YouTube Shorts Monetization: What Brands Need To Know

In recent years, short-form video content has been on the rise, with platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels leading the way. Then, YouTube entered the game with its own short-form video feature, YouTube Shorts. On February 1, 2023, the announcement of YouTube Short Monetization shook the marketing industry. What does this mean exactly? Simply put, you can now earn an income from your videos. Once you’ve joined the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), you are able to earn money based on how your videos perform. The more views your short-form content gets, the more money you are able to make.  Keep reading to find out more about what requirements you need to meet to be eligible for monetizing your YouTube shorts and what this change offers brands.

How to be eligible for YouTube Shorts monetization

In order to be considered for the YouTube Partner Program and be able to monetize your Shorts, you must meet the following requirements:

Meet content guidelines

Users must follow the platform's content guidelines. Ensure your content does not violate any of the platform's policies or guidelines, including containing any form of hate speech, violence, sexually explicit content and more.

Have a valid AdSense account

AdSense is Google's advertising program that pays users to put ads on their websites or videos. To create an AdSense account, users must be at least 18 years old and have a Gmail account.

Have at least 1,000 subscribers

Users also must have at least 1,000 subscribers. This requirement ensures that the platform only accepts creators with a significant following and can drive engagement and viewership to their channels.

Have at least 4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months

In addition to having 1,000 subscribers, users must have at least 4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months. In other words, users need to have a consistent and substantial audience who watch their videos regularly.

Meet the technical requirements

YouTube also has certain technical requirements that must be met to participate in the Partner Program. These requirements include having a high-quality camera, microphone and reliable upload process.

What YouTube Shorts monetization offers for brands

The updated Shorts monetization initiative gives brands some sweet perks, like:

Increase revenue and creator partnership opportunities

Brands and creators can earn money from advertisements appearing in their videos, just like traditional YouTube videos. It provides an additional source of income for creators, helping to support their content creation efforts and grow their channels. The monetization of Shorts also provides your brand with a greater opportunity to partner with creators. Now that they are able to earn money from their content, creators are more likely to engage in brand partnerships. 

Access to a wider audience and increase of visibility 

With the growing popularity of YouTube Shorts, brands can reach a broader audience by publishing short-form videos. Brands can expand their reach with an already existing audience because experimenting with Shorts means you have the opportunity to take advantage of YouTube’s own promotional efforts. Your audience can watch your videos in the app, on the homepage, in their subscriptions and more. In addition, YouTube also attracts a much larger audience with wide-ranging ages, unlike TikTok which is predominantly Milleniials and Gen Zs. You have a greater chance of exposing your brand to a larger audience and becoming more visible, resulting in expanding your followers on the platform. 

Increase brand awareness

Brands can use YouTube Shorts to increase their brand awareness by creating short-form videos that are relevant and engaging. By doing so, brands can also attract more viewers, which helps to increase brand recognition and awareness. Because audiences are demanding short-form content, YouTube’s algorithm is pushing Shorts to a greater number of people than ever before. Try using YouTube Shorts to tell stories about your brand or highlight unique products or services you offer.

Short-form video is not going anywhere

YouTube Shorts is a clear indication of the growing popularity of short-form videos. With more and more social media users demanding bite-sized content that is quick and easy to consume, YouTube is responding by monetizing Shorts to attract more content creators from other platforms.  YouTube Shorts also allows brands to reach a wider audience, including younger generations who are more likely to engage with short-form videos. With that said, brands need to take note of this trend and start leveraging short-form videos in their marketing strategies to increase engagement and interactivity with their audience.