How Jenny Hoyos Actually Makes Viral Shorts

Summary

In this insightful video, top YouTube Shorts creator Jenny Hoyos shares her strategies for success, emphasizing the importance of treating content creation like a business. She discusses the significance of quality and consistency, finding a unique niche, crafting compelling hooks, and utilizing storytelling techniques to engage viewers. Jenny also explores the monetization potential of Shorts, suggesting alternative revenue streams beyond ad revenue, and offers advice for transitioning from Shorts to longer content, highlighting the importance of maintaining a consistent feel to retain viewers.

Takeaways

• 💼 Treating YouTube like a business is crucial for consistency and growth, emphasizing the importance of scheduling and posting quality content regularly.
• 🔍 Finding a 'blue ocean' market niche involves identifying gaps and creating unique content that stands out from the competition.
• 🎨 The power of a strong hook lies in its ability to be visually appealing and concise, conveying the essence of the video even without sound.
• 📚 Utilizing storytelling techniques such as 'but so' narrative and dual narrative can enhance viewer engagement and retention.
• 📈 Structure and pacing are vital for keeping the audience's attention, with a suggested approach of a quick hook, medium pace, and a peak in the middle.
• 📊 Analyzing video analytics, especially retention graphs, can provide insights into audience preferences and help creators refine their content strategy.
• 🔗 Building loyalty involves creating repeatable content formats or 'buckets' that are easily recognizable and linked, encouraging habitual viewing.
• 💰 Despite misconceptions, YouTube Shorts can be a viable way to make money through ad revenue, products, courses, and sponsorships.
• 🚀 Transitioning from Shorts to long-form content requires a strategy that maintains a similar feel and caters to the audience's established preferences.
• 📈 High retention on long-form videos linked from Shorts indicates that viewers are converting and engaging with the content, despite the shift in format.
• 🛠️ Growing a YouTube channel involves a deep understanding of the platform's algorithms, analytics, and the ability to adapt and apply various strategies effectively.

Q & A

What is the main strategy Jenny Hoyos uses for her YouTube Shorts?

Jenny's main strategy is treating YouTube like a business, focusing on consistency in uploading quality content and maintaining a strict schedule.

How does Jenny define a 'blue ocean' in the context of content creation?

In the context of content creation, a 'blue ocean' refers to a space with little competition where creators can have their own unique twist, differentiating themselves from others.

What was Jenny's initial approach to creating content in the finance and money niche?

Initially, Jenny was copying the style of another creator, Graham Stephan, one-for-one, but later realized the need to find her own unique angle in the niche.

How did Jenny identify a gap in the market for her content?

Jenny noticed that there was no one making finance-related content targeted at kids, which she identified as a gap in the market that she could fill.

What are the key elements of an effective hook according to Jenny?

An effective hook should be concise, visually appealing, and understandable even without sound. It should also foreshadow what's to come in the video.

What storytelling technique does Jenny recommend for making content more engaging?

Jenny recommends using 'but so storytelling', which involves setting up conflict and resolving it, and then introducing new conflict to keep the story engaging.

How does dual narrative storytelling work in the context of YouTube Shorts?

Dual narrative storytelling involves telling one story through voiceover and another through visuals, allowing for the conveyance of multiple messages within the short time constraint of Shorts.

What is the recommended structure and pacing for a YouTube Short according to Jenny?

The recommended structure is a quick hook, medium-paced middle, a peak or funny joke somewhere in the middle, back to medium pacing, and a quick ending, creating a rollercoaster of emotions.

How does Jenny analyze her audience's preferences using analytics?

Jenny looks at the retention graph rather than the percentage to understand which parts of her videos are engaging or not, and she also looks for patterns in her top-performing videos.

What is the concept of 'buckets' in YouTube content strategy?

'Buckets' refer to repeatable formats with similar titles and structures, which help create returning viewers by making it easy for YouTube to recommend similar content.

How does Jenny leverage her success in Shorts to make money?

Although ad revenue from Shorts might be lower compared to long-form videos, Jenny suggests that Shorts creators can make money through products, courses, and sponsorships.

What is Jenny's approach to transitioning from Shorts to long-form content?

