How the YouTube Shorts Algorithm Actually Works in 2023

This short of mine was already doing very well, but it's gone into overdrive and generated 43,000 views in the past 48 hours.

Author

Jamie Whiffen
August 18th, 2023

Read time: 2 minutes

Howdy,

Here is your weekly dose of The Creator Stream, a list of what I’m enjoying and exploring in the Creator Economy. Please feel free to forward this along to friends.

My Favourite Things This Week

🧰 Thread I’m Reading

Why You Should Read This Twitter Thread Before Using a Viral Idea for Your YouTube Channel: - I’ve been loving Mario Joos’ tweets lately (are we still calling them tweets now the platform is no longer called Twitter?). He’s constantly tweeting insightful and refreshing new ways of looking at YouTube videos and I learn something every time.

In this tweet thread, Mario explains how YouTube creators often ride the wave of viral content without achieving the desired success. This thread offers a guide to help you navigate the treacherous waters of viral content replication.

It delves into how to determine if a viral video truly stands out on its channel, whether the idea behind the video is unique to its niche or performs well across niches, and if the viral status actually boosts the creator's overall views.

Moreover, it addresses the critical difference between merely "copying" a concept and deriving inspiration from it. By understanding these nuances, you're better equipped to produce content that not only garners views but also stands out ethically and artistically.

🎥 Video I’m Watching

YouTube Is Broken - How To Kill A YouTube Video - Now, this is a popular video at 1.1M views which simply went under my radar until earlier this week. The Creator, ‘The Spiffing Brit’ uploaded this video 4 months ago when he realized he could exploit YouTube's advertising system to harmfully impact another channel by taking out poorly targeted adverts on their videos.

The exploit involves intentionally targeting a broadly irrelevant audience with ads for a video, which results in a drop in watch time and engagement, subsequently causing the YouTube algorithm to recommend the video less frequently.

I’m none the wiser as to if this has been fixed since the video was uploaded, but it was a stark reminder that YouTube is literally just a system that does have its faults and exploits even in 2023.

I definitely recommend you watch as it’s fascinating to see the experiments he runs to tank videos for the hell of it.

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📕 Article I’m Reading

How the YouTube Shorts Algorithm Actually Works in 2023 - Hootsuite has written a lengthy article breaking down how the YouTube Shorts algorithm works in 2023 and then lists off a number of ways to optimize your content to help it get picked up by YouTube.

In Case You Missed It…

For those of you out there who work with a video editor but struggle to get them to create the graphics and animations that you have in your mind, my tweet might be of use to you.

I recently hired a full-time video editor and have been working with her on my channel with great results. I’ve had a lot of compliments due to the style and so this short video explains my system for how we are so consistent with our animation styles every time…

Thumbnail Of The Week

This week’s thumbnail which caught my eye was this one from Jesse James West titled ‘I Took $20,000 Stem Cells For 30 Days (insane results)’.

I love how incredibly simple and clean this thumbnail is and it piqued my curiosity due to how well it’s paired with the title.

I Took $20,000 Stem Cells For 30 Days (insane results)

Creator Tool Of The Week

A lot of the top creators that I work with use MotionVFX’s plugins for both Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro X as they are the leading creators of plugins, templates, and add-ons.

So much so that they’ve partnered with YouTubers like MKBHD and iJustine to bring templates like mTuber 3 which will save you so much time in the editing of your videos.

MotionVFX — Final Cut Pro & DaVinci Resolve Plugins

Leading creators of plugins, templates, and add-ons for Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve. We’ve been setting trends and pushing the boundaries of motion design and plugins’ quality for years. Our products are a benchmark for the industry and inspiration for others. And we love every step of that creative process!

www.motionvfx.com

Question & Answers With Jamie

Question: Hey Jamie, I really want to get started making videos on TikTok or YouTube but I’m nervous I’m going to get hate from friends. How do you handle negative comments or trolls?

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Answer: In the beginning, negative comments used to bother me a lot. But with time, I've learned to reframe my mindset; I remind myself of my purpose and see every video as a learning step in a long journey.

I also prepare mentally by expecting some negativity – it's a part and parcel of being online, and sometimes, these comments reflect more about the troll's insecurities than about my content. And finally, my support system has been invaluable, sharing with trusted friends or fellow YouTubers not only gives me a confidence boost but also provides constructive feedback. Try and find people online you can connect with even if you don’t know them in person.

Remember, once you're in the public eye, you're open to all sorts of opinions, and it's crucial to develop a thick skin, but guess what? You’re probably not going to blow up instantly and become world famous where everyone you know will see your videos. You’re scared to get started but will most likely end up with 7 views on your videos haha.

Publish your video under a different name if you’re that worried about friends finding your videos and laughing at you, it’s what I did when I first got started. Final point: You should probably get new friends if they’re going to poke fun at you for making content, it happened to me when I was younger and it hurt but I preserved and my gaming channel ended up with tens of thousands of subscribers and millions of views.

Hope that helps!

If you’d like to ask me a question, the best way is to send me a tweet and you may find yourself in next week’s newsletter!

Thanks for reading, if you want to reach out to me, just send a tweet to @WhiffenYT. Have a wonderful weekend!

Jamie

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Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

  1. I create videos on how I’m helping my clients get more views and make money on YouTube. Check out my channel.

  2. Book a free 15-minute consulting call with me where I can give you some pointers on how to improve your YouTube Channel.

  3. If you want to improve your thumbnails, I recommend you sign up for free at The Thumbnail Vault. It's a database of over 1,000 of the best thumbnails on YouTube for inspiration with breakdowns on why they got views.

Want To Advertise in The Creator Stream?

If you're interested in sponsoring The Creator Stream Newsletter, send an email to [email protected] and I'll get back to you when I can!