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Let’s see the best way to publish YouTube Shorts to finally get your channel off the ground this year. We tend to think that if a pair of Shorts doesn’t get views, it’s because the video is bad; in fact, the problem isn’t there: it’s the way you upload your Shorts. The right post settings allowed me to go from a Short with 388 views to a Short with almost 100,000 views.

1. Publish from the application, not from a browser

Does not publish from a browser on a computer. This is the error that I see most often: on browser, there are options that are not available, such as adding trending music or better thumbnail control. Instead, use the YouTube mobile application or YouTube Studio (Play Store / Apple Store). Before publishing, check that the application is up to date.

The steps to upload a Short correctly :

• Open the YouTube app.
• Press the “+ » button at the bottom of the screen, then Add to select the Shorts you have edited (or create them directly from the app if necessary).
• Once the video is selected, options appear on the right. If your Shorts are already fitted, you can press the check button directly on the bottom right.
• Add trendy music and adjust the volumes
• At the top, add some trendy music: this really increases your chances of appearing in the Shorts tab.
• Click on the volume icon at the top right: leave the original audio at 100% and turn down the music so that everything is audible.
• Press Next.

You will arrive at the upload parameters of your Shorts, with differences compared to long videos.

2. Miniature

 For Shorts, you cannot import your own thumbnail: you can only select an image from the Shorts. This limits the possibilities, but here are two tips to create an eye-catching miniature :

Use the most “wow” moment of the video: a strong expression or a striking action that attracts attention.

Create an eye-catching image yourself during editing: add a very strong visual for 0.3 seconds at the end of the Shorts. Then, click on the pencil to modify the thumbnail and select this image.

• Title: short, powerful, keyword-oriented
• The title is complementary to the thumbnail to get the clicks.
• Choose a short title (less than 50 characters).
• We sometimes see #shorts in the title: why not; on the other hand, avoid adding #viral or #foryou in the title.

3. When to publish your Shorts to maximize views

The time of publication can have a huge impact on views.

If you have active subscribers, publish when your viewers are on YouTube: in YouTube Studio > Audience > When your viewers are on YouTube. A spike in engagement just after going live sends a very good signal to the algorithm.

If you’re just starting out or don’t have a big audience yet, try less saturated schedules: early in the morning or late at night to come out with less competition in the Shorts feed.

In general, the weekend (from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon) remains a good period: people have more time to scroll.

Test several niches and compare the statistics: what works for one channel may be very different for another.

4. Conclusion

To explode the views of your YouTube Shorts, don’t focus only on the video itself: publish via the application, add trendy music by adjusting the volumes well, optimize the thumbnail (by inserting a “wow” moment to capture), choose a short title with two strong keywords, write an optimized description with keywords and measured hashtags, complete the advanced options (tags, category, visibility, remix), then publish at the right time. By applying these publication parameters, you give the algorithm every chance to propel your Shorts and really get your channel off the ground.

YouTube is testing a new collaboration feature that allows you to add one or more contributors to a video. Collab videos are recommended to the audiences of each participating channel, potentially increasing their visibility tenfold. The function is being tested on a small group of selected channels (source: official Google blog) and it is likely that it will be deployed widely this year.

1. How does it work concretely?

The video displays the merged avatars of the participating channels. When opening the video, we see the two associated channels, and a pop-up specifies the collaboration. The video appears in the recommendations of the subscribers of all the co-authors and, from memory, in the feed of subscriptions (even if this feed is in the minority today). The idea is a cross upload thought to extend the scope.

2. What it can change for YouTube

It’s « literally like Instagram », but applied to YouTube: native cross-post, cross-highlighting and recommendation loop between close communities. Example seen: Combini and Fertile Fish; other example cited: MrBeast and Mark Rober.

• Activate the collab when formats and audiences really overlap (e.g. stream replay channels, news, Shorts).
• Think data: test, look at the impact in the recommendation algo and adjust.

To avoid

• Out-of-audience collabs: offering subscribers content that they don’t like can penalize the video (lower clicks, unsubscribes).
• Brief cameos: being in collaboration for an appearance in the middle of a video does not make sense.
• Duplicate indiscriminately: two identical montages in the same feed can get in the way (even if, in practice, the audiences do not all watch the same versions).

3. Expected effect on the algorithm

The collab impacts the recommendation algot: people who are recommended a channel also see the videos of the co-posted channels. The result: a loop of mutual discoveries and potentially accelerated growth if the audiences are relevant to each other.