Jenny's strategy is to create long-form content that has a similar feel to her Shorts, essentially compiling multiple 30-second Shorts to form a longer video.

Outlines

00:00

📈 YouTube Shorts Monetization and Strategy

This paragraph introduces a discussion on YouTube Shorts monetization with Jenny Hoyos, a successful short-form content creator. It emphasizes the potential for Shorts creators to earn as much as those producing longer content. Jenny shares her strategies for content creation, including treating YouTube like a business with a consistent posting schedule, and the importance of quality and quantity in video uploads. She also discusses finding a unique niche, or 'blue ocean' strategy, by differentiating her content and targeting a younger audience interested in finance, a gap she identified in the market.

05:02

🎨 Crafting Hooks and Storytelling in YouTube Shorts

The second paragraph delves into the specifics of creating effective hooks and storytelling techniques for YouTube Shorts. Jenny explains that a strong hook should be concise, visually appealing, and able to convey the video's message even without sound. She also discusses the use of foreshadowing to keep viewers engaged until the end. The paragraph further explores dual narrative storytelling, where a story is told both through voiceover and visuals, allowing for a compact delivery of multiple messages within the short time frame of a Short. Jenny's approach to structure and pacing is highlighted, with a focus on creating an emotional rollercoaster for the viewer and applying the peak-end rule to make memorable content.

10:03

📊 Analyzing Audience Engagement and Building Loyalty

In this paragraph, the focus shifts to understanding audience preferences and building viewer loyalty. Jenny discusses the importance of reviewing analytics to identify what resonates with viewers and adjusting content strategies accordingly. She emphasizes the use of 'buckets' or repeatable content formats that are consistently titled and structured, which helps in creating a recognizable and engaging series of videos. This approach not only aids in viewer retention but also assists the YouTube algorithm in recommending similar content to viewers, fostering a habit of returning to the channel.

💰 Monetization of YouTube Shorts and Transition to Long-form Content

The final paragraph addresses the monetization potential of YouTube Shorts and the challenges of transitioning from short to long-form content. Despite the perception that Shorts may not be as lucrative, Jenny argues that they offer a viable way to earn income, especially through sponsorships and by leveraging large view counts. She also provides insight into her strategy for converting Shorts viewers to long-form content by creating bite-sized segments that accumulate into a longer video, maintaining a similar feel and style to keep viewers engaged across formats.

Keywords

💡YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts is a feature on the YouTube platform that allows creators to upload short-form videos of up to 60 seconds. It's a key focus of the video as it discusses strategies for success in this format. The video mentions that creators can make significant revenue from Shorts, with Jenny Hoyos averaging about 10 million views per short, indicating their popularity and potential for audience engagement.

💡Monetization

Monetization refers to the process of generating income from a digital asset or service. In the context of the video, it discusses how creators can make money from YouTube Shorts, including through ad revenue and sponsorships. The script mentions that while ad revenue from Shorts might be lower compared to long-form videos, creators can still make substantial income through other means, such as sponsored content.

💡Consistency

Consistency in the video script refers to the regularity with which content is posted. It is highlighted as a crucial strategy for building an audience and maintaining viewer engagement. Jenny emphasizes the importance of having a schedule and ensuring that content is uploaded at the same time every week, which helps in creating a reliable brand image and expectation among viewers.

💡Blue Ocean Strategy

The term 'blue ocean' is used as a metaphor for a market space with little competition, as opposed to a 'red ocean' where competition is fierce. In the script, Jenny discusses the importance of finding or creating a unique niche to differentiate oneself from competitors. She mentions her initial imitation of another creator and then finding her own unique angle by targeting finance content for kids, which was an unexplored area.

💡Hook

A hook in video content is an attention-grabbing element designed to stop viewers from scrolling and engage with the video. The script describes how a good hook should be concise, visually appealing, and capable of conveying the video's content even without sound. Jenny provides examples of creating hooks that not only attract viewers but also foreshadow what's to come, ensuring viewers watch until the end.

💡Storytelling

Storytelling is the art of narrating stories to engage and persuade an audience. In the context of the video, Jenny discusses various techniques for telling stories in Shorts to keep viewers interested. She mentions 'but so storytelling' as a simple technique to create conflict and resolution, making the narrative more engaging. Additionally, she talks about dual narrative storytelling, where two stories are conveyed simultaneously through voiceover and visuals.

