7 scroll-stopping YouTube Shorts ideas for brands (with examples)

YouTube is the king of long-form video content, but YouTube Shorts is quickly entering the spotlight. With 70 billion views a day and counting, Shorts are becoming a go-to choice for creators and brands to connect with their audiences through short-form video.

Interested in creating more YouTube Shorts but not sure where to start? Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. In this post, we’ll explain what Shorts are and how they differ from other types of social videos. You’ll also get a ton of YouTube Shorts ideas with real-life brand examples to inspire you.

Understanding YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts. Instagram Reels. TikTok videos. What’s the difference? They’re all vertical short-form videos, but the biggest distinction between the three is their duration length.

Instagram Reels range from 15 to 90 seconds. TikTok videos are 3 seconds to 10 minutes long. And YouTube Shorts? They used to be capped at 15 to 60 seconds, but as of October 2024, they can now be up to three minutes long.

This duration length increase makes it easier to repost short-form video content from other platforms to YouTube Shorts and reach a fresh, untapped audience. You might think there’s a lot of crossover between the short-form social video apps. However, a 2024 AlphaWise survey found that 40% of Shorts viewers aren’t on TikTok or Instagram Reels. Meanwhile, 84% of TikTok and 88% of Instagram Reels users are already watching Shorts. Meaning Shorts give you an avenue to reach a new audience.

Shorts also shine when it comes to searchability. YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world after Google. Google is also testing a “Short Videos” tab on mobile search. This feature allows users to filter and find short videos from platforms like YouTube Shorts, making your content even more discoverable.

To sum it up, if you’re not creating YouTube Shorts, you’re missing out. The platform has quickly become the top short-form video platform for discovering new products and brands in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. It’s also more than doubled its average daily views in less than two years.

YouTube Shorts is carving out a unique space in the market and you can’t ignore its growth.

Good YouTube Shorts ideas to capture attention and resonate with your audience

Creating short-form video content is a lot easier said than done. Knowing what kind of content will resonate with your audience and the algorithm is tough. Coming up with new ideas all the time can lead to creative fatigue. And, of course, then there’s every social marketer’s worst fear: putting a ton of time and energy into videos that get crickets when you hit publish.

Fortunately, we’ve got some YouTube Shorts ideas (with examples) to get your creative juices flowing.

Answer FAQs from followers

Create Shorts around common customer questions to educate your audience and show your brand’s personality.

In this Short from Shopify, a helpful host answers the question, “What’s a print-on-demand business?” They keep their answer short and to the point, adding image overlays to help convey information. Upbeat background music and quick edits grab and keep viewers’ attention.

To maximize discoverability, include the question in the title and description. It helps users looking for answers on YouTube or search engines find your content. Also, invite viewers to comment with more questions to create a feedback loop with your audience.

Highlight customer reviews and success stories on YouTube Shorts

Use Shorts to spotlight positive customer reviews and success stories. Have video testimonials? Edit them down into short clips that evoke emotion. Written reviews? Compile multiple screenshots to create a montage-style Short.

Or leverage user-generated content (with permission) like Pattern Beauty. This Short highlights a customer’s experience with their haircare products as a part of their takeover campaign with Ulta Beauty salons. The customer shares the products the stylist used, her feelings about the products and a before-and-after transformation of her hair pre- and post-styling.

Share day-in-the-life or behind-the-scenes content

Give your followers a fun, quick look into what makes your brand tick. Depending on your brand or industry, this could include clips from special events like a photoshoot or more day-to-day work like packing orders.

This Short from local Rhode Island coffee shop chain The Nitro Bar is simple but effective. With a short text overlay and calm music, the Short lets their delicious-looking black raspberry matchas do the talking.

Highlight upcoming product releases or promotions

Build buzz for an upcoming launch or promotion with Shorts. Tease the products with close-ups or unboxings. Or take things further with a demo that shows the product in action and highlights key benefits.

We also love Oner Active’s behind-the-scenes approach. In this video, employees are asked to describe their upcoming Black Friday sale in one word. The result feels casual and relatable. It’s a refreshing change from the typical high-urgency “buy now” messages that consumers usually get. This approach helps the brand stand out and showcases what makes them different.

Repurpose existing content for YouTube Shorts

Thanks to its newly extended duration limits, it’s easier to repurpose existing content from other marketing channels for YouTube Shorts. Still, we don’t suggest simply copying and pasting assets from one channel to another. You should still tailor it slightly for YouTube Shorts.

Here are a few ways you can repurpose content for YouTube shorts to get you started, plus platform and video specifications to consider.

Repurpose Instagram Reels and TikTok Videos on YouTube Shorts

Reposting your short-form vertical video content to YouTube Shorts is a simple way to reach YouTube’s massive audience without reinventing the wheel.

Just remove any platform watermarks and consider replacing background music with trending YouTube Shorts audio. Also, include relevant keywords and hashtags in the description to boost discoverability.

We love how makeup brand Cheekbone Beauty repurposes this TikTok video for YouTube Shorts by swapping out the background music for a text-to-voice voiceover and uses video clips instead of a photo slideshow format.

When you’re ready to post, use a social media management tool like Sprout Social to streamline the process. The Publishing Calendar enables you to plan and schedule social media posts across different profiles and networks. Plus, the Asset Library will keep all your approved videos organized.

Create short trailers for a new video or podcast episode

A YouTube Shorts trailer builds hype and sparks curiosity for longer content, like a video interview or podcast episode. An effective trailer should highlight the most exciting or intriguing moment—like a powerful quote, surprising fact or key takeaway. Keep it short and punchy, and end with a clear call-to-action inviting viewers to check out the full content.

Thinkific nails this approach with their trailer for an episode of their podcast, Unique Genius, featuring finance content creator and business coach Ellie Diop. The short includes a compelling clip of Ellie, a podcast logo animation and a title card with important episode details and the release date.

Create a YouTube Short out of a longer video

Get more mileage from your long-form video content by editing it into multiple Shorts. It’ll drive more views to your longer videos and pull in viewers who are just looking for something quick and easy to watch.

Edit and post your video’s most exciting, funny or impactful moments. Or create an abridged Shorts-friendly version. Either way, be sure to optimize it for a vertical format.

For example, Brooklinen created a short version of this longer home tour video featuring artist Zoe Schlacter. The Shorts version gives viewers a taste of Zoe’s aesthetic and design approach, with a call-to-action at the end to learn more about the artist and brand collaboration.

Experiment and iterate with different ideas for YouTube shorts

Incorporating YouTube Shorts into your social strategy doesn’t have to be a heavy lift, especially if you’re already creating video content for other social or marketing channels. As long as your video is under three minutes and in a vertical format, it could work as a Short.

There’s also a lot of room for creativity. Social trends move fast. But you have more ideas for YouTube Shorts than you think, from answering common questions to highlighting customer stories and teasing upcoming launches or promotions.

The best approach is to focus on what works for your brand. Thankfully, a tool like Sprout Social makes it simple. You can use Sprout’s analytics tools to track performance, double down on the content driving the most impact and refine your strategy as you go.

Ready to get started? Use our YouTube strategy template to build a solid foundation for your YouTube efforts or optimize your current approach.