Let’s cut to the chase: you’ve seen those viral YouTube Shorts with millions of views and thought, “If they can do it, why can’t I?”
A year ago, I decided to challenge myself: one YouTube
Short every single day for a year. No fancy camera, no team—just me, my
phone, and a ton of trial and error.
Fast forward 365 days later, and here’s what really
happened: the highs, the flops, and most importantly, how much money I
actually made.
Spoiler: it’s probably not what you expect.
🎬 Why I Started Posting
YouTube Shorts Daily
To be honest, I didn’t start this as some big business
strategy. I was just tired of watching creators blow up while I sat on the
sidelines. Shorts seemed doable—short, vertical videos that didn’t require
editing skills worthy of a Hollywood degree.
Plus, YouTube had just started pushing Shorts hard. So I
thought:
“Why not ride the wave?”
📈 My Growth Timeline:
From Crickets to Clicks
Here’s how it unfolded:
- Month
1-2: Barely anyone watched. I averaged 50–200 views per video. I
wanted to quit.
- Month
3-4: One Short randomly hit 10,000 views. I got 300 subscribers
overnight.
- Month
5-8: Consistent growth. Some Shorts did 5K, a few hit 50K+. I crossed
1,000 subscribers.
- Month
9-12: Momentum kicked in. I had 10K+ subs, a few viral Shorts with
500K+ views.
But here’s what you’re probably wondering...
💵 So, How Much Money Did
I Make?
Let’s break it down.
1. YouTube Shorts Ad Revenue
This is where most people misunderstand. For traditional
long-form videos, creators earn through AdSense. But Shorts are different.
- In
early 2023, YouTube introduced the YouTube Shorts Monetization Program.
- Earnings
come from a shared ad revenue pool, and the payouts are… well,
let’s just say humble.
Here’s what I earned over 365 Shorts:
|
Views (Total) |
~3.2 million views |
|
Subscribers Gained |
~14,000 |
|
Revenue from Shorts |
$327.84 USD |
Yes, after an entire year, my daily Shorts earned me just
over $300.
🤯 Wait… Only $300?
Yup. That’s the hard truth about Shorts if you're relying
solely on ad revenue. Shorts are amazing for reach—but they’re not great
for direct earnings unless your views are in the tens of millions.
But here’s where it gets interesting.
💼 The Real Value
of Posting Daily Shorts
While the Shorts themselves didn’t make me rich, here’s what
they did do:
✅ 1. Built My Audience
Growing 14K subscribers in a year without paying for ads?
That’s priceless. I now have an audience that wants to see what I post.
✅ 2. Boosted My Long-Form Views
As my Shorts grew, my long-form videos (which do earn more
through AdSense) started getting more traffic. Some Shorts acted like trailers
for bigger content.
✅ 3. Opened Doors to Brand Deals
After reaching 10K subs, small brands started reaching out.
I landed two micro-influencer deals—nothing huge, but they paid $150 and
$400 each. That’s already more than what YouTube paid me directly.
✅ 4. Created a Content Habit
Perhaps the most valuable reward: I became ridiculously
consistent. I no longer overthink. I can plan, film, and post a video in
under 2 hours now. That’s a superpower.
🛠️ What I Learned Along
the Way
If you’re thinking about starting a Shorts journey, here’s
my honest advice:
- Quantity
breeds quality. My first 50 Shorts were mediocre. But by video #100, I
found my voice and style.
- Niche
matters. Once I narrowed my content to personal finance tips and mini
success stories, my views doubled.
- Titles
+ thumbnails = gold. Even for Shorts, titles matter. Hook your
audience in the first 2 seconds.
- Reuse
and repurpose. Many of my Shorts were chopped-down versions of older
long-form videos. Don’t reinvent the wheel.
- Don’t
obsess over every view. Some of my best-performing Shorts started slow
and picked up weeks later.
🧠Final Thoughts: Was It
Worth It?
Absolutely.
Not for the $327 YouTube sent me—but for everything it
taught me.
I proved to myself that I could stay consistent. I built a
real online presence. And now I have a growing community and multiple ways to
earn—from coaching, affiliate links, sponsorships, and beyond.
If you’re thinking of posting Shorts, here’s my advice:
👉 Start.
👉
Stay consistent.
👉
Don’t chase views—chase value.
Because that $0.92 Short you post today?
It might be the one that changes everything tomorrow.
.gif)