YOUTUBE: REELS vs LONG-FORM — What I Really Learned from Testing My YouTube Channel
Ciao beautiful WA fam!
A few weeks ago, I opened a small test channel, half playground, half portfolio, to understand how this platform truly works!
After a few uploads and my first 500 views (which I celebrated again like the 50 with a small dance), I realized that the numbers were only the tip of something much deeper.
Let me share what I learned in these 14 days:
YouTube doesn’t treat all videos the same
Reels (Shorts) and long-form videos live in completely different universes.
Shorts belong to the fast-scrolling, instinct-driven feed — people decide in two seconds if you’re worth watching.
Long-form videos belong to search, recommendations, and the home feed — where trust, titles, and thumbnails decide everything.
The same rules simply don’t apply.
It’s like throwing spaghetti against the wall, hoping they will stick to it!Lol!!
Shares don’t equal visibility
YouTube counts a “share” every time someone clicks the button — even if they never watch it.
So, eight shares mean nothing if nobody actually stays.
The algorithm doesn’t reward link-copying; it rewards watch time — presence, not performance.
Sharing a video isn’t the same as making people watch it.
Retention is everything
In Shorts, the first three seconds are life or death.
Over 70% retention at the start, and your video might take off like a spark.
Long-form, however, is about trust.
It’s a slow conversation — not a firework show.
A great reel is pure energy. A great long video is like an intimate conversation with friends.
Audience expectation matters more than content
One of my early videos had a poetic, visual flow — but I had titled it like a tutorial.
Result? People clicked… and left.
Not because it was bad, but because it wasn’t what they expected.
YouTube distributes your videos to people it believes will love them — if you mislead them, it retreats.
Better to title with honesty and creativity than with “clickbait cleverness.”
Your promise must match your essence.
CTR and title — your true entrance door
In the long-form world, CTR (click-through rate) is everything.
Below 4%? It means your title or thumbnail doesn’t speak loudly enough.
A video can be stunning, but if the thumbnail doesn’t vibrate visually — it stays invisible.
Reels as a creative lab
For me, reels became my laboratory of rhythm and resonance.
They’re perfect for testing: color grading, pace, transitions, and audience reaction.
My best-performing reel actually revealed the visual frequency that resonates most with my viewers.
You experiment, fail, adjust, and learn the hidden geometry of attention.
Every video has its purpose
Reels → attract attention, energy, and curiosity.
Long-form → build trust, depth, and connection.
They’re not competitors. They’re partners.
The secret isn’t choosing between short or long.
It’s understanding what each one is meant to create:
attention or relationship, spark or depth.
Both are art — just in different rhythms.
Happy dance for 500 views!
When I saw my counter reach 500 views, I smiled.
Not because of the number,but because I realized each view was a tiny energetic exchange, a moment of human curiosity meeting my intention.
And that, to me, is what YouTube really is:
not an algorithm to please, but a field of human energy where light, sound, and emotion dance together.
Have you ever used YouTube as a creative experiment?
What did you learn about the way people watch — or feel — your content?
Big Bacini
Suomii
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Recent Comments
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Thanks For Your Post Suomii😊😊I Have a YT Channel. Sometimes I Have Some Viewers and Sometimes I Have a Lot of Viewers. Thanks Again For Your Post😉😉
It would be interesting for you to understand what generated lot of view! Maybe your stats Will help you!
Yes, I Understood What Happened. I Shared a Video About A Good Theme, Niche. I Have Quickly a Lot of Viewers. Thanks For Your Reply Suomii😉😉
Ciao Romy,
that's a great helpful post! I will share it to my audience.
thank you
Piergiorgio
Thanks for this Romy. I've had my channel for a while now but I'm still really learning what works and what doesn't - and probably more importantly... what I have time to create!
Keep sending in your updates. They're great to read.
I'm just about to do on on my own YT channel although it's been going a lot longer than yours.
Hope you're well.
