," he says.
You may have noticed that with emotional videos, people don't just watch them and leave. They take the time to leave comments, like the content, or share it with friends and family — because the videos make them feel something.
Here's a great example from LeoNata Family. In "Dad Will Do Everything for His Daughter to Win," a father lets his daughter win at every game. It's a heartwarming experience because you get to see her dad cheat (in the best way possible) as the daughter giggles after each "win."
If you want to make emotional content (and boost your engagement rate), create a psychological profile of your viewers. You can start by answering these questions:
With this information, you can make Shorts that resonate with people and encourage them to engage. All of those engagements (likes, comments, and shares) let the YouTube algorithm know the video is worth recommending to more people.
Watch this tutorial for more ways to add emotion, entertainment, and education to your Shorts:
Want to go the extra mile? Use these tips to get a lot of views on your YouTube Shorts.
Want to help viewers find your YouTube Shorts? According to YouTube, adding "#shorts" to your video title helps people do just that.
But that's not the only hashtag you should use. You can also add topical hashtags related to your video, like this Short using the hashtag #Encanto (from the popular Disney movie).
When viewers tap a hashtag (like the one above), YouTube takes them to the official hashtag page for that topic. There, they can explore dozens of videos covering the same subject. This is where you want your video featured, just in case viewers are searching for Shorts similar to yours.
A YouTube Short that "loops" doesn't have a recognizable beginning or end. Because viewers have no idea where the story concludes or starts, they watch the video several times before realizing it's on repeat. This works because YouTube replays the same Short until you swipe to the next one.
As such, it's the perfect way to get YouTube Shorts views.
Here's an example of a looped YouTube Short from Jake Fellman, 3D animator:
Want to loop your Shorts? Read this post to learn how it's done.
With YouTube Shorts, one of the first things viewers see is the title.
If you want viewers to watch (instead of swiping away), make sure the words tell an engaging story about your video.
That means your video title should:
For more tips, read this guide about writing better video titles.
You have almost 60 seconds to get your point across in a YouTube Short. But if you can tell your story in less time, you probably should. People consume short videos faster than they do longer ones, so you have to make every second count — and cut dead scenes.
So once you have the whole story packed into your Short, try not to add anything else. People will have fewer chances to get bored and swipe away.
For a long time, going viral with YouTube Shorts didn't equal more money for creators.
Now there are three reasons to create better Shorts and get as many views as possible:
Are you trying to reach these goals?
Get a head start with this monetization guide for YouTube Shorts.
In addition to being an avid movie and gaming enthusiast, Uttaran Samaddar is an experienced writer who has lent his creativity and unique perspective to various publications. He loves hearing and telling stories.
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