How to create YouTube shorts with AI using Zeely
If your YouTube Shorts are still stuck in the edit queue, the real issue isn’t the algorithm — it’s the production line. Short, vertical clips pull viewers into an endless swipe, and the numbers prove it: YouTube Shorts attract around 70 billion daily views. Put simply, because Shorts capture attention instantly and rack up views by the billions, a sluggish production line translates directly into lost growth opportunities.
Zeely AI jumps into AI video creation by speeding up the whole process. Instead of switching between tools for captions, transitions, and cuts, we squeeze everything into minutes. Just drop in your product link and we’ll grab your images and copy, slot them into a proven template, let you pick a hyper-realistic AI avatar, then auto-generate a conversion-focused script, sync mood-matched music, and render a ready-to-publish Short.
Zeely AI turns time-consuming edits into automated video production so you can publish more often, run low-cost A/B tests, and turn curious scrollers into customers — no crew or complex software needed.
Ready to see how to create YouTube Shorts with AI and level up your short-form strategy? Let’s dive into why Shorts rule mobile feeds and how Zeely AI’s data-driven automation keeps us ahead.
What are YouTube shorts and why do they matter?
Ever notice how a quick, catchy video on your phone can grab you in seconds? As Adobe explains in its blog, marketers who use YouTube Shorts see big wins — a 15–25% jump in web traffic for one in three, and half gain new subscribers. And nearly one-third of U.S. viewers say they’ve discovered and even bought from brands they found on Shorts.
YouTube Shorts are vertical, mobile-first videos that run from 15 to 60 seconds. YouTube designed them specifically for smartphones, meaning they’re formatted vertically in a 9:16 aspect ratio, with an optimal resolution of 1080×1920 pixels. These specifications ensure your videos look sharp and clear on any mobile device.
Shorts resonate so well because they match today’s mobile viewing habits perfectly. Since roughly 70% of YouTube viewing happens on smartphones, short-form storytelling aligns naturally with the way audiences prefer to engage with content.
Another reason is that Shorts hook viewers’ attention in just 2–3 seconds. Effective Shorts leverage strong openings, such as direct questions, bold statements, unexpected visuals, or relatable pain points, to pique curiosity immediately.
High-converting Shorts swiftly answer the viewer’s primary question: “Why should I care?” For example, a Short that opens with, “Got tangled headphones? Fix them in 10 seconds — no tools needed!” immediately shows viewers the benefit, solving a common frustration with a clear payoff.
By communicating immediate value, whether it’s educating, entertaining, inspiring, or solving a specific problem, Shorts keep users engaged and encourage continuous watching.
With YouTube Shorts, you’re not just making videos; you’re adopting a modern content strategy optimized for engagement. Now that you understand why Shorts matter, let’s explore common challenges creators face and how you can successfully navigate them.
The benefits: Why your SMB can’t afford to ignore YouTube shorts
Your small or mid-sized business needs every edge it can get. YouTube Shorts allows showcase your products, build brand awareness, and drive traffic without a big budget or a full production team. By adding Shorts to your marketing mix, you’ll reach new audiences faster and boost engagement and all from your smartphone.
Unparalleled reach and discoverability
First, Shorts offer incredible reach. YouTube is a massive platform, and Shorts get prime spots. They appear in dedicated feeds and even show up in Google searches. This means your carefully crafted 15-second video can cut through the noise.
Imagine a home renovation company sharing a quick, 15-second time-lapse of a dated kitchen transforming into a sleek, modern space — prospective clients see the upgrade in action and call for a quote, even if they hadn’t been thinking about remodeling.
Capturing fleeting attention
Modern life and digital overload have squeezed our attention spans down to about 8 seconds, shorter than a goldfish’s, while Americans juggle 8.13-hour workdays with over 11 hours of daily media use and just 5.15 hours for leisure.
Shorts are perfect for this reality. In under 30 seconds, you can deliver a powerful message. Think quick tips, behind-the-scenes glimpses, or product demos. A local fitness instructor, for example, can share a 15-second exercise tip. This “snackable” content leads to higher engagement. It also tells the algorithm your video is valuable, boosting its visibility further.
