The Benefits of Being a Multi-Format Creator on YouTube

Short-form content has become essential to any creator’s content strategy. Your ability to create and craft a compelling story in a short amount of time will make you a better creator and ultimately drive more success for your channel, especially with YouTube doubling down on its multi-format approach with Shorts.

Don’t get it twisted: YouTube’s long-form content has and always will be king, but the benefits of adopting a multi-format strategy outweigh the convenience and tradition of strictly uploading just longer videos and hosting livestreams—we’re seeing this with our BBTV creators! In fact, YouTube Shorts will allow you to bridge new viewers and fans to your long-form content. Combining that with the monetization of YouTube Shorts coming soon, you can expect significant growth in viewership and revenue across your channel.

What Are The Benefits of a Multi-Format Strategy?

Let’s get it out of the way: long-form videos and YouTube Shorts don’t compete with each other on the platform. YouTube has even explained that Shorts can be used to supplement and support your long-form content. Why? Shorts is well-positioned to entertain viewers looking for bite-sized content during breaks in their day-to-day routine.

“[YouTube] channels uploading both Shorts and long-form are seeing better overall watch time and subscriber growth relative to those only uploading long-form.”

Most of these new subscribers are Shorts viewers who wouldn’t otherwise be engaging with a long-form creator’s content.

There are over 1.5 billion users watching at least one YouTube Short monthly, opening a window of opportunity for YouTubers (especially creators focused on long-form) to create engaging Shorts that function as both standalone entertainment and as a gateway to their larger channel for millions of viewers.

You can use YouTube Shorts to promote long-form videos: YouTube Shorts helps build awareness in baby steps. It takes time and effort to build a relationship that turns a viewer into a fan, especially if your existing content strategy focuses on longer videos. Think of Shorts as a quick and digestible way of sharing who and what viewers can expect; an effective method to slowly bake yourself into your audience’s minds and establish a connection.

At first, many creators were concerned that YouTube Shorts had no positive effect on the performance of their long-form videos or their channel. Now, YouTube shares that viewers who watch your Shorts will see your long-form content in their recommended section, sharing the spotlight with the bread and butter of your channel.

Viewers just want shorter content: While longer videos remain the cream of the crop, it’s important to note that the average person’s attention span has decreased. 

“The average human has an attention span of just 8.25 seconds according to recent studies – 4.25 seconds less than in 2000.”

The proof is in the pudding: the rise and demand of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and now YouTube Shorts content shows that viewers (especially Gen-Z and Millennials) are spending much less time consuming your long-form videos.

Remember: your short-form content viewership isn’t always the same as your long-form fan base or livestream regulars. Adopting a multi-format strategy, creating both short and long-form content, lays a path for you to engage new audiences based on their viewing preferences.

Go viral and stay relevant: According to our Creator Growth experts, creators should be thinking about their content strategy more holistically. How your videos are repurposed for long-form, short-form, live streaming, and audio will impact how long your content can stay relevant.

“Shorts are a great way to extend the shelf-life of your channel’s content.”

Repurpose Your Long-Form Content To YouTube Shorts

Adopting a multi-format strategy on YouTube will elevate your channel to new heights. The question is, where do I start? 

If you’re already creating long-form videos on YouTube or hosting livestreams, your pre-existing library is the best place to start. Think of Shorts as a trailer for your long-form content in the shape of:

• Highlights from a recent livestream
• Quick snippet of a food/drink recipe
• Lists i.e. Top 5 Outfits, Top 3 Shoes, 3 Fall Makeup Products, etc.
• Before & After videos
• Behind the scenes
• “Did You Know?”
• Industry News and Updates
• Unboxings or product reviews
• Hacks, Tutorials, & “How-To” videos

YouTube wants its creators to take Shorts as seriously as they do. The platform has launched  three key remixing styles that allow you to sample eligible videos, encouraging more collaboration amongst YouTubers and user-generated content from your fans so you can grow your channel naturally.

• Sound: When using “Sound”, creators choose a snippet of audio (up to 15 sec) from an eligible video to use in their Short.
• Green Screen: In this style, creators can sample up to 60 seconds of content from an eligible video to use as the background of their Short.
• Cut: The “Cut” feature allows users to use a 1-5 second segment of content as the intro for their Short.

Sampled content plays a huge role in the world of Shorts. In April 2022, Shorts containing content sampled from long-form videos generated over 100 billion views. By repurposing your long-form videos, especially popular or viral content, you can fetch a big piece of the pie. 

“…a powerful byproduct has been seeing all of the amazing new ways that Shorts is helping invigorate a creator’s existing channel or inform a new content strategy.”

Multi-format creators producing a fusion of content between Shorts, long-form, live, and audio are maximizing their creativity, reach, engagement, and potential revenue. Seamlessly moving between different formats allows you to build a unique connection with your audience based on their consumption preferences, boosting your channel’s discoverability while leaving a lasting impression on your viewers.

Other popular platforms are focused on one format such as TikTok (short-form), Twitch (live streaming), and Spotify (audio). Other platforms are still attempting to incorporate a multi-format approach (Instagram). YouTube’s multi-format offerings are unrivaled and polished, providing you with multiple pathways to success while captivating fans at a larger scale.

Being one-dimensional is no longer a choice; many BBTV creators with a multi-format approach such as T-Pain, Alan Chikin Chow, The Furrha Family, Chris Staples, Jenna Bandy, and INTHELAB are seeing success translate across all aspects of their channel. Our industry experts continue to lend a helping hand in the impact of BBTV creators’ content strategies.

Looking to join the rising class of multi-format creators to bring your YouTube channel to new heights? Connect with BBTV to work with our world-class Creator Growth team to learn how you can effectively and seamlessly produce content across multiple formats to reach and engage new fans!