YouTube Shorts Ideas to Grow Your Subscribers (Repurposing Guide)

Why YouTube Shorts is the Best Growth Hack in 2025

YouTube Shorts isn't just a TikTok clone. It's the most powerful discovery engine for long-form channels.

Unlike TikTok or Instagram, YouTube is a search engine. Shorts help you get discovered, and then you can funnel those viewers into your longer content (videos, livestreams, community posts).

Note: If you are struggling to find what topics to film, check out our guide on How to Find YouTube Shorts Trends. Strategy is useless without the right trending topics.

If you're not posting Shorts, you're leaving subscribers on the table.

The Revenue Reality (Trustworthiness)

Let's be real about a common pain point: Shorts Ad Revenue (RPM) is often lower than long-form.

Many creators get discouraged when they see pennies for thousands of views. Don't panic. This is by design.

• The Strategy: Treat Shorts as your marketing budget that pays you. Instead of paying for ads to get subscribers, you make Shorts. Even if the direct revenue is low, the Subscriber Value is high because they feed your long-form views later.

The "Repurposing" Strategy: Work Smarter

You don't need to create unique content for every platform. You need a smart repurposing workflow.

The Golden Rule of Repurposing

Do not just upload a TikTok with the watermark. YouTube's algorithm penalizes this.

The Workflow:

1. Record your video in your camera app (not in TikTok/IG app).
2. Edit in a third-party app like CapCut or InShot.
3. Export the clean video file.
4. Upload to TikTok, Reels, AND YouTube Shorts separately.
5. Add platform-specific music/text within each app if needed (or burn it in during editing).

Ideas That Work Best on Shorts (2025 Update)

Shorts audiences are slightly different. They often skew younger or are looking for quick entertainment/education.

1. The "Did You Know?" Fact Fast, interesting facts relevant to your niche.

• Example: "Did you know the first computer bug was an actual moth?" (Tech channel)

2. The "Summary" Clip Take the best 60 seconds from your long-form video.

• Hook: "The craziest thing happened in my latest video..."
• Content: The highlight clip.
• CTA: "Watch the full video (link in description)."

3. The "Process" Speed-Run Show a long process sped up to 15 seconds.

• Visual: Painting a picture, coding a website, building a table.
• Audio: Fast-paced music or ASMR.

4. The "Common Mistake" Point out something everyone does wrong.

• Hook: "Stop holding your camera like this."
• Fix: Show the better way immediately.

5. The "Mini Vlog 2.0" A major trend in 2025. Unlike slow, aesthetic vlogs, these are fast-paced, raw updates.

• Focus: "Day in the life" but condensed to 15 seconds.
• Edit: Rapid cuts, no dead air.

Creating a "Subscriber Funnel"

Views are vanity; subscribers are sanity. Here's how to turn Shorts viewers into subscribers:

1. The Pinned Comment

Always pin a comment on your Short.

• "If you liked this, you'll love my full guide on [Topic]: [Link]"
• "Subscribe for daily tips on [Topic]!"

2. The "Related Video" Feature

YouTube allows you to link a Short to a long-form video. Use this.

• It appears as a "Created from..." or a link button on the Short.
• It's the most direct way to bridge the gap between short and long content.

3. Consistent Branding

Make sure your Shorts look and feel like your long-form content. Same face, same tone, same value. When they click your profile, it should feel like a cohesive channel.

Using Trends to Fuel Growth

Just like TikTok, Shorts has trends. But they often lag behind TikTok by a week or two.

This gives you an advantage.

1. Spot a trend on TikTok using SocialWatch.
2. Create a high-quality version for YouTube Shorts immediately.
3. Ride the wave as the trend hits the YouTube ecosystem.

Your 30-Day Shorts Challenge

To see real growth, you need consistency.

• Week 1: Repurpose your top 7 performing TikToks/Reels to Shorts.
• Week 2: Create 3 original Shorts based on your long-form content.
• Week 3: Experiment with 3 "Search-based" Shorts (How to [X]).
• Week 4: Analyze the data. Which format brought in the most subscribers?

Don't let your content die on one platform. Give it a second life on Shorts and watch your channel grow.

Find trending topics for your Shorts →