20+ YouTube Shorts Ideas for Going Viral
Virlo Team
Discover 20+ creative YouTube Shorts ideas to help your content go viral. Boost your views and engagement with these trending video concepts!
Apr 9, 2025
Creating original ideas for YouTube Shorts is tough. You want to stand out and capture your audience's attention immediately, but it can feel like every clever idea has already been done. If you’re stuck in this creative rut, don’t worry. This guide will help you generate fresh YouTube Shorts ideas so you can get back to creating engaging content for your audience.
One way to identify unique YouTube Short ideas is to research viral trends to determine what resonates with audiences. Virlo's virality analysis tool can help you pinpoint these trends and create engaging versions before they fizzle out.
Table of Contents
Benefits of Using YouTube Shorts
1. Capitalize on the Opportunity of a Growing Platform for Short Videos
YouTube has been around since 2005, and since then, it has amassed over 2.6 billion monthly users and more than 114 million active channels. While that’s great news for the platform and its users, it also means YouTube is a saturated market and one that’s incredibly competitive. Short-form video platforms are no different. TikTok and Instagram also have massive audiences, with one billion monthly users on TikTok and 1.4 billion on Instagram. YouTube Shorts is in a different stage of development. Recent data shows that YouTube Shorts has over 2 billion monthly active users as of July 2023, and the platform is growing at an impressive rate of 33% more than in the same month a year ago. It’s also worth noting that nearly 80% of YouTube users watch Shorts.
These statistics reflect an incredible opportunity for small businesses to carve out space and grow their audience (and channel) on the platform by adopting short-form videos early. Whether in product demonstrations, the launch of a new product line, or taking your audience behind the scenes of your business operation, there is every likelihood of captivating viewers and enhancing your visibility by jumping on the YouTube Shorts bandwagon.
2. Enhance Your YouTube Channel with Shorts**
Short and long-form videos are all published on one YouTube page and integrated into the main app. As well as showing up in Google search results, Shorts also appear in users’ regular YouTube feeds, notifications, and subscriptions, making it easy to maximize your reach and strengthen your YouTube presence. As YouTube product manager Pierce Vollucci explains, channels that incorporate both Shorts and long-form videos perform better overall than those that invest solely in long-form.
Vollucci states, “The channels that made Shorts seem to be growing faster. We anticipate that audience demand for short-form content is here to stay.” For small businesses, this translates to offering audiences a mix of content types. If you already have a strong audience from long-form videos, consider Shorts as an ad for your primary channel that can be placed in front of more viewers before directing them to your longer videos.
3. Improve Your SEO with YouTube Shorts
With YouTube being owned by Google, its long-form videos and YouTube Shorts can dominate the search results in the video category. This is excellent news for small businesses looking to boost their search engine visibility and reach relevant audiences searching for keywords and queries related to their brand. Just like long-form videos, SEO rules also apply to YouTube Shorts.
Be sure to add appropriate keywords to the title and video description to ensure your short-form content appears when your target audience searches for similar videos and is specific and relevant to the keywords used. Consider the example from Mob Kitchen below, which has garnered over 53,000 views and 1,600 likes. Those searching for a “chocolate croissant” recipe are drawn to the video with a title that reflects the top keywords, including “just six ingredients.” They also use an engaging thumbnail image to entice viewers and closed captions, before leveraging the content by cross-posting it to their blog and email newsletter.
4. Repurpose Existing Short Videos for YouTube Shorts**
The beauty of YouTube Shorts is that it allows you to repurpose existing short-form vertical videos from Reels and TikTok, saving you valuable time that can be put towards more video content. By repurposing these vertical videos to YouTube Shorts, you can continue to show up consistently on social media, maximizing the value of your videos and boosting your brand’s reach. Unsure what short-form videos to repurpose for YouTube Shorts? Consider these tips: • Repurpose top-forming videos:
Use analytics to get the data on your top-performing videos. The Reels that generated the most engagement should be the ones you prioritize cross-posting first. • Jump on a trend: If you’ve recently posted a TikTok or Reel that harnessed trending audio, use this on YouTube Shorts to see how it performs on a new platform. • Focus on high-performing content themes: Top performers on YouTube Shorts include educational videos and tutorials, humorous videos, and user-generated content. Lean into these content themes when looking for videos to report from TikTok and Instagram Reels.
5. Monetize Your YouTube Shorts
Though YouTube Shorts initially weren’t part of the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), monetization options were announced in late 2022 to allow creators to earn money from their short-form content. To be eligible for YouTube Shorts monetization, you must have a minimum of 1,000 subscribers. In addition, you need either 10 million public Shorts views in the last 90 days that are valid or 4,000 public watch hours of long-form videos in the previous 12 months.
