How to Get Views on YouTube Shorts: Best Strategies That Actually Works

YouTube Shorts has rapidly become a game-changer for creators and brands. If you’re not using it yet, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity. This short form video format has proven to pull in more subscribers than traditional long-form content, and the results speak for themselves.

Creators like Zach King, with his viral magic videos, and MrBeast, using Shorts to grow his massive following, show how powerful this tool can be. The format is perfect for quick, engaging content, and it’s super easy to create with just your phone.

For example, a small business like a candle maker could use Shorts to showcase their unique process or display their products in creative ways, drawing in new customers without a huge investment in time or equipment. Plus, Shorts are featured prominently on YouTube’s mobile app, making it easier than ever for people to discover your videos.

In this post, we’ll break down the top strategies and tips you need to use YouTube Shorts to grow your channel. Whether you’re new to Shorts or a seasoned creator, these tips will help you get noticed and build your audience.

Why You Should Care About YouTube Shorts (The Game Has Changed!)

YouTube Shorts has quickly become a major player in the digital world, and if you’re not paying attention, you might be leaving a lot of potential growth on the table. Here’s why Shorts is something every creator should care about:

1. Explosive Growth Opportunities: The most obvious reason to jump on the Shorts bandwagon is the potential for massive reach. YouTube has integrated Shorts directly into its mobile app, making them super accessible to a global audience. What does that mean for you? More eyeballs on your content than ever before. Whether you’re a creator or a small business, YouTube Shorts is the perfect way to break through the noise.

2. Quick, Captivating Content: Short videos are taking over, and YouTube Shorts fits perfectly into this shift. With videos lasting up to 60 seconds, it’s a quick way to catch the viewer’s attention. As people scroll through their feeds, a short video is less of a time commitment, which can lead to higher watch rates and more people sticking around to see your next upload.

3. Higher Visibility = More Subscribers: Unlike regular YouTube videos, Shorts often get featured in the “Shorts” shelf, giving them extra visibility. If people enjoy your video, they’re more likely to subscribe to your channel, helping you build a stronger community. More views mean more opportunities for subscribers.

4. Low-Cost, High-Reward: Creating YouTube Shorts doesn’t require fancy equipment. With just your phone and some creativity, you can create content that resonates with your audience. This makes it ideal for creators on a budget or small businesses looking to maximize their marketing efforts without breaking the bank.

Now, let’s get into 20 strategies that can help you get more views on YouTube Shorts!

Bonus: How to Create Viral YouTube Shorts: Tips from Top Creators

20+ Strategies to Get More Views on YouTube Shorts

1. Use a Thumbnail That Actually Makes People Stop

Even though YouTube Shorts play automatically, thumbnails still show up in search results, playlists, and channel feeds. A boring frame from your video won’t help. Use a freeze-frame that sparks curiosity or makes people ask, “What’s this about?”

Example: Someone cooking a weird combo like “Ramen + Ice Cream?”—that kind of frame can make people pause. It’s weird enough to click.

2. Reply When People Mention You

Let’s say someone tags your channel in their Short or mentions you in the comments. Don’t ignore it—reply, thank them, or join the conversation. It shows you’re not just dumping content and disappearing.

Example: A small gaming creator replied to every person who tagged them in a reaction Short—and got more duets and re-posts because people felt seen.

3. Feature Viewer Content

If someone recreates your recipe, remix, or idea—feature them in your own Short. It makes them feel good and encourages more people to join in.

Example: A DIY channel asked viewers to recreate a $5 decor hack and post it with a hashtag. They then stitched a few in their own Shorts, creating a loop of people trying it out just to get featured.

4. Use Hashtags That People Are Already Clicking

Don’t just throw in #funny or #viral and call it a day. Search for hashtags people in your niche are actually watching. Look at what similar creators are using and which tags have active Shorts under them.

Example: A fitness creator used #10minworkout instead of generic ones, and their Shorts started appearing alongside other high-performing videos in that category.

Bonus: YouTube Shorts Monetization 101: A Comprehensive Guide for Content Creators

5. Don’t Just Post to Post

If your Shorts look rushed or feel like fillers, people will scroll past. Take your time—even if it means fewer uploads. Make sure lighting, audio, and your message are all solid.

Example: One comedy creator posts just two Shorts a week, but they’re so well shot and timed, each gets thousands of comments and shares—no quantity needed.

6. Try Different Video Lengths

Some stories don’t need a full 60 seconds. A 12-second clever skit or reaction can perform better than a long-winded one. Keep testing what length holds your audience till the end.

Example: A food channel found their 18-second “weird snack combos” series outperformed their usual 50-second recipes. It was quick, quirky, and sharable.

7. Collaborate Without Overcomplicating

You don’t need a big influencer to collaborate. Just team up with someone in your niche. Do a reaction to each other’s Shorts or stitch your content together. It’s simple and helps cross-pollinate audiences.

