YouTube Shorts, the missing piece in your social ads strategy

Social media has changed the way we consume content: we want speed, impact and entertainment in seconds. TikTok paved the way, Instagram followed with Reels, and now YouTube has turned Shorts into a key format for brands that want to stay on the radar, spark conversation and achieve real business results.

YouTube is no longer just “the TV of the internet”: it’s a social network with more than 2 billion monthly active users, where Shorts exceed 70 billion daily views. The difference with other platforms? Here we’re not just talking about fleeting entertainment, but about community and ROI in the same play.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• From community to ROI: the true value of Shorts

• Why are Shorts different from TikTok or Reels?

• Ad formats you can use in Shorts

• The psychology behind infinite scroll
• Step-by-step strategy for brands

From community to ROI: the true value of Shorts

On YouTube, people don’t just watch videos: they comment, share and engage. Shorts reinforce this behavior because:

• They are natural for social consumption: endless scroll, short videos and engaging music.
• They allow you to build community: a creator or brand can connect with followers daily in a fast way.
• They work as a gateway to the YouTube ecosystem: from a Short you can take the user to a long video, your channel or your online store.
  
  

👉 Example: a fashion brand managed by Adsmurai launched Shorts with direct CTAs to their ecommerce. Result: +32% in online sales in three weeks and a CPA 15% lower than traditional campaigns.

Why are Shorts different from TikTok or Reels?

Because YouTube has a unique ecosystem.

Content and performance strategies: the winning combo

For Shorts to be effective, the strategy must go beyond simple publishing. There has to be synergy between creative content and performance metrics.

• Valuable content in 15 seconds: The short format requires concise storytelling. Brands must master the art of delivering a clear, valuable message in the first few seconds, using creative hooks that appeal to emotions, curiosity or the need for information. Shorts coexist with long-form videos → the user can discover you in 15 seconds and dive deeper with a 10-minute video.
• The bridge between content and conversion: The most powerful strategy is to use Shorts as a “bridge” to other brand assets: a longer video, a landing page, or an e-commerce. Calls to action (CTAs) should be direct and strategically placed to guide the user toward conversion.
• They are integrated into YouTube and Google searches → giving them reach that no other social platform has.
• Continuous measurement and optimization: Success is not only measured in views, but also in clicks, conversion rates and Brand Lift and Conversion Lift metrics. These tools allow advertisers to measure the impact of their campaign on brand perception and sales, respectively, and optimize creatives in real time. They rely on Google Ads → which enables advanced targeting (affinity, in-market, remarketing audiences), and multichannel conversion measurement.

In short: Shorts are not just another scroll, they are the bridge between social culture and advertising performance.

Ad formats you can use in Shorts

• In-feed ads in Shorts: integrated into the vertical experience, almost indistinguishable from organic content.
• Demand Gen Campaigns: combine Shorts with Discover, Gmail and the YouTube feed to maximize reach and performance.

• Organic + Ads mix: upload a Short that hooks users, performs well, and boost it with investment to scale it to new audiences.
  
  

👉 Adsmurai example: Stradivarius went for this mix (organic + paid) and achieved a 25% higher brand recall compared to traditional video creatives.

The psychology behind infinite scroll

The success of short videos is no accident; it’s based on consumer psychology principles.

• Instant gratification: The 60-second (or less) length satisfies the need for instant gratification. The brain releases dopamine with each new stimulus, creating an addictive consumption cycle. In marketing, this translates into high retention and a huge volume of views.
• The attention economy: In a world saturated with information, attention has become the most valuable resource. Shorts compete successfully in this “attention economy” because they require minimal time investment and deliver quick returns in the form of entertainment or information.
• Native vs. intrusive content: Shorts are a native format; they integrate smoothly into the user experience. This reduces ad aversion and increases the likelihood that the consumer will interact positively with the brand, unlike intrusive formats that interrupt content consumption.

Step-by-step strategy for brands

1. Create native content: vertical, up to 60 seconds, with a clear message in the first 3.
2. Leverage the entertainment language: trends, viral music, fast storytelling.
3. Combine with long-form videos: a Short can be a teaser of a deeper piece that tells your brand story.
4. Integrate community and performance: reply to comments, create Shorts series and launch direct CTAs to your site or store.
5. Measure and optimize: don’t just stick to views. Analyze clicks, conversions and ROI metrics with GA4 and Demand Gen.
6. Scale progressively: start small, test, identify what works and then invest more.
   
   

Does this also work for local brands?

Absolutely. Shorts is the perfect format for small businesses that want visibility on a tight budget.

• A bakery can promote its weekly offers with short videos.
• A sports store can use Shorts to showcase real-time product launches.
• A language school can hook users with quick tips and CTAs to enroll.
  
  

Shorts in the social ads mix

Compared to other social formats:

• Higher consumption intent → on YouTube, users seek to learn, be entertained or discover.
• Longer session times → over 20 minutes per session, amplifying your brand exposure.
• Better multichannel integration → Shorts don’t live alone, they’re part of campaigns that include long-form video, Display, Discover and even Gmail.
  
  

At Adsmurai we see it daily: brands that integrate Shorts into their mix alongside Meta or TikTok achieve an average uplift of 30% in attributable conversions thanks to platform complementarity.

YouTube Shorts is not a passing trend. It’s the natural evolution of social video: combining the strength of community with the performance capabilities that only YouTube and Google can deliver.

Brands that embrace Shorts won’t just be part of the social conversation—they’ll also be able to measure direct impact on sales, leads or store traffic.

And the question is clear:

Does your brand want to be part of the feed… or stay out of the conversation?

At Adsmurai we help you turn every scroll into real business results.