The Truth About YouTube Shorts: Why They’re Sabotaging Your Channel
I’m here to blow the whistle on YouTube Shorts—because despite what you’ve heard, most creators aren’t actually making real money from them.
As a YouTube strategist who’s produced and coached thousands of channels, I’ve had the rare opportunity to analyze the backend analytics of dozens of creators at once. What I’ve found is eye-opening: Shorts might look good on the surface, but they’re one of the biggest time-wasters in the creator economy.
Here’s why.
1. The Income Reality Check
Yes, Shorts rack up millions of views. But those views don’t pay. Across every channel I’ve studied, Shorts revenue is just pennies compared to long-form content. And it’s not just ad revenue—Shorts viewers rarely convert into course buyers, clients, or even email subscribers. They’re in “scroll mode,” not “investment mode.”
2. The Audience Quality Problem
Shorts attract the wrong audience. These viewers want quick entertainment, not transformation. When your subscriber base grows from Shorts, you end up with an audience that doesn’t care about your long-form videos—or what you’re selling. That misalignment kills monetization.
3. The Algorithm Trap
Here’s the kicker: when most of your channel growth comes from Shorts, YouTube starts showing your long-form content to Shorts-first viewers. They don’t click, and your best videos get buried. Over time, your channel becomes stuck serving the wrong audience.
So Who Should Post Shorts?
Honestly, Shorts only make sense if you already have a massive following elsewhere (like TikTok or Instagram) and you’re just repurposing content. For most business-minded creators, your time is far better spent doubling down on long-form videos that attract loyal, invested viewers.
Bottom Line
If your goal is to build a profitable, sustainable YouTube business, Shorts won’t get you there. They inflate your vanity metrics, but they don’t translate into meaningful income.
Instead, focus on long-form content that builds trust, depth, and revenue. That’s where the real growth happens.
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