YouTube Shorts were introduced in 2020 as an answer to TikTok, and if you want any success in the platform, using them is essential regardless of your thoughts on them. Some YouTubers make Shorts their entire channel, while others use them to create long-form content.
Shorts can do well in the algorithm- until they aren’t. In some cases, your YouTube Shorts aren’t getting the views you expect. You may be getting views, and your recent ones haven’t popped off. Or you have yet to get any.
No matter the case, let’s look at why this is the case.
It’s Not Engaging Your Audience
YouTube promotes Shorts via your audience, and if it does well there, on the Shorts tab. If your audience is watching it and giving it engagement, this may be the problem.
One way you can get engagement is to create snappy content. You may believe that, by nature, Shorts are just that. However, if you’re using all 60 seconds, ask yourself, “Can I do that in half the time?” Can you do it in 15 seconds?
To be blunt, Shorts are for people with short attention spans, and if your video isn’t captivating within the first few seconds, they will dislike it and go to the next one.
It Doesn’t Cater to Your Target Audience
Your Shorts should have your target audience in mind. The algorithm recommends your Shorts based on their interests, and if you have ensured that your Shorts are directed toward a target audience, they will succeed. However, Shorts that don’t have an audience in mind can falter.
You Aren’t Experimenting With The Title
Shorts are all about experimentation. Using the right keywords and hashtags in your title can get the right audience, but so can giving an enticing, clickbait title. Feel free to mess around with the title a bit and see if you get results. If you look at the Shorts tab, you’ll see Shorts with small titles and Shorts with hashtags.
You’re Not Publishing at the Right Time
If you’re not uploading Shorts when your audience is active, this can be a problem. Now, every guide out there has a magic time, ranging from after-work hours to the afternoon. Ultimately, it can depend on when your audience is most active, which you can see on your stats page.
Unfortunately, YouTube has (yet) to have a Shorts scheduler as they do with their regular videos. We recommend you prepare your Short, then publish it at the ideal time.
Posting too Consistently or Inconsistently
While playing around with the schedule is okay, you also don’t want to upload Shorts inconsistently. Uploading at least three a week is ideal.
However, it may be a bad move to upload many per day. In this case, it could lower your stance in the algorithm. This is unconfirmed, but on YouTube, it seems like they prefer having a balance between not uploading at all and uploading a ton.
The Shorts Algorithm is Just Plain Odd
Finally, as content creators ourselves, the Shorts algorithm is mysterious and can sometimes be inconsistent. In one second, your Shorts can get thousands of views. The next, they are getting ten at most. If you keep uploading Shorts, the algorithm may fix itself, and you’ll get views again.
Some YouTubers have even reported deleting a failed Short, reuploading it, and getting better views. While we don’t recommend this, this shows the nature of how odd the Shorts algorithm can be.
Another thing you must remember is that Shorts are meant to be disposable. They are shown in the algorithm briefly, can get views, then won’t get much at all unless they’re incredibly niche. Therefore, if your YouTube Shorts views stop, know that this is the nature of the beast.
Conclusion
YouTube Shorts have been around for over two years, yet they are still a brave new world for many YouTubers. If your Shorts aren’t performing well, don’t give up! The algorithm can be a wild beast, and by adjusting your strategy, it can be possible for you to get back on top.
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