YouTube’s version of short-form video clips called Shorts has
proven to be a successful feature on the platform, which is why the company is
considering highlighting it even more.
As part of a new test, YouTube has launched a new Shorts
option, which appears in the form of a full-screen feed of Shorts clips. As explained
by YouTube, if you close the app while watching Shorts, upon reopening it, you
will be directed to the Shorts player. On the contrary, if you close the app
while watching content other than Shorts, you will not be directed to the
Shorts player.
This is a significant engagement strategy, so that users who
regularly engage with the feature are exposed to a never-ending feed of Shorts
videos. If you haven’t already noticed, the format is quite similar to TikTok’s
feed. It is because of the continuous stream of videos that run on TikTok, that
users stay glued to their screens for hours, unable to get their attention off
of the videos.
YouTube’s current test will yield significant insights into
the impact of the new Shorts feed and will help guide the platform’s
development focus.
It is also amazing how TikTok has not only been able to
attract billions of people around the world with its short-form creative videos,
but has become an inspiration for other popular social media platforms to
integrate and promote their own versions of the feature within their apps as
well.
