YouTube Shorts are short, vertical videos created using a smartphone and uploaded directly to YouTube from the YouTube app, like Stories.

Short-form creators across platforms grow rapidly. Shorts seem to be effective at reaching a larger audience but they don't allow creators to connect on the same level and build the depth of relationship with their followers as long-form videos do. 

When you’re setting up YouTube Shorts, you can create an entirely separate channel for your Shorts or place the Shorts widget in your main channel. But we recommend keeping your Shorts on your main channel. This is because aligning your main feed YouTube content and your Shorts content in one place will make it easier for your audience to stay engaged with your videos.

Tip 💡: It's important for creators to remember the balance between the quality of connection and the quantity. 

Shorts are a very powerful format optimized for discovery. Shorts provide width, but only use that to bring viewers into a funnel where you can provide depth. 

Pro tip ⚡️: YouTube will automatically categorize any YouTube content that’s 60 seconds or less as a Short.

How to monetize YouTube Shorts?

After all, many creators and brands use YouTube to bring in extra revenue. That’s because YouTube is the only platform (so far) that offers revenue-sharing to creators. 

Starting in early 2023, Shorts creators can qualify for the Partner Program, which means they can earn ad revenue from YouTube.

Shorts creators will need at least 10 million views over the previous 90 days in order to join the Partner Program. Once they’re in the program, creators will earn 45% of ad revenue from their videos.

David Stack, a YouTube editor from Durham, North Carolina, shares his earnings and experience working with YouTube celebrities.

David had the foresight to collaborate with the biggest YouTube players because they bring in the most money. So, at first, he was always looking for better clients, and he never worked for the same person for more than two months. David has since concentrated on improving his skills and earning potential as a YouTube editor.

His income varies; he can earn anywhere from $7k to $30k per month. With the economy in shambles, he raised his prices to protect himself as a freelancer. And because he is constantly improving, he wants to be compensated for the quality of his work.

David's rates have gradually increased from $1,000 per video to $1,500 to $3,000 per video since the beginning of the year, depending on the work load and the difficulty of the work requested by the client.

How did he get MrBeast?

He introduced himself and sent his portfolio to him. And he responded by offering him a job editing his Christmas video, "I Put 1,000,000 Christmas Lights on a House."

Following the video, David worked for MrBeast's Beast Philanthropy channel for about a year. David requested non-exclusivity so that he could continue to collaborate with other creators. 

Earlier this week, Meta announced several new ad formats across Facebook and Instagram. 

On Facebook, creators can now earn a share of ad revenue on Reels with "Post-Loop ads," which play after a viewer has rewatched a Reel.

It's even bringing back ad revenue share to Instagram, with a new twist: ads on creators' profiles.

Ads will appear on public Instagram accounts in between posts — so the next time you're stalking through someone's feed, you could be served an ad. As part of the test, Instagram will begin experimenting with an ad-rev-share model for these ads.

Here's a breakdown of the various money-making tools Instagram is testing or has rolled out for creators:

• Creators can receive tips with "Badges" on IG Live and the platform is testing "Gifts" on Reels. Ronne Brown, an influencer and entrepreneur with about 250,000 followers, told Insider that she made more than $1,000 from Badges in October 2020.
• Creators can set up shop on Instagram and sell products like merchandise. Creators selling their own products will make money from those sales, depending on their business structures.
• Instagram is testing an NFT tool called "digital collectibles." Users can share NFTs they've either minted or collected by linking a third-party wallet, such as MetaMask or Rainbow. 
• Instagram is incentivizing creators with "Bonuses" for posting Reels. How much money a creator earns is determined by performance and which Reels Play Bonus offer an influencer receives. Some influencers have been offered maximum payouts between $800 and $35,000 for their Reels. Instagram also announced last year that it would reward some creators with a "surprise bonus" of up to $10,000.
• Instagram is testing subscriptions and exclusive content. Creators set the price points for their subscriptions, which are limited to monthly options that range from $0.99 to $99.99, as of earlier this year. Meta said the company will not take a percentage of the earnings until 2024.
• Instagram is revisiting ad revenue share with a new test on profile feeds. Instagram will begin to pay some US-based creators a share of the ad revenue from these ads, but has not yet disclosed more details about the program.
• Connecting brands and creators via Instagram's very own "Creator Marketplace." Influencers will earn money by getting paid by the brands that connect with them via the marketplace. Instagram will later introduce a way to pay creators directly within the app; it's not yet clear whether Meta has plans to take any percentage of these deals like a traditional agency might.

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