Gail
Dear Gail!! You can Simply use the WA videos you prepared, cut them into reels and publish in some different days!
It Is the smartest way to create long and short content :)
I am well but I miss a lot our creative class! I Will work on some new exercises!😘
Yes, I was thinking of that. I'm currently writing some blog posts for my website, repurposing the content and then I'll be adding the videos. I've just set up a new channel for that site so that's exciting. Never a dull moment.
I miss the class too, so I'll be in again when we have another class, although I think I have some homework to catch up on too. LOL
All the best.
Gail
Yeah Gail that's the smarter way to work! I saw your first video (the first 15 mins I have to finish the rest) and honestly was great, you could become one of the greatest youtuber so far, because you embrace the camera in a very natural way!
So, my small advice is to write a script before filming - planning even before filming which parts could become reels - so at the end of your editing process, you have multiple video content to repurpose on some different platforms!
This will save you ton of time for sure!!!
Great advice, thanks. It's interesting because when I started this, I was doing it for WA but now it's taken on a life of its own. I'm enjoying it now I've started though. Speak soon. Gail
Youtube is your thing Gail! I am pretty sure about it! All the technical part is boring, I know and it requires a lot of training, but when you will start showing your face, I am sure many people will follow you!!!
Can you give me your youtube link so I can subscribe!
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Good morning Romy,
I know it's early days, but it's great to see your YouTube channel growing.
Someone who I follow who is a professional YouTuber, will often say, "just press record", I think by creating videos, we start to learn what works and what doesn't, etc.
It's also interesting that you said about longform content helps to gain trust. I must admit I tend to go for the longer form content rather than shorts. I will often go onto YouTube, just before I go to bed, I end up having a quick run through YouTube shorts, the fact is, that's a sign that I should be going to bed! I don't know if buyers, watch YouTube shorts? I'm certainly not in buying mode when I view YouTube shorts, I'm more in sleeping mode!
Anyway, it's great that you are moving forward with your channel, Bravo to that!
Have a very happy Friday.
Roy
Yeah Roy, youtube shorts are not related to any commercial intent from the viewers's perspective! It is just pure entertainement or a little bit informative!
Jay in his course about shorts explained extremely well how viewers interact with shorts!
They are not interested in buying anything, they just scroll in bed relaxing before going to bed, exactly the way you described it!
That's why I am building my shorts with a cinematic style and quotes, in this phase to test how people react!
Good morning Romy,
I hope you're having a good weekend.
As I mentioned, I tend to look at YouTube shorts, just before I go to bed, sometimes. However, there are occasions, when I will click on the user's main channel, if I find something interesting. I'm not sure how many people do that, as it's not particularly obvious, where to click.
I haven't seen Jay's course about YouTube shorts, I probably ought to have a look at it. Has Jay done a course on traditional YouTube videos, Romy?
It will be interesting to see how you get on with your shorts, Romy, I look forward to hearing more. Different things work for different people, which is good.
Have a fantastic Sunday.
Roy
Yeah Roy, that Is exactly the shorts' purpose, they serve as traffic traction for the Channel, even if there are some channels based only on shorts!!
I did not find here in WA and updated course about long videos!
But I Guess It does not matter because on 2026 there Will be new important YouTube updates that Will change the game again!
When I listen to people talking about YouTube, Romy, I hear some creators saying that they love YouTube shorts and others saying they much prefer longform content on YouTube. I think the fact is that different things work for different people, so we have to experiment and see what works best for us. I guess I need to try out some short videos.
I'm sure someone will create a new YouTube course on the platform soon. I listened to Eric's course a few months ago, it was a couple of years old, but there was still some good information.
All the best.
Roy
For sure Roy, the only way Is testing to see what works best for our channels!!
Big hugs dear!!!
Indeed, Romy!
Thank you, I'm going to move away from the computer shortly and go and visit some good friends of mine, which is always good.
All the best.
Roy