As a creator in 2025, the dilemma of whether to focus on Shorts or long-form content is more pressing than ever. Both have their strengths, but which one works best for your goals?
We’ve worked with thousands of creators, and here’s what we’ve learned: the best approach is mastering both.
To understand these YouTube growth hacks in 2025, let’s break down the role each format plays in growing your channel.
The Power of Shorts: Quick Growth, Big Reach
When it comes to getting noticed quickly, Shorts are the undisputed champion. These quick, snappy videos (usually between 15-60 seconds) are perfect for rapid reach. The algorithm loves them, and if they hit the right notes, you can see tens of thousands of views overnight. Shorts are fantastic for exposure, but they don’t build a strong, loyal audience on their own.
Take MacDannyGun, for instance. He gained a staggering 670,000 new subscribers through his Shorts strategy. But the secret wasn’t just posting random quick clips. He used Shorts as a funnel, pulling viewers from viral short videos into his deeper, more engaging long-form content. This allowed him to build a base of dedicated fans who actually watched and subscribed to his longer videos.
The goal with Shorts is discovery, to introduce yourself to new viewers, give them a taste, and direct them to your full-length content where the real engagement happens. And that’s where many creators get it wrong. They think that just because a Short went viral, the audience will stick around for more. But that’s rarely the case unless you’ve got a strategy to hook them with more valuable, longer videos.
Long-Form Content: The Heart of YouTube Growth
Now, let’s talk about the backbone of YouTube: long-form content. While Shorts may win the race for quick views, long-form videos are where the serious growth, engagement, and monetization happen. YouTube’s algorithm rewards long-form content with higher watch time, more mid-roll ad opportunities, and deeper viewer relationships. And if you want to grow sustainably and make money, long-form content is where you need to focus.
Pikameo Gameplay went from zero to 35,000 subscribers in just two months. But while Shorts were part of their strategy, it was the long-form content that kept viewers engaged and watching more. Long videos help with building trust, deepening the connection with your audience, and, most importantly, making money through YouTube’s ad revenue system.
Revenue generation on YouTube still heavily favors long-form content. Shorts won’t get you a lot of income. The ad rates for Shorts are notoriously low, around $0.01-$0.30 per 1,000 views. Meanwhile, long-form videos with multiple ad breaks can earn you $5, $10, or even $25+ per 1,000 views in premium markets.
So, is long-form video still king on YouTube for monetization? Yes, absolutely.
Audience Building: Engagement
You can get tons of views from Shorts, but if those views don’t turn into engaged subscribers, they’re just numbers. A lot of creators have experienced this frustration firsthand. Viewers might love your Shorts, but they won’t commit to long-form videos unless they’re engaged with your content.
This is where watch time and retention come into play. YouTube’s algorithm loves creators who can keep viewers engaged. The longer someone watches your content, the more YouTube will push your videos out to a wider audience.
Take Brave Wilderness, this massive channel grew by 134K subscribers and 27.2 million views after strategically optimizing their long-form videos and localizing them to go global. But they didn’t rely on long-form alone. They incorporated Shorts, re-edited and repurposed old content, and used it to boost their deeper content. It’s all about finding the right balance.
Shorts will get you the initial view, but long-form will get you the connection and the trust. And that’s what you need to build a true community around your channel.
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Reach out to us today, and we’ll create a strategy that works for you.
Why Long-Form Content is Still the Go-To for Monetization
If your goal is to build a business around your YouTube channel, long-form content is the way to go. The potential for ad revenue is far higher with long videos, especially as YouTube continues to prioritize content that keeps people watching for longer periods of time.
Livestreaming also plays a massive role here. More than 30% of logged-in YouTube users watch live content every day. Live content boosts watch time, adds a level of interactivity, and provides additional monetization through things like Super Chats, memberships, and donations.
A great case here is Lesnoy, a creator who ran a single 24/7 live stream that pulled in 1.15 million views and 2,000 new subscribers in just two months. Live streaming is a part of the content ecosystem.
The long-form videos you upload are the foundation for your live streams, and your live streams can boost your long-form content, creating a cycle of growth and engagement.
Algorithm Preference: Shorts vs Long Videos
In terms of algorithm preference, YouTube favors watch time and average view duration. Shorts are great for reach, but they don’t really build that watch time. They’re more of a door opener. The smart move is to connect Shorts to your long videos so the traffic flows both ways.
That’s how you get the best of both worlds: reach and retention.
Multi-format is what really works in 2025.
When you focus on long videos, you’re feeding YouTube’s algorithm the watch time it craves. As a result, your videos have a higher chance of being recommended to new viewers.
TV Is Now the Most Important Screen for Long-Form
YouTube isn’t just a mobile app anymore. The TV screen has become a major source of views, especially for longer videos. In the UK, YouTube is now the top platform on TVs for ages 4-15, bigger than traditional TV. Viewers are watching over 39 minutes a day, and much of that is on the big screen.
Why does that matter? Because people don’t scroll on TVs. They sit back and watch. That means longer watch time, better retention, more chances for mid-rolls, and higher ad rates.
We’ve tested this. A music channel we work with started uploading in 4K, kept it horizontal, and aimed for 10+ minute videos. TV views went up, and so did revenue by 52%.
Same story in other niches. If your video works on a TV: good picture, good sound, good story, it’ll perform better.
So, don’t drop long-form for Shorts. Shorts are useful to grab attention. But long videos, especially TV-friendly ones, are what grow your channel and make a better income.
Building a Loyal Audience with Shorts and Long-form
A key part of building an audience with short-form video is making sure that the audience you gain through Shorts sticks around. How do you do that? By posting long-form videos that keep people engaged.
Once viewers are interested, your long-form content gives them more of what they came for. Over time, you’ll turn those quick viewers into subscribers who return to your channel.
So, Which One Should You Focus On?
The answer is both.
We’ve worked with thousands of creators, and one thing we can confidently say is: you shouldn’t choose between the best content format for YouTube success. Instead, you need to use both strategically.
Shorts are for exposure, getting your channel in front of new audiences. Long-form content is for building depth, engaging those audiences, and keeping them coming back for more. And livestreams are your engagement tool, a way to keep your channel buzzing, building community, and driving extra revenue.
What’s working in 2025 is integrating all three formats. It’s the best way to scale a YouTube channel.
Take Amelka Karamelka, who launched 18 localized channels with professional translations, dubbing, and optimized metadata. This approach helped her grow to 5.6 million subscribers and reach 288 million views. It was a perfect mix of Shorts for exposure, long-form for retention, and localization to maximize growth in new regions.
Need Help to Build a Better YouTube Growth Strategy in 2025?
The creators who succeed in 2025 aren’t the ones who test Shorts or long-form in isolation. They are the ones who optimize across formats, recycling long-form content into Shorts, using Shorts to drive traffic to longer videos, and testing live streams as a way to build deeper connections.
And if you’re feeling unsure about where to start, we’re here to help you. AIR Media-Tech can help you with everything from channel audits and content strategy to monetization and audience growth. Whether you need help understanding how to balance Shorts and long-form or need a full overhaul of your YouTube strategy, we’ve got your back.
Get in touch now, and let’s make 2025 the year you boost your YouTube channel!