Example: A beauty creator and a skincare reviewer made a “$10 or Less Routine” together. They each posted one half—and their audiences blended.

8. Tap Into Real Emotions

You don’t have to act like a movie star. But showing a real moment—laughter, surprise, frustration—makes people watch. Viewers relate to emotions way more than perfectly polished videos.

Example: A small vlogger filmed their reaction to hitting 1,000 subs—genuine tears, no fancy edits. That Short got them their next 5K.

Bonus: YouTube Shorts Vs TikTok Ads: Where Should You Advertise?

9. Post Consistently to Stay on Your Audience’s Radar

If your Shorts show up randomly, people won’t know when to expect them. Build a habit—for both yourself and your viewers.

Example: A book reviewer posts Shorts every Tuesday and Friday. Their followers now look out for “short book takes” twice a week. Over time, those regular uploads helped increase their YouTube Shorts views without chasing trends daily.

10. Add Captions—Most People Watch Without Sound

A huge number of viewers scroll through Shorts on mute, especially in public. If your Short relies on voice but has no captions, you’re losing attention fast.

Example: A tech creator’s how-to Shorts started getting longer watch time after they began using simple on-screen captions. Non-native speakers also commented that it helped them follow along better.

11. Use Emojis (But Only Where They Help the Point)

Emojis can break text up visually or add a bit of tone. Use them sparingly in your captions or overlays to make your YouTube Shorts more readable and expressive.

Example: A language learning channel adds a 🌍 emoji when talking about cultures, or 😂 when a phrase sounds funny. It connects quickly with the viewer without overloading the screen.

12. Join Trends, But Stay True to Your Niche

Trends can bring traffic, but jumping on every viral audio or idea might confuse your audience. Pick ones that naturally fit your content.

Example: A travel creator used a trending “Things I Wouldn’t Do Again” format to talk about travel mistakes. It got picked up in the trend feed, but still fit their usual style—and their YouTube Shorts views doubled that week.

Bonus: YouTube Shorts Automation: Best AI Tools Compared

13. Create Loops That Encourage Rewatching

Design your video so it flows back to the start smoothly. This kind of looping structure can increase retention, which is a big signal for the Shorts algorithm.

Example: A fashion channel made a “before/after” outfit Short where the transition loops cleanly. Viewers often watched twice to catch details. The replays helped grow their YouTube Shorts engagement organically.

14. Track What’s Working in YouTube Studio

If you’re posting Shorts without checking what’s already working, you’re guessing. YouTube Studio gives real insight into your YouTube Shorts performance—like how long people are watching, where they drop off, and what videos get the most views.

Example: A food creator realized that their recipe Shorts with step-by-step text overlays had a higher average view duration than their fast-forwarded cooking timelapses. Instead of guessing what to post next, they used this data to double down on text-overlaid, quick recipes—and views steadily improved.

👉 Tip: Sort your Shorts by “Watch Time” and “Retention” in YouTube Studio weekly to spot patterns.

15. Reply to Comments to Keep the Conversation Going

Replying to comments does more than just acknowledge your viewers. It keeps the video active and tells YouTube that people are still talking about it—which can lead to more reach and higher YouTube Shorts views.

Example: A tech reviewer responded to every question under their Shorts—even repeating similar answers. Some replies sparked mini-conversations, which pushed the Short back into circulation and led to a noticeable increase in replays days later.

👉 Tip: Heart the comments you like most—it notifies users and often gets them to return.

16. Write Clear, Curious Titles

Click-worthy titles don’t need to be clickbait. A clear and curious title helps people quickly understand what your Short is about—and why they should watch it.

Example: Instead of “Transformation Tuesday,” a fitness creator titled their Short “I did 20 pushups every day for 2 weeks—here’s what happened.” That simple tweak doubled views.

👉 Tip: Think of what someone would Google if they had your video’s problem or question.

17. Use Music Trends That Actually Fit

Using trending audio can help your Short show up in music-based feeds. But don’t just use a sound because it’s hot—make sure it matches your content. Forced trends don’t hold attention.

Example: A morning routine Short by a productivity coach used an upbeat trending track that matched the tone of their video. It wasn’t just background noise—it added energy. Viewers commented things like “this song made me wanna get up and move,” which pushed the Short further.

👉 Tip: Preview trending sounds in the Shorts audio library before picking one, and see how others are using it.

Bonus: Top 5 AI Youtube Shorts Generator

18. Add a Clear and Simple CTA (Call to Action)

Viewers often need a small nudge to interact. A short question or suggestion at the end of your video can lead to more comments, likes, or shares. These interactions directly impact your YouTube Shorts engagement.

Example: A pet channel ends their dog trick Shorts with “Which trick should we teach her next?” That one line encourages replies, keeps viewers watching future content, and creates a feedback loop.

👉 Tip: Use CTAs that fit naturally. Don’t say “comment below” just for the sake of it—ask something specific.

