For many creators, YouTube Shorts (think: videos of three minutes or less) have become one of the most effective ways to drive new viewers toward longer content and build a subscriber base. But if you've been posting consistently without seeing the results you want, you'll want to keep reading.
Adobe Express surveyed 507 YouTube creators who actively publish Shorts and have built audiences of at least 1,000 subscribers to find out their best practices. Whether you're starting to experiment with Shorts or looking to improve what's already working, these insights can help.
Key takeaways
- The ideal YouTube Short length for views, shares, click-throughs, and saves is under 30 seconds, cited by an average of 46% of creators across all four metrics.
- 49% of creators say Shorts under 30 seconds are the most effective top-of-funnel tool they have, driving more click-throughs to long-form videos than longer Shorts.
- The one metric where longer Shorts hold their own is subscriber growth, where 30–60 second-long videos match under 30 seconds exactly at 34% each.
- 25% of creators say Shorts on Saturdays get the most views or engagement, and evening hours from 6–8 p.m. tend to perform best throughout the week.
- 63% of YouTube Shorts creators say the platform is becoming more valuable for channel discoverability this year.
- 31% of creators decide on the duration of their YouTube Shorts before filming, while 50% start with a rough idea but let the content guide the final length.
