YouTube remains one of the most popular social media platforms, with more than 122 million active daily users. As of January 2025, YouTube had attracted over 2.53 billion monthly active users, with 1 billion hours of content watched on the platform globally daily. While the platform’s popularity was mainly boosted by its long-form YouTube videos, the emergence of TikTok and other social channels with short-form content has impacted stiff competition. Several social platforms today have embarked on introducing new features for short-form content to battle giants like TikTok. Facebook and Instagram introduced reels as YouTube unveiled Shorts.
This article explores the battle of YouTube videos, examining long-form videos and shorts to determine the type of content that works better on the platform. It will also highlight the most popular YouTube videos and tips on how to use them to boost your reach, engagement and visibility on the platform.
The Most Popular Types of YouTube Videos
YouTube allows its users to create and share different types of videos with their audiences. Although YouTube videos can either fall under long-form or short-form content, there are several kinds of content that you can share on the platform. The following are the most popular types of YouTube videos that you should know.
Video Tutorials
These are videos that educate viewers on how to perform tasks. Businesses usually create tutorials related to their niches and products or services. This video format can help you to establish your authority in your industry, build trust with customers and link back to your brand, products and services.
For example, Royal Locks Curl Care uses tutorial videos to show their products and connect with the curly hair community. The community seeks tutorial videos that demonstrate how to use hair products. They are also interested in reviews on curly hair.
Ask Me Anything (AMA) Videos
This is also one of the most popular types of YouTube videos, whereby an audience asks a subject matter expert questions about hot topics and their processes. It works pretty well on YouTube Live.
Your audience can ask questions in chat and the subject matter expert can respond in real time. Once your session is over, YouTube will create an archive of the stream so other people can watch it at their convenience.
If you are hosting an AMA stream, you should have a whiteboard so the subject matter expert can explain ideas more effectively.
Educational Videos
Educational YouTube videos include a wide range of sub genres including, tutorials, explainers and related videos. The content seeks to educate viewers and boost your authority with them.
Several marketers report great performance from short, one to three-minute educational videos. They could be based on industry-specific or trending topics. The following is an example of an educational video on YouTube titled ”How Solar Panels Work” by TED Ed.
Product Reviews
Product reviews involve the evaluation of a product’s quality and usefulness. These type of videos are generally related to products outside of your brand. So, you will see them often used for channels that specialize in product reviews.
Creatively filmed product reviews can help you to build trust with viewers. Those who watch your videos will see you as a source of information to come to whenever they need to make buying decisions.
The New York Times’ Wirecutter is one of the most popular sources of product reviews. Their YouTube channel includes plenty of video reviews such as the one below on wireless earbuds.
Challenge Videos
Challenge videos have numerous angles. They can show brands performing viral challenges, presenting their teams with challenges or putting out challenges to your audience. These types of YouTube videos are more community-oriented and showcase the human side of your brand.
These types of videos present great opportunities for getting viewers familiar with your team or interacting with you. The Ice Bucket Challenge was one of the most prominent trends in challenge videos.
Behind-the-scenes videos
Behind-the-scenes videos show what happens at your organization. They can broadcast your daily routines, highlight staff members’ work or showcasing your company culture. These types of YouTube videos humanize your brand and connect viewers to your team.
If you work in a niche industry that the typical person does not know about, behind-the-scenes videos can help shed more light on that. For example, CoShedule shares lots of BTS content on their social media platforms including YouTube channel. Here is one of their videos on how to make meaningful graphics, combining the BTS format with the educational genre by having the brand’s graphic designer explain her approach.
Overall, there are several types of YouTube videos that you can still create to drive your brand’s engagement and presence on the platform. They include explainer videos, video podcasts, product launch videos, product demo videos, funny videos, Q&A videos and collaborations with other brands and influencers.
YouTube Shorts
YouTube shorts are short-form content usually lasting about six seconds. They are made with mobile device users in mind to ensure a vertical format for mobile phones. Shorts target users searching for something fun and enjoyable to watch. One of the reasons behind the popularity of YouTube shorts is its dedicated feed on the platform. It allows users to watch videos endlessly without interruptions from long-form content.
Brands that leverage YouTube shorts can have their videos reach the right audiences. Considering YouTube algorithm prioritizes short-form content, creative and carefully edited shorts can quickly go viral. That would give your channel a fantastic way to grow without a lot of efforts. Here’s a quick guide on how to go viral on social media.
