H1: What are the best YouTube Shorts formats? Intro: YouTube creators don’t struggle to make Shorts; they struggle to make repeatable Shorts. Chasing trends creates spikes, not systems. The best YouTube Shorts formats are the ones your audience can recognize in one second and deliver a clear payoff without filler. H2: What creators think is happening (debunk common myths) - “There’s one magic template.” Reality: different audiences favor different shapes. Your winner is the format your viewers instantly understand. - “Shorts don’t need thumbnails or titles.” They matter on channel pages, search, and suggested grids. Thumbnail CTR from those surfaces still drives session entry. - “Longer holds attention better.” Padding kills stop rate. One clear beat outperforms two muddy beats. - “It’s all luck.” Outliers are rarely random. They share repeatable packaging and hook patterns. H2: What the data actually shows (observations without fake numbers) - Outlier analysis shows winners front-load a visual change plus a one-line promise on-screen in the first second. No intro ramps. - Format detection consistently surfaces five shapes: transformation, rapid list, test/reveal, tutorial-in-motion, and reaction/annotation. The same topic performs differently across these. - Packaging diagnosis finds that a strong cover frame, legible headline text, and tight safe-margins improve stop rate. Titles that mirror the on-screen hook help in browse and search. - Thumbnail CTR matters off-shelf: channel page, playlist rows, external surfaces. On the Shorts shelf, the first frame acts like your thumbnail. - Retention patterns dip when the reveal is delayed or the steps are unclear. Outliers add micro-reveals every few seconds and avoid dead air. H2: Why this happens (packaging / format reasons) - Shorts are judged in a split second. Clear formats set expectation fast, so viewers commit. - Packaging reduces cognitive load. A readable on-screen headline and immediate motion signal what’s coming and why to care. - Consistent formats help the system route your videos to the right viewers. When you change shapes too often, you reset that learning. H2: What to try instead (3–5 actionable ideas) - Before/After + single-step how-to - Flash the “after” for a heartbeat, snap to “before,” then show the one action that gets there. End by looping the after to re-earn watches. - On-screen headline: “Turn X into Y in one step.” - 3-fast facts with a progress bar - Counter on screen (1/3, 2/3, 3/3). Each fact is its own shot with a clear visual. - Title mirrors hook: “3 things about [topic] you’ll use today.” - Live test and reveal (mini myth-bust) - State the claim in text immediately. Run a quick test in 2–3 cuts. Stamp the verdict on screen. - Pin a comment with the key spec or link for depth. - Constraint challenge - “I tried [goal] with only [constraint].” Show the constraint in frame (timer, budget, one tool). - Payoff fast, then one takeaway that generalizes. - Reaction with annotations - Split-screen or cutaway. Add labels, arrows, and timestamps to add value, not just facecam. - Close with a “next clip” teaser to chain sessions. Packaging checklist for every Short: - First frame = motion plus headline text (5–7 words, upper-third). - Burned-in captions sized for mobile; avoid edges for safe-margins. - Choose a cover from the first shot so the shelf and channel grid match. - Title mirrors the on-screen promise; keep it scannable. - Keep background audio quiet enough that VO and captions lead. H2: How GrowIt analyzes this automatically GrowIt runs outlier analysis across your Shorts, applies format detection to cluster videos by shape, and flags which formats overperform for your audience. It performs packaging diagnosis on first-frame motion, on-screen headlines, titles, covers, and captions, and reports thumbnail CTR by surface so you can separate shelf performance from channel/search clicks. You get a simple map: which format to repeat, which to drop, and which packaging elements to fix. CTA: Paste a link in GrowIt to get a format and packaging scan of your next Short.