For those focusing primarily on the growth of YouTube Shorts, the former is recommended as watch hours from Shorts in the Shorts Feed don’t count towards the watch hour threshold. YouTube has also introduced an expanded program for new creators and those with smaller followings, allowing you to monetize through fan funding and YouTube Shopping. You can apply for the program if you have 500 subscribers, three public uploads in the last 90 days, and three million public Shorts views over the previous 90 days.
10 Tips for Creating YouTube Shorts
1. Use Virlo for Finding Trends for YouTube Shorts
Virlo helps short-form content creators crack the code of virality through AI-powered trend analysis. Our platform combines creator insights with advanced analytics to identify winning content patterns, optimal posting times, and successful audio/video combinations that help your content stand out in today's fast-moving social landscape. Perfect for independent creators looking to build a sustainable side business, Virlo takes the guesswork out of content strategy. We analyze the latest viral trends and help you understand when to post and what combinations of elements drive engagement. Whether you're just starting or looking to optimize your existing content, Virlo helps you navigate the ever-changing algorithms to increase your chances of going viral. Go viral with Virlo's virality analysis tool.
2. Give it an Attractive Title
Optimizing the title/caption of your Short is just as important as making the video itself engaging. Consider using the title as a hook to keep viewers watching your Short until its end. You’ll need to experiment with this since different kinds of language work for various audiences. That said, it’s a good idea to keep your title short and punchy and use words that resonate with your audience.
3. Make the First Few Seconds Count
Come up with a compelling hook to get your viewers’ attention within the first few seconds of your video. Avoid clickbait, though! Nothing makes a viewer swipe to the next YouTube Short faster than a clickbait video. It’s a great idea to brainstorm a few hooks before filming your Short, and to make sure you experiment with different kinds of hooks across your videos.
4. Create the Perfect Loop
YouTube Shorts are played on a loop by default. If the viewer doesn’t swipe to the next Short video, they will see the same Short again for the second time, or even more times. A perfect loop will help make your Shorts look crisper. When filming and editing a Short, create a seamless loop to encourage multiple views.
5. Re-Hook Your Audience
It isn’t enough to create a strong hook for the beginning portion of your Short. Despite the short length of the video, you need to keep viewers engaged throughout its duration. Ideally, you should aim to re-hook your audience every three to five seconds, whether with a trending sound, text, or other visuals.
6. Create Consistently
Whenever a new platform or a feature like YouTube Shorts gets released, content creators will pour themselves into testing it out and figuring out how to make it a part of their strategy. But all too often, these creators give up after a few attempts that don’t go far. If you want to go viral with Shorts, you have to create them consistently. That can be one video a day or one a week, but just make sure you stick with them. That’s the only way you’ll start seeing results!
7. Use Relevant Hashtags
Hashtags are a great way to make your Shorts more discoverable and should be part of your YouTube Shorts strategy. Do some research, see what hashtags top creators in your specific niche use or what hashtags are featured in viral videos, and include them in your content.
8. Post Your Shorts at the Right Time
While there’s no hard-and-fast rule for the best time to post on YouTube Shorts, you can follow some general tips. According to research from HubSpot, most marketers post YouTube content between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, or Saturdays. That’s generally a good time to post. But if you have a big enough audience, you can check YouTube Analytics to see when your subscribers will most likely be on the platform at those times for the best chance of going viral.
9. Learn from the Competition
Ever heard the saying “great artists steal?” It has been attributed to everyone, from Russian composer Igor Stravinsky to Steve Jobs, but the whole saying goes like this: “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” The difference? Copying would mean just taking what the competition’s doing and doing the same thing. “Stealing” means finding out what works, putting your spin on it, and injecting your creativity into an established format or trend. Doing this should be an essential part of your research.
10. Jump on Trending Music
With YouTube Shorts’ built-in Sound tool, creators can add popular songs from major labels to their videos without getting penalized. Whenever appropriate, consider featuring trending music in your Shorts to improve their chances of going viral. Pick a song that matches closely with what your Short is about.
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20+ YouTube Shorts Ideas for Going Viral
1. Quick How-Tos
YouTube Shorts are short, but there’s enough time to squeeze in a tutorial. That could be anything you’re good at, such as DIY projects, art, tech repair, or another topic related to your niche. Just make it brief and informative!
2. Behind-the-Scenes Peeks
Give an intimate view of your creative process, workspace, or content creation journey. This personal touch builds a connection, humanizing your brand. By pulling back the curtain, you invite viewers to share in the behind-the-scenes magic, fostering a sense of authenticity and loyalty.
3. Everyday Hacks
Life hacks may be one of the best viral YouTube Shorts ideas. After all, everyone loves a shortcut to achieving their goals! There are two ways to execute this idea on YouTube. You could react to a life hack already trending or film yourself attempting the hack in a brand new video. If the topic flows with your niche, either path could lead to a viral moment.
