YouTube has been about long-form videos for decades but even the platform realises that the trends have moved towards short videos and the company has pivoted in that direction with Shorts.
But it seems YouTube and its employees are now worried about the prospect of long-term videos and whether that side of the business could take a hit at the cost of short videos.
YouTube has heavily banked on advertising revenue with all the content millions post on the platform, which has given them the numbers and allowed brands to invest to reach those consumers. The same model is now becoming enticing for advertisers, which according to reports has ensured that the revenue from its traditional business has come down. One can also understand that a long video has more scope for ad placement, compared to a short video which on YouTube comes to about 60 seconds.
As reported by the Financial Times, YouTube staff got together for a strategy meeting and talked about the risks facing long-form videos and also, how the changing trends mean more creators are making short videos.
It is interesting to see a giant like YouTube worried about formats, especially when it has made a belated move into the evolving trends of short videos but there is competition in the market, with more likely to be added in the near future.
Yes, short videos have made their space but that doesn’t necessarily mean long videos cannot co-exist and, in fact, operate in their own territory.
For YouTube having both formats earning revenue is a win-win scenario that shouldn’t be a big concern, at least for another few years. After all, you have the same YouTube app now offering the long style videos and also get a segment to give you Shorts videos, not only on mobile but desktop and TV as well.
Shorts was important for YouTube otherwise it would have lost the market to platforms like TikTok and Reels that have tapped into the next-gen smartphone users.
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