Trademarks, rights, transparency: what to anticipate

Brand x creator: as on Instagram, we can contract a collaboration where the video also appears on the brand’s channel. This adds budget lines (rights, distribution).

Who monetizes? By default, the initial uploader keeps monetization, views and comments. It will be necessary to define who will upload first.

Advertising or rights? Depending on the case, we are talking about commercial collaboration or purchase of rights / distribution. Transparency is to be monitored.

4. Useful observations for growth

Localized miniatures: observation of experiments (miniatures translated on large chains).

Know your audience: adapt miniatures and references if there are differences in age, device or behavior (e.g. cultural nod for a younger audience).

Self-risk… and pragmatic response

The collab can strengthen bubbles between creators who are already alike. The proposed answer: create your group and test in « hardcore », then stop if the data shows a negative effect. Better to start strong, measure, then modulate.

And the Shorts?

The Shorts also cross-post. This can multiply the discovery opportunities in the Shorts feed, as long as it remains relevant to the audiences.

5. Conclusion

YouTube collaboration in testing is a big opportunity if it is aligned with your content and your audience: co-post relevant videos, direct your collabs to similar channels, frame rights and monetization, and measure the impact in recommendations. Used in this way, the feature can increase visibility tenfold without penalizing your audience—and accelerate growth, on long videos as on Shorts.

You are wondering how to get the 4000 hours of viewing to access the YouTube partner program. On YouTube, you can actually make money from your videos, but without the right method, reaching 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours can take a long time.

Here is a simple but very effective strategy, used by creators like MrBeast, Squeezie or Amixem, which has significantly increased the viewing time of many channels and propelled them towards monetization.

1. Conditions and purpose 

If you publish long videos, access to monetization goes through 1000 subscribers and 4000 hours of viewing. This is achievable with an adapted method that maximizes traffic to your long content.

The « detonator » method: a Short that triggers the explosion of traffic

At the end of 2023, YouTube added the ability to link a Short directly to another video on your channel, including a long video.

Principle: capture attention with a “wow » excerpt (short, punchy), then redirect to the long one.

Why “detonator »? Because the Short acts as a trigger that blows up the traffic to the source video.

2. How do the big creators proceed

They recycle strong passages from their long videos to make Shorts.In the description of the Shorts, they add the link to the original video.

Examples :

Squeezie publishes Squeezie offers the world record to Mister V, excerpt from I had giant and extreme objects made. Amixem does the same with the worst thieves, a double cheese with that, extracted from The Worst Thieves. Number 4.

Field feedback: why it’s not magic (and how to optimize it)

Example 1 – Samuel: modest increase without solid teasing

On three long videos, his Shorts generated ~3,400 views, with +3 %, +1,1 %, +2,3 % on the long views. Little traffic has really switched over from the Shorts tab: getting out of the stream is difficult because the user who came for quick formats rarely clicks to a long one.

Key: work the Shorts like a real advertisement (hook, promise, teaser), not a random excerpt. This requires time, analysis and know-how.

Opportunity cost

The time spent making very thoughtful Shorts is time not spent producing quality long ones, yet essential for the 4000 hours. So you have to balance according to your strategy.

Example 2 – David: positive pace and impact, but different audience

Publication of a long one on Sunday, then a Short excerpt on Thursday. The result: several thousand views on the Short, an increase in the viewing times of the long, hundreds of subscribers gained.

Nuance: subscribers coming from Shorts are not always interested in long ones. On the same channel, short and long formats often attract two different audiences; some long ones can stagnate even if the Shorts explode, and vice versa.

3. Should we use the « detonator »?

Yes, if you integrate it into the overall strategy of your channel and if you accept that it is not a miracle solution: it requires work and does not replace the creation of neat long videos. Limit: these Shorts point to a specific video; in 3 years, they will still send to an old one.

The « magnet » method: refer everything to the last long video

Very powerful variant: link all your Shorts to your last long video, even if the subject has no link. No need to manually update each Short with each new long: we can do it automatically.

This is what MrBeast uses: all the Shorts direct to the latest video, creating a network that drains the audience to the flagship content of the moment.

4. Conclusion

To reach the 4000 hours faster, the detonator method (Short → long original) works, but requires a real teasing work and a balance with the production of long. The magnet method (all Shorts → last long) is even more effective: it transforms all your Shorts into a network that continuously feeds your main content, and accelerates the accumulation of viewing hours. By combining targeted updating (free of charge) and, if necessary, automation, you can structure a sustainable flow to your long videos and access monetization faster.