💡Pacing

Pacing refers to the speed at which content is delivered, which is crucial in maintaining viewer interest. The script outlines Jenny's preferred pacing structure for Shorts, which includes a quick hook, medium-paced middle, a peak or punchline, and a quick ending. This pacing is likened to a rollercoaster of emotions, ensuring that the video remains dynamic and avoids monotony.

💡Retention

Retention in video content refers to how long viewers continue watching before they stop or 'drop off'. The script discusses the importance of good retention for the success of a video, mentioning that viewers should ideally watch the entire video. Jenny uses analytics to understand which parts of her videos are most engaging and makes adjustments based on this data.

💡Buckets

Buckets, in the context of the video, refer to repeatable content formats that are similar in structure and theme. They help in creating a recognizable pattern for viewers, which can increase the likelihood of them returning to watch more. Jenny uses buckets to create a series of related Shorts, making it easier for the YouTube algorithm to recommend her content to viewers who have enjoyed similar videos.

💡Analytics

Analytics are the quantitative measures used to understand viewer behavior and content performance. The script emphasizes the importance of utilizing analytics to gain insights into audience preferences and to improve content strategy. Jenny uses analytics to identify patterns in her top-performing videos, such as average duration and viewer retention, to inform her content creation.

Highlights

Creators can make up to $1,000,000 per sponsored short, suggesting high earning potential for YouTube Shorts.

Jenny Hoyos, a top Shorts creator, averages 10 million views per short and shares her strategies for success.

Treating YouTube like a business is key to consistency and quality in content creation.

A content schedule ensures regular uploads and helps in maintaining a connection with the audience.

Finding a 'blue ocean' niche with less competition is crucial for creators to stand out.

Jenny's unique approach to finance content for kids filled a market gap and became her niche.

Effective hooks in Shorts should be concise, visually appealing, and capable of conveying the video's message even without sound.

Foreshadowing in hooks can improve video completion rates by setting expectations for the video's end.

Storytelling in Shorts can be enhanced using 'but so' narrative techniques to create engaging conflicts and resolutions.

Dual narrative storytelling allows conveying multiple messages within the time constraint of Shorts.

Structuring and pacing in Shorts should mimic a rollercoaster of emotions for maximum engagement.

Viewer retention is vital in Shorts, and creators should aim for high average view durations.

Utilizing analytics to understand audience preferences and making data-driven content decisions is essential.

Creating 'buckets' or repeatable content formats can foster returning viewers and loyalty.

Shorts can be as profitable as long-form content through strategies like product placement, courses, and sponsorships.

Converting Shorts viewers to long-form content involves creating similar 'feel' and content types to maintain viewer interest.

Even with high view counts on Shorts, translating that success to long-form videos can be challenging and requires strategic content planning.

Transcripts

- I know a couple of creators who literally make

$1,000,000 per sponsored short.

I have like probably one of the best strategies

that I haven't seen anyone do.

I think that a Shorts creator could make

just as much money as a long form creator.

- Today we are diving into the world of YouTube Shorts

with one of the fastest rising stars on the platform,

Jenny Hoyos.

Jenny is by far one of the top creators

making Shorts on YouTube,

averaging about 10 million views per short.

In this step-by-step breakdown,

Jenny will be sharing her best strategies around ideation,

hooks, storytelling, analytics, monetization and more.

And by the end of my talk with Jenny,

you should be left with a crystal clear blueprint

for creating high performing Shorts.

First things first, what do you feel like

your overarching strategy is

and the mindset that enables this level of consistency is?

- I think the biggest overarching thing

is treating YouTube like a business.

So, I'm just making sure that I'm very

on top of my schedule, like all my content is scheduled,

all my content is on a calendar.

I make sure that no matter what,

there is a YouTube video posted on Saturday at 10:00 AM EST.

So I think for me it's making sure

that I do quality, quantity.

So I want my videos to be quality,

but I also want to make sure

that I'm uploading consistently.

- Even at the age of 18, Jenny has made the decision

to treat her YouTube channel like a business.

She's investing so much time and effort

to not only grow the business but also make it profitable.