The Best Ways to Use YouTube Shorts
YouTube shorts are both popular with viewers and the YouTube algorithm. Whether you are looking to boost your channel or brand, there are instances where these types of YouTube videos can be effective. Those situations include;
- Promotion of long-form content: Shorts can serve as teasers for your long-form YouTube videos, helping to draw attention to your channel.
- Improving recommendations: You can leverage YouTube shorts to appear more prominently under recommendations and boost visibility.
- Convert viewers into subscribers: Creating engaging YouTube shorts can effectively turn your viewers into loyal subscribers. Here’s how to get more YouTube subscribers.
- Better engagement: Short-form YouTube videos can enable you to engage your audience with much clarity and effectiveness.
- Enhanced visibility: The fact that the YouTube algorithm prioritizes short-form content means shorts can also be a great way to increase the visibility of your content and brand on the platform.
- YouTube beginners: Those who are new to YouTube can use shorts to lower their entry barriers to the platform.
Tips to Go Viral with YouTube Shorts
Many YouTube users and brands have experienced immense success with YouTube shorts, attracting millions of views and even thousands of subscribers. Here are some useful tips on how to increase your chances of going viral with YouTube shorts.
- Leverage Trends: Google Trends is one of the best ways to find trending topics in your niche. Besides, several social media platforms also have features to enable you search popular and trending topics in different niches.
- Use storytelling: One of the most effective ways to get your audience hooked is through storytelling. Try to begin your content with hooks such as highlighting intriguing facts or common problems to grab your viewers’ attention.
- Integrate remixes of trending music in your content. Music is crucial to making videos go viral. Remixing trending music can help you to draw the interest of viewers to your videos.
- Boot engagement. You should try to always respond to users whenever they leave comments about your content. That will enable you to boost a connection and trust with your audience, thereby driving YouTube engagement.
- Post at the right times. Schedule your YouTube shorts carefully so that you can post them when most of your viewers are online. Here’s a quick guide on the best times to post on social media.
YouTube Long-Form Content
YouTube long-form videos are also incredible for driving your reach and engagement on the platform. Long-form YouTube videos usually last beyond the one-minute mark, enabling users to explain, explore or entertain their audience in-depth.
Long-form content gives YouTube viewers better chances of connecting with their audience. Whether you are using a detailed vlog, tutorial or doing interviews with special guests, long-form videos can effectively reach masses on the platform. That means they can be ideal for tackling significant ideas and creating a more intimate connection with your audience.
Best Ways to Use Long-form Video Content
While YouTube long-form content can work in various ways, the following are the most suitable situations for using them.
- Tutorials and deep divides: Long-form content is great for guiding your viewers through DIY steps since you can quickly provide step-by-step guides, full-fledged tutorials and demonstrations. When trying to teach your audience a skill, there are higher chances that they will stick with the content for longer than a minute.
- Product reviews: Whether you are looking to present the positive or negative side of a product, giving your audience a deep dive into its features, pros and cons requires an in-depth review. Giving more engaging reviews saves your audience time, boosting their chances of tuning in.
- Panels and interviews: If you have access to an expert or special guest, long-form content can help you to engage in deep conversations within your niche. You can use the content to get unique insights and establish yourself as an authority in your niche.
- Vlogs and stories: Long-form YouTube videos can also be a great choice for sharing long stories. The stories could be behind-the-scenes views, heartfelt story sessions or a day in your life.
- Content episodes: If you are thinking of creating series such as a several-part documentary or storytelling, long-form content can be an ideal content type. The videos will keep viewers coming back for more.
- Sharing extra tips, backstories and insights.
- If you are looking to be a leader in your industry or niche, you should consider using long-form YouTube videos.
Comparing YouTube Shorts and Long-form Content
So, you may be wondering, which is better, long-form content or YouTube shorts? The platform’s recent push towards long-form content makes it look like the clear winner. However, each of these forms of YouTube videos has its place, merits and demerits. For example, you can use long-form video content on YouTube to deliver detailed guides and tutorials. On the other hand, YouTube shorts can also be effective in sharing quick guides and tips with users. Thus, the type of videos that you choose will mainly depend on your individual needs, brand and business goals.
In case you are looking to drive your presence and engagement on YouTube, do not hesitate to engage Superior Social Boost. We offer tailor-made packages to help individuals, brands and businesses to increase social media engagement organically. Our packages are customized to enable you gain more YouTube Likes, Comments, Views, Subscribers and Shares fast and conveniently.