by Are you looking for creative ways to use video across social channels? Want to promote your own YouTube content or share snippets of other creators’ content?
In this article, you’ll learn how to create a YouTube clip to share across your business’ marketing channels.
What Is a YouTube Clip?
YouTube clips are shorter snippets created from longer videos. All clips include a link to the entire YouTube video. Any YouTube user can create clips from their own or other channels’ content. Once you’ve created a clip, you can easily share it across social media and other marketing channels to drive traffic back to the original video.
Clips make great teasers for longer videos so they’re ideal for generating interest and driving YouTube views. Because they’re short snippets, they also let you highlight key takeaways or irresistible hooks from longer videos. Below, we’ll cover some specific use cases.
YouTube Clips Specs
YouTube clips have to be at least 5 seconds long and they can last up to 60 seconds. You can clip any 5- to 60-second segment you like and you can create multiple clips from the same YouTube video.
But you can’t clip every YouTube video. To be eligible for clips, videos must be at least 2 minutes long—making YouTube Shorts ineligible for clips. If your video is eligible for clips, you’ll see a scissors icon in the menu bar below the video.
Where to Find Your YouTube Clips
Once you start creating clips, you can find them all organized in your YouTube channel library. From the left-hand menu, open the Your Clips tab. You can click any clip to view it again or you can click the three dots under any clip to share or delete the content.
How to Opt Into or Out of Allowing Viewers to Create YouTube Clips From Your Videos
By default, all non-private YouTube videos that last at least 2 minutes are eligible for clips. So if you want to start clipping your own content or allowing subscribers to create clips from your videos, you don’t need to take any further action.
If you don’t want YouTube users to create clips from your videos, you’ll need to opt out. Open YouTube Studio and navigate to the Settings menu. Click the Channel tab and go to Advanced Settings. Then scroll down and uncheck the Allow Viewers to Clip My Content box.
Although you can’t set clip preferences for individual videos, YouTube does give you some control over who can create them and what they can write in the description. Here’s how:
- To block a user from clipping your content, add their channel URL to your hidden users list. In your YouTube Studio settings, go to the Community tab and paste the URL into the Hidden Users box.
- To prevent users from using certain words in their clip descriptions, block the words. Scroll down a bit further on the Community tab and enter banned words in the Blocked Words box.
#1: How to Create a YouTube Clip From Your Own YouTube Video Content
First, let’s look at creating clips from your own channel’s content using a desktop browser. Start by signing into your YouTube account, and then find the video you want to clip. You can use either the YouTube interface or the YouTube Studio dashboard to browse or search your channel content.
Click to open the video you want to clip. If it’s eligible, you’ll see a Clip button with a scissors icon below the video. You can click the button at any time during the video. There’s no need to wait or jump ahead until the moment you want to clip appears on the screen.
When you click the Clip button, the YouTube clip interface will automatically pop up on your screen. Give the clip a brief title or write a short description to explain what you want to highlight. YouTube gives you up to 140 characters to work with.
Then use the slider to adjust the clip. You can use the slider to adjust the start and end point or move it to clip a completely different part of the video. Alternatively, you can enter the time stamp for the beginning or end of the clip. Your clip can span up to 60 seconds.
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GET THE DETAILS
As you use the editing tools, the YouTube window displays your selected clip on a loop. You can watch (and rewatch) it to make sure the clip includes the exact content you want to share. When you’re satisfied with the clip, click the Clip button.
You can use a similar workflow to create clips from the YouTube app. Open one of your channel’s videos and tap the Clip button in the menu bar. Give the clip a name, and then use the slider to time the clip perfectly. Tap the Share Clip button to finish creating the clip.
Whether you use a desktop browser or the YouTube mobile app to create a clip, you’ll see a pop-up with sharing options. We’ll cover the process of sharing clips below.
#2: How to Create a YouTube Clip From Others’ YouTube Video Content
Creating clips from your company’s own YouTube content is a great way to share your videos outside your channel. But you can also create clips from other channels’ content, as long as the videos are eligible for clipping.
To clip other channels’ content, repeat the same workflow above. When you find a video you want to share, click the Clip button to get started.
Title the clip and adjust the timing so you can share the exact section you want.
With the YouTube app, you can tap the Clip button under any video or livestream you want to share. Title the clip, adjust the timing, and tap the Share Clip button when you’re ready to share with your audience.
#3: How to Share YouTube Clips on YouTube
When you create a clip, a Share box will automatically pop up on the screen. Below the social icons, you’ll see a direct link to your clip. Copy the link and paste it anywhere you’d like to share.
For example, you can share links to clips in YouTube comments if you want to point viewers to a specific segment of a video. You can also share clip links in YouTube community posts to tease the full video.
Anyone who clicks these links will go directly to a clip page like the one pictured below. The page displays the clip on a loop, and users can click the Watch Full Video button in the upper-right corner to see the content in full. Viewers can also click the Share Clip link to distribute it to their own audiences.
#4: How to Share YouTube Clips on Other Social Media Platforms
One of the biggest perks of YouTube clips is that you can easily share them outside of the video platform. Let’s look at how to share clips on major social media channels.