In order to be profitable as a business,

you need to go out and find yourself a potential customer,

or in Jenny's case, a target audience.

One of the things you mentioned recently was that

as creators we want to be in a blue ocean

as opposed to like a red ocean.

But how do you deliberately position yourself in a

space with little competition,

which is basically what the analogy is, sorry to spoil it.

- When I think of blue ocean,

I think of having your own unique twist.

So granted we're all gonna have idols

or steal an artist, but at the end of the day,

you should still have your own unique thing

that makes you unique.

What's your unique advantage?

What are things that you're skilled at?

Things in your situation that help benefit you, basically,

is the way I like to see a blue ocean.

I was always into entrepreneurship and business,

so I knew I wanted to make videos about finance or money.

And at first, I was actually copying Graham Stephan,

like one-for-one, I kid you not,

the exact same style, the exact same everything basically,

I've unlisted those videos 'cause it's very cringe.

That's just like a red ocean

'cause everyone's trying to be Graham Stephan.

But then I looked at everyone else

in the money/finance industry

and I noticed that there's no one doing it for kids.

So I knew that there was a gap in the market, essentially,

and I had to do it.

- Well, I would say she bridged the gap just fine.

Coming from a family of extreme money savers,

she picked up tips and relatable humor from them.

In other words, she took an experience

that was unique to her life and used it to make content

that other people could relate to.

But what's equally significant here is that

her being a younger creator made it

so that she could relate to other young people

who wouldn't normally think about saving money.

And if you want to attract an audience of people

who wouldn't normally think about saving money,

you need to make sure that your hook is spot on

to get them to stop scrolling immediately.

So let's talk about hooks for a little bit.

Walk me through like the process for you

for coming up with an incredibly catchy and effective hook?

- So a good hook is concise, no more than three seconds,

it needs to be very visually pleasing,

very visually appealing.

It needs to be so good that you can be

watching the video on mute

and still understand what the video's about.

So I try to make sure that the composition's good.

What I mean by that is like,

everything's centered, in frame,

I try to make sure there's no more

than three objects in the frame.

It needs to be so good that you can use it

as a thumbnail on one of your long form videos.

I think the most underrated thing in hooks is foreshadowing.

So a good hook not only stops your scroll,

but also makes sure you get to the end of the video.

You should foreshadow what is to expect at the end.

Some things that are very easy to apply is like,

here are three reasons why X.

So now we know the video's gonna end on three,

so it doesn't need to be too complicated.

Or my favorite example is,

I started a video by giving my grandma

a $5 Christmas present and showing her reaction.

So I started with the cold open

of her reacting to this $5 gift,

but the thing is you don't see

what the gift is until the end of the video.

- I hope you can appreciate that

the tips Jenny is giving us here are pure gold.

Grabbing an audience's attention

to get them to stop scrolling

is everything when it comes to YouTube Shorts.

It's important to note though, that's not the only thing,

because you also need a good average view duration,

you need people to watch the whole thing.

In order to do that, you need to tell stories.

Now I know some people kind of feel like

they have a natural ability to just tell stories,

but if you're anything like me,

it's something that is a bit intimidating.

Fortunately though, for you and me,

this is something you can learn,

this is a skill you can develop.

So, what storytelling frameworks

and techniques are you using?

- I'm gonna start with the simplest

ending with the hardest, retention tactic.

So, the simplest one that anyone can apply is,

but so storytelling.

So it's basically setting up conflict

and then resolving the conflict

and then setting up new conflict.

So imagine a story where you say,

oh, I want to go on a walk.

So I went outside, it started raining,

and I didn't know what to do so I went back home.

It's like okay, it's a story I guess,

but when you use but and so

it just sounds more entertaining.

Like, I was at home but I got bored

so I ended up going for a walk, but it started raining.

So I ended up trying to figure out what to do.

I was looking for an umbrella

but I couldn't find one so I had to go back home.

So it's like the story just seems

so much more engaging when you use those words.

I probably like repeat myself so many times on these Shorts,

but every time I say, but, like it stops someone

from scrolling, it's like, "But what?"

So that's one method.

And the second thing I love to do

is dual narrative storytelling.