4. Product Reviews in a Snap
Another YouTube shorts idea is sharing rapid yet insightful product reviews, focusing on key features, pros, and cons. This approach is perfect for viewers seeking swift and reliable information before purchasing decisions, allowing you to establish credibility in a crowded market with brief, informative snapshots.
5. Before and After
Before and after videos have a strong appeal on YouTube; they're satisfying in a way that most videos will never be, especially when something goes from dirty to clean or boring to beautiful. With these videos, just ensure the “after” looks better than the “before.” The gap between those states is what creates the “wow” factor.
6. Flashback Moments
Compile brief, impactful snippets from your past content or significant milestones, creating a nostalgic journey for your audience. By celebrating your journey and reflecting on growth, you evoke emotion, strengthening the bond with your viewers and reminding them of the shared experiences that brought you together.
7. Rapid Fire Q&As
Engage your audience with fast-paced Q&A sessions, turning questions into dynamic content. This provides valuable information and fosters community, making viewers feel heard and appreciated. Addressing queries in a rapid-fire format is also one of the good YouTube shorts ideas, you keep the interaction lively and maintain audience interest.
8. Quick Tips
Quick tips are like tutorials, except you have more space to play around with the format. You don’t have to go step-by-step, but you can find creative ways to break complex topics into bite-sized pieces of information.
9. Spotlight on Trends
Stay in the limelight by aligning your content with current trends or challenges. Capitalize on popular topics and hashtags to broaden your reach and attract a diverse audience. By staying relevant, you position yourself as a creator who understands the pulse of the online community and actively contributes to the ongoing conversation.
10. Common Myths
Have you noticed any myths within your YouTube community? What about common mistakes people always make? If so, set the record straight in a short, punchy video. Your findings may shock viewers so much that they have to share the video with someone else.
11. Interesting Facts in 60 Seconds
The next step in the list of YouTube short ideas is to share captivating facts within a minute, delivering bite-sized knowledge with visual flair—condense information into easily digestible and shareable content. By consistently providing brief, intriguing insights about your niche, you educate your audience and position yourself as a go-to source for quick, interesting information.
12. Mini-Documentaries
Weave compelling narratives into one-minute stories, offering brief glimpses into intriguing topics or historical events. With visual storytelling, you capture attention quickly and leave a lasting impact. These YouTube shorts ideas with mini-documentaries allow you to showcase your storytelling prowess and create a unique niche within the short-form content landscape.
13. Motivational Videos
Motivational content works best for people chasing popular goals, such as getting in shape, staying healthy, or adopting the right mindset. These goals are tough, so a little motivation goes a long way. You can make a difference by sharing a goal you achieved over time. Show a time lapse of your progress, or find creative ways to break down your journey and inspire people!
14. DIY Projects
Showcase quick and accessible do-it-yourself projects, spanning crafts, recipes, or home improvement hacks. Engage viewers with shareable content that inspires creativity and practicality. By providing easy-to-follow steps, you encourage audience participation, transforming your Shorts into a source of inspiration for those looking to embark on their DIY adventures. By integrating practical YouTube marketing tips, you amplify your Shorts’ reach, attracting a wider audience.
15. Fun Facts
Need a video idea that never disappoints? You can’t go wrong with fun facts! For this idea, you’ll expose hidden truths that appeal to a curious audience (which includes most viewers). Combine that with rare facts, and you’ll go viral while entertaining millions of people. But that’s just one side of the coin. Some facts can be relatable (not rare) and still get millions of views.
16. User-Generated Content Highlights
Celebrate your audience by featuring their content. This not only acknowledges their efforts but also builds a sense of community. Encourage others to contribute, creating a dynamic and participatory environment where your viewers actively shape the content narrative, fostering a sense of belonging and shared enthusiasm.
17. Humorous Shorts
Harness the power of laughter by crafting short, funny sketches or memes that resonate with your target audience. Laughter is a universal language, and you create an upbeat and entertaining space by injecting humor into your YouTube shorts ideas. This approach boosts creativity and emotional engagement, encouraging sharing and repeat visits.
18. Unboxing/Reviews
Want to become a product influencer? We have good news! You don’t have to post long videos on YouTube to start getting discovered. Many people create short, viral, unboxing videos, proving that anyone can transform the idea for YouTube Shorts.
19. Teasers and Previews
Generate excitement and anticipation by offering sneak peeks or teasers of upcoming content. By providing tantalizing glimpses into what’s on the horizon, you can keep your audience engaged and eager for more. This strategy cultivates a loyal following and transforms your Shorts into a promotional tool for your broader content offerings.
