How to Make Viral Shorts Video? IT’S NOT A SECRET!

Mr.Beast, Ryan Trahan, Jenny Hoyos, Beluga. How do they get millions of views on every single Shorts video? Well… Make viral shorts is actually not a secret!

They’ve shared how they do it over and over again, and I’ve taken those strategies and turned them into a clear, simple, and actionable formula to help YOU make viral Shorts.

Plus, I’m sharing this entire system in a checklist format through the link: Viral Shorts Check-List

Before we begin, I’ll also reveal the ONE metric at the end of the post that tells you whether your Shorts video will go viral or not. And everything I explain on this post is designed to improve that exact metric.
Curious? Let’s get started!

Do Your Research to Find the Right Niche!

This step is for those who haven’t settled on a channel idea yet, or are looking for a new niche to explore.
If you already have a channel, feel free to skip ahead to Step 3.

To begin:

• Open YouTube in incognito mode and start browsing Shorts!
• Spend at least 20 minutes a day analyzing top-performing videos.
• Don’t rush the idea—give yourself at least 2 weeks for research.

Make sure you’re checking these while doing research:

• Do the videos have over 1 million views? If most of the channel’s content hits that number, it’s a good niche.
• How old is the channel? If it’s been active for 5–8+ years, the niche might already be saturated.
• Can YOU make similar videos? Be honest. If you can’t replicate their style or content, it’s not worth your time.
• Do you actually enjoy this niche? This is probably the most important one. You won’t be able to stick with content you don’t enjoy. Don’t make YouTube feel like torture. Pick a niche you like.

COPYING KILLS, OPTIMIZING WINS

Now comes the critical part:
Look at videos that got 50M+ views in the last month.
Download their scripts and rework them. Pay attention: I’m NOT saying copy them word for word — that’ll get you copyright strikes and demonetized. Add your own personality and twist to improve them!

You can use tools like YouTube subtitle downloaders to get scripts.
You can also ask ChatGPT to analyze the structure and help you create a similar one for your own video.

While analyzing, watch for:

• When and how they use the hook: What happens in the first 2–5 seconds? Is it a question? A challenge? The key to virality is a killer hook — don’t worry, I’ll break this down more in Part 3.
• How fast the visuals change: Use a stopwatch! Note how quickly text or visuals switch. Fast transitions keep people engaged — if not, your Shorts will get swiped away instantly.

How to Structure a Viral Short?

Once you’ve picked your niche and analyzed your competitors, it’s time to create your first viral video.
But that’s only 50% of the work — now we focus on keeping viewers watching.

Here’s what to keep in mind:

• 1-Use fast-paced voiceovers – unless you run a meditation channel.
• 2-Cut out all the fluff. Don’t waste time. Be clear, sharp, and straight to the point.
• 3-Start with a strong hook: If the first 5 seconds don’t grab attention, the video is dead. Use something punchy like:
  • “You’ll never be able to do this!”
  • “You won’t believe the last one!”
  • “Is this even possible?!”
• 4-Give them a reason to keep watching — but don’t say it outright. Build curiosity and suspense. Examples:

• • “I’ll reveal something everyone gets wrong at the end!”
  • “Don’t even start until you know this!”
  • “If you make this mistake, your Shorts will NEVER get views!”
• 5-Edit for motion and energy. Every new scene should be more interesting than the last. Cut, speed up, or add effects to keep things moving.

Analyze Your Video

So, you followed everything I said — but your Shorts still didn’t go viral?

Maybe you picked the wrong niche.

• If you’ve posted 5–10 Shorts and none hit 1 million views, go back to step one.
• Pick a new niche, analyze new channels, and repeat the process.

Sometimes, the best move is to quit a dead-end idea and try something fresh.
I personally started over 10 channels — only 5 of them are active today.

The More Engagement, The More Views

Without engagement, your Shorts won’t be pushed by the algorithm.
But you can engineer engagement with the right strategies:

• Ask simple questions in your video like:
  • “What time is it?”
  • “What do you think about this?”
• Use open participation prompts like:
  • “Comment your country!”
• Say something wrong on purpose. People LOVE correcting mistakes or showing off what they know.

Nutshell, Give people a reason to comment that fits naturally with your content.

That’s it!
If you apply these tactics, there’s no reason why your Shorts shouldn’t go viral.

How Do You Know If a Video Will Go Viral?

Go to YouTube Studio, Click Analytics→Choose Content→Select Shorts.

Look at your swipe-away rate.

If it’s below 20%, your Short has viral potential.

Want this whole guide as a checklist? Click the link: Make Viral Shorts: Check-List