So with Shorts, you wanna keep your videos very concise

and it's very hard to do that

because you probably wanna get across

multiple different messages,

but you only have like 60 seconds to do that.

So what I do is this technique

where I tell two stories at the same time.

I tell one story through my voiceover or whatever I'm saying

and the second story is told in what I'm showing.

So an example of me doing this is,

I wanted to give my grandma a $5 Valentine's gift present,

but the reason why I was doing that is because you know,

it was the first year she didn't have a valentine

because my grandpa passed away,

and I'm like, that's way too much context

and it's also almost like too sad.

I feel like people are just gonna scroll if I say that.

So instead, my voiceover was me talking about

me making the present for her,

but I never said the additional context.

Instead, I showed pictures of her with my grandpa

to almost show to the viewer

that this is the reason why I'm doing it

without telling them that.

- Jenny has admittedly studied these big creators

for thousands of hours to come up with these strategies.

So you can rest assured these are tried and tested

by the best out there.

Ryan Trahan is a prime example

of using visuals to add context.

But you may have noticed that Jenny and Ryan's Shorts

are packed with info, but very carefully.

You never wanna overwhelm

an audience in your YouTube Shorts,

it's all about finding a rhythm and a pacing.

What are some of your best practices

around structure and pacing?

- My favorite pacing when it comes to,

like structure and pacing since it's very similar,

it is quick hook, medium paced middle,

and probably a peak in somewhere in the middle,

like a funny joke,

back to medium pacing and then quick ending.

You wanna make sure

that it's almost a rollercoaster of emotions.

And there's multiple theories that back this up,

so one that I wanna get into is peak and theory,

and it's this theory that people only remember

their favorite part of a movie

or whatever they're watching and the ending.

You never think of like,

"Oh, I remember when this boring thing happened."

Which makes sense, but that's like the whole point of it.

- I think because creators are forced in Shorts

to keep their videos under 60 seconds long

and keep their energy up,

a lot of their ideas kind of get rushed through.

Oftentimes the videos can lose their flow

and confuse the audience.

- Do not talk fast, just talk more concise

and try to get the message across in the least

amount of words possible.

Usually you'll give like that concise,

quick, action-packed, value and context

and then right after giving so much context,

you need to let it breathe so that they can understand

the context that they just heard.

- Once you've finish making a video

that you're very, very excited to share,

it's difficult not to just go ahead and hit publish.

But before you do a good practice here

is to take a step back and ask yourself a few questions.

Imagine for a second that you're the viewer of this video.

Does it make sense?

Is it captivating?

Does it capture the right emotion?

Because you should absolutely be making it a priority

to understand how the audience is going

to feel when they watch your Short.

I don't care if it's Shorts or longs,

connecting with your audience is everything.

How do you get insight into your audience's

mindset and preferences?

- I feel like the best way to do it is

literally to send your videos to your avatar if possible.

So for me it's very simple to just send it

to a younger family member or, also my parents,

but if you don't have that,

utilizing your analytics is very important.

I try to look at the retention graph, not the percentage.

You look at the retention graph and you see like,

oh, this joke just did not hit

or I talked way too long for that.

And you just kind of have to come up

with your own assumptions and figure that out

and apply it to new videos.

But as for what content to make and content strategy,

I'm looking for videos that are a bit old

but performing in the last 48 hours

because like for example right now my last 48 hours

is one video from a year ago

and then a bunch of them are videos from like last month.

But then what what's interesting is like,

why is my number one performer a video from last year?

And that's how you understand what videos

are actually the ones you need to recreate

and what is actually resonating with your audience.

For example, I'll look at,

oh, what's my average duration of videos

that are my top performers?

That's how I know my best videos are 34 seconds,

so I'll usually just toggle as many analytics

as possible and see if there's any patterns there.

- Yes, understanding your analytics is great

for helping to increase your views and watch time

and find trends within your content,

but the real win lies in making content that people love.

When you watch something that you love from a creator,

you go back and you wanna watch more of it,

that's how you build a community and grow on YouTube.

What else do you intentionally do to build loyalty

and get viewers like coming back habitually?

- Buckets is probably 90% of creating returning viewers.

So, buckets are repeatable formats

and I try to keep mine very similar titled.

