For YouTube, does long form horizontal video work better or do short form shorts work better?

Answer:

When it comes to getting your business in front of people on YouTube—especially people who don’t already know who you are—there are really two main formats: long-form horizontal videos and short-form vertical videos, commonly known as Shorts. Both formats can perform well, and both have their place, but personally I believe long-form video works better overall. The reason is the type of audience it attracts. With long-form content, assuming you have a strong hook, the right title, description, and tags, you tend to reach people who are actively searching for a specific topic. That means they’re intentionally looking for information, not just scrolling mindlessly. Shorts often get seen by people who are just flipping through content casually, which can be fine for exposure, but those viewers aren’t usually searching with intent. Because long-form viewers are more intentional, they tend to be more valuable, more engaged, and ultimately better for monetization. In my opinion, long-form video is the best way to make money on YouTube.

Summary:

Watkins Photography explained that while both long-form and short-form YouTube content can perform well, long-form videos attract a more intentional and valuable audience. Viewers of long-form content are typically searching for specific information, which leads to higher engagement and better monetization opportunities compared to short-form viewers who are often passively scrolling.