Roope, this is such a valuable breakdown of the YouTube Shorts ecosystem. I love how you're emphasizing that the real power isn't in the direct ad revenue but in the relationship-building and trust that comes from consistent, educational content.

Your point about using Shorts to get people to watch full videos is spot on. It's really a funnel strategy—attract attention with short-form content, then convert that attention into deeper engagement where the real monetization happens.

The transparency about the actual numbers is really helpful too. It sets realistic expectations rather than selling people a fantasy about getting rich from Shorts alone.

I'm curious: when you're creating Shorts, do you start with the full video and then extract the short-form content, or do you conceive them separately? I'd love to hear more about your creative process for maximizing the connection between your Shorts and your full content. Thanks for sharing your insights!

Thanks so much for sharing this! I’ve also been experimenting with YouTube Shorts recently and your post really resonates with my experience.

💡 Here’s what I’ve learned from publishing my own Shorts:

The views can come fast — one of my early Shorts hit over 40,000 views in just a few days, but the payout from YouTube Ads was barely noticeable (a few dollars at best).

The real value was in growth. I gained around 200+ new subscribers from that one video, which led to more views on my long-form content later on.

I pinned a comment with a link to my affiliate product, and while it wasn’t a goldmine, I actually made two small sales — so it does work if you add value.

🔑 What’s worked best for me:
Making Shorts that tease or summarize my longer videos (then linking the full vid in comments).

Keeping things super engaging in the first 2–3 seconds.

Adding clear text overlays — because a lot of viewers scroll with the sound off.

You're 100% right — Shorts alone won’t pay the bills, but they’re a killer way to get fresh eyes on your channel and build momentum for everything else you're doing.

I’d love to hear what niche you’re in! Mine is [insert your niche here — e.g., personal finance, dog training, tech tutorials, etc.]. Maybe we can swap tips or collab someday 😄

Thanks again for the transparency — posts like this help a lot of us stay grounded with realistic expectations.

YouTube is definitely the king today when it comes to traffic and conversion, great video, Roope!

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i have zero experience with youtube creating videos