20. Speed Art or Time-Lapse
Showcase your creative process, whether drawing, painting, or crafting, in a visually captivating time-lapse format. Condense your artistic skills into short, mesmerizing clips that showcase your talents efficiently. These YouTube shorts ideas highlight your expertise and cater to viewers interested in your content's visual and creative aspects.
21. Repurpose Your Long-Form Content
If you have popular long-form videos, why not turn those into YouTube Shorts? You can see the most-replayed segment of a video now, making it easier to spot popular chapters that could go viral.
22. Short Stories or Narratives
Engage your audience emotionally by narrating brief stories or sharing anecdotes about your niche. Create a narrative arc within the short timeframe, leaving viewers intrigued and wanting more. By weaving compelling stories, you entertain and deepen the emotional connection with your audience, establishing a more profound and memorable impact. This can help you promote your YouTube channel through increased engagement and shares.
23. Day-in-the-Life Vlogs
Provide a glimpse into your daily routine or a specific day, adding a personal touch to your content. Humanize your brand by letting viewers connect with the person behind the camera. By sharing authentic moments, you create relatable content that resonates with your audience, fostering a stronger connection and making your channel more approachable.
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How to Find YouTube Shorts Ideas
Use Virlo to Find Viral YouTube Shorts Ideas
Virlo helps short-form content creators crack the code of virality through AI-powered trend analysis. Our platform combines creator insights with advanced analytics to identify winning content patterns, optimal posting times, and successful audio/video combinations that help your content stand out in today's fast-moving social landscape. Perfect for independent creators looking to build a sustainable side business, Virlo takes the guesswork out of content strategy. We analyze the latest viral trends and help you understand when to post and what combinations of elements drive engagement. Whether you're just starting or looking to optimize your existing content, Virlo enables you to navigate the ever-changing algorithms to increase your chances of going viral. Go viral with Virlo's virality analysis tool.
Get Clear on Your Niche and Audience
Before looking for ideas, get clear on: What topics you cover (e.g., tech, cooking, fitness, fashion, motivation). Who your audience is (age, interests, location). What problems do they face, and what entertains them? Ask yourself, “What kind of short content would my target audience watch on repeat or share with friends?”
Use YouTube’s Search Bar and Filters
Start typing relevant keywords and observe the autocomplete suggestions. Add words like “trending,” “tips,” “hacks,” “facts,” “before and after,” and “vs.” Use filters to find Shorts uploaded in the past month to catch trends early.
Example
Type skincare tips → YouTube might suggest “skincare tips for oily skin shorts” → boom, there’s your idea!
Explore the Short Feed
Spend 15–30 minutes watching Shorts related to your niche.
Note
What topics are common? What hooks are used in the first 3 seconds? What sounds, text overlays, or camera styles are being used? Use this research to replicate successful formulas with your twist.
Track Trends on TikTok and Instagram Reels
Trends often start on TikTok or Reels and then go to YouTube.
Use
TikTok’s Discover page, Instagram Reels’ trending audio, and Sites like TrendTok Analytics or Tokboard.
Look for
Viral challenges, Skits, Popular memes, Viral songs, or voiceover. Then adapt them to your niche.
Explore Community Posts, Comments & Reddit
Your audience might be giving you gold, but you don’t even know it.
Look for
Frequently asked questions, repeated pain points, Controversial or funny reactions, Stories or testimonials. Visit subreddits related to your niche and turn posts into quick Shorts.
Brainstorm Video Formats
Mix up your format to keep it fresh:
Tutorials
“How to do X in 30 seconds”
Myths/Facts Myth or Fact
You should drink lemon water every day.” Before/After Tips & Tricks Day in the Life / Behind the Scenes Mini Vlogs POV-style videos Reaction Shorts Time-lapse or transformation.
Use Trending Sounds or Audio
Use YouTube Shorts’ sound feature to see what’s trending.
You can also
Check what soundtracks are used in trending Shorts in your niche. Pair a relatable situation with a trending sound. Sound = discoverability.
Reverse Engineer Viral Shorts
Find Shorts with high views and analyze their hook (first 2 seconds), structure, text style, and pace, and call to action (e.g., “follow for part 2”).
Ask
Why did this work? Then recreate your version.
Go Viral with Virlo's Virality Analysis Tool
Virlo helps short-form content creators crack the code of virality through AI-powered trend analysis. Our platform combines creator insights with advanced analytics to identify winning content patterns, optimal posting times, and successful audio/video combinations that help your content stand out in today's fast-moving social landscape. Perfect for independent creators looking to build a sustainable side business, Virlo takes the guesswork out of content strategy. We analyze the latest viral trends and help you understand when to post and what combinations of elements drive engagement. Whether you're just starting or looking to optimize your existing content, Virlo helps you navigate the ever-changing algorithms to increase your chances of going viral. Go viral with Virlo's virality analysis tool.
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