For example, my bucket would be,

$1 fast food item versus restaurant.

So it would be like $1 burrito, $1 boba,

$1 everything, basically.

And because everything is titled and structured

and formatted and the video is very similar,

like all the videos are metallically linked.

YouTube can easily be like,

"Oh, the viewer liked when she made $1 pizza.

Oh, they're gonna like when she makes a $1 sandwich

or a $1 burger."

It's very easy for YouTube to understand

what your viewer is gonna wanna watch next.

So the goal with returning viewers on Shorts

is to make videos that your viewer

is probably going to watch next.

And you do that through structure,

format and metadata such as title.

If you're uploading once a week,

I think two to four buckets is really reasonable.

- Even though making Shorts is awesome

and all this advice is really helpful,

there is one glaring issue when it comes to Shorts

and that is your return on investment.

Honestly, are Shorts even worth it?

I'm sure you've seen the adsence on Shorts

for most creators is very small.

But you yourself are someone who's admitted to everybody,

"I love money."

How can somebody who's getting into Shorts

and seeing a bit of success leverage them to make money?

- Shorts is totally a viable way to make money,

I don't know who thought that it's not.

I think that a Shorts creator could make just as much money

as a long form creator, maybe not as much ad revenue,

but you can make the same money.

I average like 50 to a hundred million views

per month on Shorts.

So because of that it ranges between

five to 10K per month in ad revenue,

versus if I was doing long form

and I was getting those views,

what the heck, I'd be at what, 100K a month?

Like so, theoretically ad revenue wise, it's much worse.

But if you have products, courses, sponsorships,

that's where the money is to be made.

I know a couple of creators

who literally make $1,000,000 per sponsored short.

I'm just saying, so,

and they get less views than me or probably about the same.

You just gotta be a good businessman,

good businesswoman, good business person.

- I could say firsthand we've witnessed a huge surge

in channels that are exclusively making YouTube Shorts,

but a lot of the creators we've spoken to

have a business-minded plan of eventually branching out

into longer form content.

Expanding your reach with long form videos

is easier said than done, but not impossible.

What would you tell someone who's enjoying

a lot of success on their Shorts

but they're struggling with long form?

When I say that, I think of you as somebody

who can get 10 million views in a short in your sleep,

and then you know, you post a long form

and you're not enjoying those same views on average,

what would you say to someone

who's kind of feeling the same way?

- It really sucks.

I think you have to see it as like two different games,

like they're two completely different challenges to me.

With long form, every second doesn't matter

as much as it does in Shorts,

because one second on a short is over 1% retention,

but on a long form, one second isn't even 1% retention.

So if you lose one second percentage wise it's not huge,

but with Shorts it's like everything is so exponential.

My strategy to convert from Shorts to long form

is to literally make very similar feeling content.

What I mean by that is bit-based videos,

essentially creating 30 second Shorts

until it adds up to an eight minute video.

For example, I easily have 20 Shorts

where I recreated fast food items.

So imagine a long form where I did,

I recreated 100 fast food items,

and it's basically the same thing

'cause I know my Shorts viewers watch that.

- I mean, and that sounds like a fantastic way

to keep a Shorts viewer potentially hooked

on a long form video.

But as I'm sure you're well aware of,

a lot of people struggle with this,

getting people to watch...

- If I created my own YouTube channel,

all eyes would be on me

and I would make every puny human YouTuber

disappear off this platform.

- Getting people to watch your long form videos,

who watch your Shorts is almost impossible.

How are you handling that challenge

and what are you seeing in your data?

- So for context, my Shorts average

10 million views per video,

but my long forms range between 50 to 500K,

it's a very wide range.

But my top performing videos on long form

are literally almost all returning viewers.

So, what I am identifying is,

yes, people are converting from Shorts to long form

and the retention's actually great.

In fact, even when I link a long form from my Short,

like with the related, the new related feature,

my retention is crazy high on my long forms

even though they're coming from Shorts.

And I think the reason is

because the feel is just like very similar.

- Let's be real,

growing any type of channel on YouTube is challenging,

Shorts, longs, algorithms, analytics, it's all too much.

So, that's why we've made a video packed with 150 tips

for small channels to grow fast on YouTube.