Creating Viral YouTube Shorts with Jenny Hoyos

Jul 16, 2024

Lecture on Creating Viral YouTube Shorts

Speaker: Jenny Hoyos

Key Highlights:

  • Jenny Hoyos: 18-year-old YouTuber with over 600 million views in the past year, averaging 10 million views per video.
  • Main Claim: "I can make anything go viral if the idea is good."
  • Specialization: Short-form content creation.

Analyzing Shorts

  • Extensive Analysis: Jenny has analyzed thousands of shorts, including those by Mr. Beast and Ryan Trahan.
  • Retention Insight: Retention isn't as crucial as often claimed; focus on story and twists.

Creating the Perfect Short

  1. Format Across Platforms: Short-form content varies by platform (e.g., YouTube, TikTok, Instagram have different preferences).
  2. Strategy: Add narrative and twist – makes even mundane subjects engaging (e.g., paint drying).
  3. Personal Connection: Stories based on personal experiences resonate well.
  4. Irony: Irony and unexpected twists keep viewers invested.

Components of A Good Short

  • Strong Hook: The hook should be visual and understandable even without sound. Ideally, the hook should also serve as an engaging title for a thumbnail in long-form content.
  • Storytelling: Clear storytelling that pushes viewers to re-watch the content (e.g., using a hook, then an ironic twist).
  • Visual Planning: Sketching visual elements on an iPad to pre-visualize content.
  • Readability: Keeping language simple and easy to understand, aiming for a readability level of fifth-grade or lower.

Research Techniques

  • Scraping Transcripts: Analyzing transcripts of popular shorts for better understanding of effective strategies.
  • Transition Strategy: Removing less engaging seconds (e.g., cutting the last second to improve retention from 83% to 88%).
  • Scroll-Through Rate: Aim for high view rates without swiping (Jenny's “scroll-through” rate is 85%).

Generating Ideas and Hooks

  • Source Ideas: From YouTube, AI, and real-life experiences.
  • Filter Process: Ideas are filtered down from hundreds to tens through personal interest, virality potential, and strategic editing.
  • Visual and Verbal Alignment: The first frame and corresponding verbal hook should be compelling.
  • Audience Testing: Using personal and family experiences as reference points.

Platform Differences

  • YouTube Concentration: More mature audience, longer forms preferred (34-sec ideal length).
  • TikTok: Prefers 10-20 sec dense content.
  • Instagram: Highly visual with subtitles, good for sharing.
  • Transitioning to Long Form: While confident in shorts, Jenny is experimenting with long-form content for a new challenge.

Analytical Insights

  • Retention vs. Viral Potential: Context-dependent; high retention doesn't always guarantee virality, especially if other factors (like returning viewers) show strong metrics.
  • Foreshadowing: Used effectively at the beginning of shorts to set expectations and maintain viewer interest.
  • Ending Abruptly but Satisfactorily: Ensuring viewers always get a sense of closure, even if the video ends abruptly.

Final Thoughts

  • Beliefs Without Data: Sharability may matter more than previously confirmed, and retention might not be the sole marker for success.