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How to Share a YouTube Clip on Instagram
Sharing YouTube content to Instagram posts is tricky without third-party apps and awkward workflows. Rather than creating a reel or a video post for your clip, create a story or share via DMs.
From the YouTube mobile app, tap to share your clip and select Instagram from the list of options. The Instagram app will automatically open and suggest people or businesses you’ve messaged with recently. Tap to send to a suggested contact or use the search bar to find another Instagram profile.
If you want to share to Instagram from a desktop browser, it’s easiest to promote clip links via Stories. In Meta Business Suite, create a new story and upload a screenshot or a thumbnail from the video. Then add a link sticker with a direct link to your YouTube clip. Include a call to action prompting viewers to tap to see your clip.
How to Share a YouTube Clip on Twitter
To share a YouTube clip to Twitter in a desktop browser, click the Twitter icon in the clip’s Share box. Twitter will instantly open in a new tab and a new tweet will automatically generate. The default caption includes the name of the original video, a link to the clip, and an @YouTube mention.
Note that YouTube automatically creates a new tweet for the Twitter account you currently have open. If you want to tweet from another Twitter account, close the dialog and switch to the correct account. Then go back to the YouTube tab and reshare to Twitter.
Alternatively, you have the option to copy the direct link to the YouTube clip and paste it into a new tweet. Twitter automatically turns the link into a clickable card that displays a thumbnail from the video and the clip details.
The Twitter mobile app also gives you the option to share YouTube clips via DMs. Select Twitter Direct Messages from the list of options and choose a recipient. Then type a message and share your clip.
How to Share a YouTube Clip on Facebook
Similar to Twitter, Facebook supports link shares from YouTube. That means you can copy the link for your clip in a desktop browser and paste it into a new post on your Facebook page.
To save a step, you can simply click the Facebook icon in the YouTube clip Share box. A Facebook sharing dialog will automatically open in a new tab. But note that the Facebook dialog defaults to sharing the content on your personal profile.
To switch to a Facebook page or group, use the drop-down menu in the upper-left corner. Choose Share on a Page You Manage and select the correct page from the additional drop-down menu that appears. Then write a caption and click the Post to Facebook button. Note that it isn’t possible to schedule YouTube clip shares using this workflow.
In the YouTube mobile app, you can tap Facebook Groups to share your clip directly to a group. To share to a Facebook page, select Business Suite from the list of options. Choose a page, write a caption, and publish the clip to your page immediately.
How to Share a YouTube Clip on LinkedIn
To share a YouTube clip directly to LinkedIn from a browser, click the LinkedIn icon in the YouTube Share box. When the LinkedIn sharing dialog appears, choose whether you want to share the link to a post or in a message.
If you want to send it in a DM, write a short message and use the search bar to find recipients. You can share it with one or more connections at once.
You can also share YouTube clips directly to your LinkedIn profile. Select Share in a Post, write a caption, and click the Post button. Note that you can’t use this workflow to share to a company page. If you click the drop-down menu, you’ll see an error message instructing you to remove your attachment before switching accounts.
The YouTube mobile app doesn’t make sharing to LinkedIn company pages any easier. In fact, the only options in the YouTube mobile app are sharing to your LinkedIn profile or a private message.
Fortunately, LinkedIn supports link shares. You can easily copy the direct link to your YouTube clip and paste it into a new LinkedIn post. Using this workflow, you can share to either your personal profile or a company page. You can also paste the clip link into a LinkedIn article or newsletter from your profile or company page.
3 Use Cases for Using YouTube Clips in Your Marketing
Wondering how you can start sharing YouTube clips strategically? Let’s look at a few ideas for incorporating clips into your marketing.
Use a YouTube Clip to Tease Longer Videos
Do you want to get more views for longer video content? It isn’t always easy to get customers to watch long-form video, especially if the value proposition isn’t clear. Rather than taking the time to produce stand-alone video trailers, you can create YouTube clips in seconds. Then viewers can easily click to view the full video.
In addition to sharing video clips on social media and in email marketing, you can also embed them on your website. (Note that this option is only available in a desktop browser.) When the Share box pops up, click the Embed option to copy the code. Then embed it on a page or post on your website.
Embedded clips have a scissors icon next to the time stamp, identifying them as clips. Viewers can tap the Watch Full Video link to see the complete video in the embed window without having to click over to YouTube.
Use a YouTube Clip to Showcase Key Moments
YouTube clips are also ideal for sharing essential moments from full-length videos. For example, you might create a clip that reveals a solution to a common problem or one that shows how to use your product or service. Then you can share them to provide customer support or offer extra value to your audience.
Use a YouTube Clip to Highlight Takeaways From Other Channels
Do you want to offer your own take on another channel’s YouTube content? By creating and sharing clips from other channels, you can build relationships with other brands, promote partnerships, and start insightful conversations.
Conclusion
Whether you use them to tease your own content or to add your own take on other channels’ videos, YouTube clips can be a valuable addition to your marketing mix. As you clip your own content, monitor your YouTube analytics to find the types of clips and the channel shares that generate the best results.
Get More Advice on YouTube Marketing:
- Discover a four-part recipe for successful YouTube videos and some common mistakes to avoid.
- Learn the fundamentals of using YouTube ads successfully for business.
- Find out how to improve your leads or sales by taking advantage of YouTube tools and features.
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