19. Use Tools to Research What’s Already Working

If you’re wondering how to get views on YouTube Shorts, start by analyzing the content that’s already trending in your niche. But don’t rely solely on YouTube Studio—use third-party tools to dig deeper into keywords, tags, and traffic sources.

Example: A recipe creator used a keyword tool to analyze what people were searching. They noticed “3-ingredient meals” was trending and created a Short using that title. It brought in 5x their usual views.

👉 Pro Tip: Use free tools like Google Trends to track rising search terms. Tools like TubeBuddy can also help you find the best tags for YouTube Shorts based on your topic and competition level.

20. Create Shorts Around Real Questions

One of the best ways to connect with your audience is by answering the questions they’re already asking. Instead of guessing what might work, think like a viewer. What would you type into the search bar?

Example: A hairstylist shifted from just showing haircuts to answering specific questions like, “What haircut suits a round face?” That Short got shared widely in comment sections and Facebook beauty groups, leading to thousands of new views and followers.

👉 Pro Tip: Don’t overthink it—just answer what people are genuinely curious about. If you’re short on time or need help scripting or structuring your content, an AI YouTube Shorts generator can help turn a question into a punchy Short within minutes. It’s especially helpful when you want to keep your uploads consistent but don’t want to start from scratch each time.

Bonus: Best AI Scheduling Tools For Youtube Shorts

21. Build a Story, Even in 30 Seconds

Want people to watch your Shorts all the way through—or even better, rewatch them? Tell a story. It doesn’t have to be dramatic or overproduced. A simple structure can keep viewers engaged from the first second to the last.

Example: A cleaning creator opened a Short with a chaotic, messy kitchen, then cut to a fast-paced cleanup montage, and ended with a sparkling after-shot. That “before–during–after” format gave people a reason to watch the whole thing—and replays helped get more views on YouTube Shorts without changing anything else.

👉 Pro Tip: Use basic storytelling techniques—setup, action, and payoff. It works for tutorials, mini-vlogs, transformations, and reaction content.

22. Push Your Shorts Beyond YouTube

YouTube is just one part of the puzzle. If you want to reach more people, don’t wait for the algorithm to do all the work. Share your Shorts on platforms where your target viewers are already active.

Example: A handmade candle business posted a “packing order” Short in a small business Facebook group. The post didn’t just include the link—it was framed like a personal milestone. That one share brought in 8,000+ new views over the weekend.

👉 Pro Tip: When repurposing Shorts, always add context. Instead of “check out my video,” say, “I finally got my first big order—here’s how I packed it.” That kind of hook gets better engagement.

This approach is especially helpful if you’re figuring out how to get more views on your YouTube Shorts without relying solely on YouTube search.

23. Keep It Real—People Watch People

Highly polished Shorts can work—but so can unfiltered, real moments. In fact, being genuine is one of the most underrated ways to connect with viewers and grow your audience over time.

Example: A language learner recorded a Short practicing Korean out loud. They stumbled through words and laughed at their mistakes. That unfiltered vibe resonated with other learners—and the video was saved, shared, and rewatched more than any of their previous content.

👉 Pro Tip: Drop the idea of perfection. Just hit record. Whether you’re using an AI YouTube Shorts generator to help plan content or winging it on the fly, showing your real self helps build lasting connections—and those connections lead to views.

Conclusion: Keep Experimenting and Stay Consistent

If you’ve made it this far, here’s the truth—there’s no magic formula to going viral with YouTube Shorts. The creators who get more views on YouTube Shorts aren’t doing just one thing right. They’re testing, learning, and adapting constantly.

Some Shorts flop. Others take off unexpectedly. That’s part of the process.

The key? Show up consistently. Keep making content that you would stop and watch. Use the best tags for YouTube Shorts, try out a new AI YouTube Shorts generator, follow your analytics closely, and tweak things as you go. The more you publish, the better you’ll understand what your audience wants.

Think of YouTube Shorts like a conversation—you speak, your audience responds. Then you adjust.

Quick Takeaways:

• 🎯 Create with purpose: Make Shorts that spark curiosity, answer real questions, or tell mini-stories your audience cares about.
• 🚀 Experiment often: Try trends, test hooks, and play with formats. The Shorts that go viral are often the ones that break your routine.
• 👀 Keep tracking: Watch your analytics. Which Shorts are keeping people watching? Which ones fall flat? Let the data guide your next move.
• 🤝 Engage and share: Don’t just post—reply to comments, repost to other platforms, and collaborate when possible.

You’re not just learning how to get more views on YouTube Shorts—you’re building your creative muscle. Each upload makes you sharper. Every experiment teaches you something new.

So go on—film that next Short. Test that new idea. Use your tools (yes, even an AI YouTube Shorts generator if it helps with consistency). And most importantly, enjoy the process.

Because when you’re having fun, your audience feels it—and they keep coming back for more.