As a content creator, choosing the right video format for your YouTube strategy is crucial. Many users may hesitate to make a choice between YouTube Shorts and long videos. Here’s a full comparison of YouTube Shorts vs long videos, published on the MiniTool Video Converter website.
In recent years, YouTube has introduced short-form videos of up to 60 seconds – Shorts, to compete with platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels. But are YouTube Shorts more popular than regular videos? Compared with the traditional YouTube content – long videos, they both have their own advantages and disadvantages. If you’re unsure about the ideal YouTube video length, let’s delve into the detailed comparison of YouTube videos vs Shorts.
YouTube Shorts vs Long Videos: Pros and Cons
In this section, I will compare the pros and cons of YouTube Shorts and long videos.
YouTube Shorts
Pros:
- Improved visibility: Shorts are highlighted in a dedicated tab on YouTube, making them easily discoverable by new viewers who enjoy short-form content.
- No heavy production required: Shorts can be shot with a smartphone and usually require minimal editing.
- Quick engagement: With a maximum length of 60 seconds, Shorts are perfect for capturing the attention of viewers with shorter attention spans, resulting in quick engagement.
- Viral potential: Shorts have a higher chance of going viral because their content is concise and easy to share across platforms.
- High engagement rates: The average engagement rate for Shorts is significantly higher than for long-form videos.
Cons:
- Limited monetization options: Monetizing Shorts can be more challenging than traditional YouTube videos, which can be a drawback for creators looking to monetize their content directly.
- Less content depth: The brevity of Shorts means you have less time to convey your message, which can be limiting if your content requires a detailed explanation.
- Greater competition: As more creators join Shorts, it becomes increasingly challenging to stand out from the crowd.
Long Videos
Pros:
- Deep engagement: Long-form videos offer deeper storytelling and detailed content, which can deepen your audience engagement and build stronger connections with them.
- More monetization options: Longer videos provide more opportunities for ads, including pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll ads, which can help increase revenue potential.
- Higher watch time: Long videos typically increase the time spent watching the content, thus keeping viewers engaged and contributing greatly to overall channel growth.
- Enhanced SEO: Longer watch time can improve your content’s search rankings on YouTube, leading to more organic visibility.
- Stronger viewer connections: Long-form content often helps creators build stronger emotional connections with their audiences through in-depth storytelling and thoughtful discussions.
Cons:
- Not suitable for mobile viewing: The aspect ratio of long videos is different from Shorts, which makes it not suitable for viewing on mobile phones.
- Higher production costs: Compared to Shorts, producing high-quality long-form content can require more time, resources, and budget.
When to Choose YouTube Shorts vs Long Videos
Since both YouTube Shorts and long videos have their pros and cons, it’s important to determine the optimal time to publish them.
YouTube Shorts are best when:
- Targeting younger viewers: Younger viewers such as Gen Z may prefer watching quick and engaging content on their phones.
- Increasing discoverability: YouTube’s algorithm favors Shorts for quick viewing, making them ideal for increasing visibility.
- Creating topics or promoting events: The viral nature of Shorts makes them perfect for quickly generating interest and promoting events.
Long videos are best when:
- Diving deeper into the topic: If your content requires detailed explanation or in-depth analysis, long-form videos are your best option.
- Building a loyal subscriber base: Long-form content can help build a loyal audience who will come back for in-depth content.
- Improving SEO and monetization: Longer videos rank better in YouTube search results and provide more ad placements, resulting in higher revenue.
Should You Post Both on YouTube? Of course! You can try to post both YouTube Shorts and long videos for optimal reach and engagement.
Bonus: How Can You Save Both YouTube Shorts and Long Videos
Is there a way to enjoy YouTube Shorts and long videos offline for free? You can try a YouTube video downloader like MiniTool Video Converter to save them to your local folder for offline playback.
MiniTool Video Converter enables you to download almost all types of content from YouTube, including videos, Shorts, playlists, music, subtitles, and more. Plus, it allows you to download up to 10 videos at the same time to save time and effort. Click the following button to try it now!
MiniTool Video ConverterClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Final Verdict: Which to Choose
YouTube Shorts vs long videos: which one should you create? Both of them offer unique benefits and serve different purposes. The choice depends on your specific needs.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Lydia is always interested in new things and has been attracted deeply by writing. Her love for writing makes her become an English editor about multimedia in MiniTool. She’s determined to write articles about photos, audio, video, and other news to offer readers useful suggestions. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, reading, photography, and having fun with friends.