❓YouTube's Questionable Experiment With The Shorts Feed

Welcome to TIL - Creator Edition! Each week, I discuss things that matter the most to you as a YouTuber, Podcaster, or content creator.

YouTube's Bold Move: Long-Form Videos in Shorts Feed - Genius or Madness?

YouTube is shaking things up in the world of short-form content. The platform is testing the waters by introducing longer videos into the wildly popular Shorts feed. With Shorts racking up a staggering 70 billion views daily, this move could be a game-changer for creators of all types.

But here's the catch: how will horizontally formatted long-form videos fit into the vertical Shorts ecosystem? It's a bold experiment that could either revolutionize content discovery or confuse viewers. For creators, this presents both an opportunity and a challenge. Your long-form content might suddenly find a new audience, but it also means adapting your strategy to ensure your videos shine in this new context.

The potential benefits are intriguing:

• Increased exposure to long-form content

• A chance to hook Shorts viewers into watching full videos

• Possible boost in overall channel engagement

However, creators should be prepared for some analytics confusion. YouTube warns that long-form views from the Shorts feed may be counted as Shorts views in Analytics. This blurring of lines between formats signals a potential shift towards a more unified, vertically-aligned viewing experience across YouTube.

The other thing that is unclear is how monetization will work for creators on their long-form content shown in the Shorts feed. The behavior of pre-roll ads in regular videos is clear, but the monetization on the Shorts feed has been abysmal for creators. If the addition of long-form videos on the Shorts feed suddenly lowers monetization for those videos, that would be a disaster!

That said, it's time to start thinking about how to optimize long-form content for potential Shorts feed appearances. Consider creating thumbnails and intros that work in both orientations. Keep an eye on your analytics, as YouTube notes that long-form views from the Shorts feed may be measured as Shorts views – a potentially confusing metric to navigate.

DNC's Creator Embrace: A Game-Changer for Political Engagement

The Democratic National Convention is rolling out the red carpet for content creators, and it's a big deal for the digital landscape. With over 200 creators getting VIP treatment, including studio space and interviews with party bigwigs, the DNC is betting big on social media influence.

Here's why this matters for video creators:

• Unprecedented access: Creators are getting credentials on par with legacy media

• Vertical video focus: Convention footage will be optimized for TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube

• Potential for massive reach: The DNC aims to "multiply our reach" through creator partnerships

This move isn't just about courting Gen Z – it's a recognition of how information spreads in the digital age. With Vice President Kamala Harris riding a wave of online enthusiasm, the Democrats are tapping into the power of authentic, creator-driven content.

For video creators, this presents an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of political engagement. Whether you're politically inclined or not, the DNC's strategy highlights the growing importance of creator-driven content in shaping public discourse.

Creator Spotlight: Destiny

Destiny, also known as Steven Bonnell II, is a prominent political commentator and Twitch streamer turned YouTuber. His channel, which boasts over 700,000 subscribers, is known for its provocative debates, in-depth discussions on current events, and engaging content across various topics.

One of Destiny's key strategies is his focus on visual appeal and thumbnail creation. He understands the importance of eye-catching visuals in attracting viewers, as evidenced by his tutorials on creating 3D thumbnails using software like Blender and Photoshop. This attention to detail in thumbnail design sets his content apart in a crowded YouTube landscape.

Destiny’s thumbnails are part of a brand strategy that is unique and won’t work for everyone. His thumbnails can be “crowded” with a lot of faces and elements. But they will almost always feature Destiny himself in an action shot that is very candid and taken from the video itself. He uses white and yellow fonts mostly, with a touch of red at times. He labels his “debate” videos as such so that you can tell those apart easily. His thumbnails can feature 5+ faces, which breaks all the great thumbnail advice out there.

But, one thing is true - if you are a Destiny subscriber, you can find his videos from a distance! So, his thumbnails are clearly optimized for the returning viewer more so than new ones - although his controversial text on thumbnails and video titles make up for that by creating enough intrigue.

Beyond thumbnails, what sets Destiny apart is his unique blend of intellectual discourse and edgy persona. He's not afraid to tackle complex topics or challenge popular opinions, which attracts viewers who appreciate critical thinking and bold content. His authenticity and willingness to adapt to changing viewer interests have helped him maintain relevance in a competitive space.

Destiny’s editors are worth a shoutout - they create huge numbers of clips from his several hours-long footage to multiply his monetization in record time, every time he drops a video!

For aspiring creators, Destiny's success offers valuable lessons:

• Invest time in creating high-quality thumbnails and visuals, including a unique brand identity and theme.

• Diversify your content to appeal to a wider audience.

• Don't shy away from controversial topics, but approach them thoughtfully.

• Build a strong community around your channel.

• Stay authentic and be willing to adapt to trends.

• Multiply your engagement and monetization with clips and highlights.

Final note: Destiny shares 46% of his YouTube revenue with his editing team, roughly amounting to $600K per year! Of course, his editors have a tough job of dealing with hours of footage, making thumbnails, and clips at speeds humanly difficult to fathom!

While Destiny's team spends significant time and money editing clips and creating engaging content, Rizzle can help smaller creators achieve similar results. By using AI to assist in creating teasers, highlights, and thumbnails, you can elevate your content and grow your channel without a large production team. Consider how Rizzle's services could streamline your content creation process and help you implement some of Destiny's successful strategies.

In Other News…

• Creator Economy Takes Center Stage in Digital Marketing: A new report by GlobalData confirms what we've all been feeling - the creator economy is now crucial to digital marketing. Influencer marketing is leading the charge, with short-form content proving to be a goldmine for businesses. Gen Z, take note: this industry isn't just surviving economic downturns, it's thriving.

• YouTube Expands Long Ad Breaks on CTV: YouTube is looking to add more long ad breaks to facilitate bigger blocks of uninterrupted content within its Connected TV experiences. Their experimentation phase continues, and nobody knows what will happen next!

• Biden Administration Tackles AI and Privacy in Creator Conference: The White House's first-ever Creator-focused conference wasn't just for show. They dove into the nitty-gritty of AI and data privacy challenges facing creators. President Biden himself showed up, emphasizing how crucial creators are in today's digital landscape. It's about time the government caught up with this newfound economy's rapid growth!

• 2024 Creator Report: Show Me the Money! ConvertKit's latest report spills the tea on creator earnings and trends. Long-form content is making a comeback, and AI tools are becoming creators' new best friends. If you're not thinking about monetization strategies, you're leaving money on the table. Time to level up your income game!