Cost-effective content production
You don’t need a huge budget or fancy cameras for Shorts. Your smartphone is enough to create engaging clips. This levels the playing field for all SMBs. An artisan selling handmade jewelry, for example, can film a quick unboxing on their phone and build genuine trust with authentic, UGC-style content.
Or better yet, with Zeely AI UGC video ads creator, you don’t have to shoot anything yourself. Just drop in your product link and our AI will pull in images, descriptions, headlines, and prices. You only need to pick a script and an avatar that resonates with your audience, then we generate a polished, ready-to-publish Short in minutes. Authentic videos often outperform expensive, polished ads, helping you connect on a human level without breaking the bank.
Gateway to deeper engagement
Think of Shorts as teasers for your main content. They can spark interest and lead viewers to your longer videos, your website, or other social media. This helps cultivate a deeper relationship. For instance, a restaurant can show a 25-second close-up of sizzling food with a satisfying sound, ending with a text overlay, “Craving this? Find us on Google Maps!” This encourages viewers to check their website or visit in person. They create a clear path for a call to action, driving visitors directly to your business goals.
Common challenges in creating YouTube Shorts
Even with the huge benefits of YouTube Shorts, businesses hit real roadblocks. You quickly find consistent video editing isn’t simple. These challenges become major bottlenecks. They genuinely slow your entire content strategy.
The time sink of manual video production
What truly slows you down? One big hurdle is slow production methods. Manually editing short videos, even quick 15-second clips, often consumes an hour or more per video.
Creators spend precious time trimming footage, adding text, and hunting for the perfect music — in fact, it can take about 2 hours per Short.
That labor-intensive workflow leads to inconsistent posting — often only one Short a week, so your YouTube visibility dips. Without pro editing skills or pricey software, you end up with uneven branding, choppy transitions, and audio that doesn’t quite sync, making your Shorts look less polished.
Navigating technical and asset management pitfalls
Another key pain point involves manual asset management. Organizing video clips, images, and audio files for many Shorts quickly becomes chaotic. This disorganization, a direct result of manual processes, leads to major headaches. For example, say you’re planning five Shorts in one week. You end up with:
- 30 raw video clips
- 15 separate music tracks
- 20 different images
If you don’t use a strict folder structure or consistent file names, you can easily spend 30–45 minutes per Short just hunting down the right clip, track, or image, in other words, 2–3 hours lost every week before you even start editing. That chaos not only eats into your creative time but also makes it nearly impossible to maintain a reliable posting schedule.
You also must meet YouTube’s specific technical requirements. For example, getting the correct vertical aspect ratio 9:16 or managing file sizes causes frustration. It becomes clear why automation is crucial for efficiency and consistency in your digital content production. Without it, scaling your Short-form video presence becomes an uphill battle.
Introducing Zeely AI – the future of YouTube shorts creation
Zeely AI automates the entire process, making it easier, faster, and more affordable to create AI-powered YouTube Shorts.
Zeely AI is a cutting-edge platform designed to automate video ad creation, specifically for YouTube Shorts. By utilizing hyper-realistic AI avatars and dynamic video templates, Zeely helps businesses and content creators quickly produce engaging, high-quality UGC-style video content without the need for expensive production teams or technical expertise.
What sets Zeely apart is its ability to seamlessly integrate with platforms like Shopify, allowing you to input your product data with ease. Simply provide a product link, and Zeely AI automatically gathers the relevant product details — images, descriptions, and pricing. This level of automation ensures that video creation is not only faster but also aligned with your business objectives.
If you’re struggling with costly video production methods or facing low conversion rates, Zeely AI is the solution you need. Traditional video creation is expensive, time-consuming, and requires a variety of skills. With Zeely, you can create professional-grade YouTube Shorts in just a few minutes.
Zeely AI doesn’t just automate video creation; it automates your entire marketing process. With built-in AI-driven scripts using proven marketing frameworks, customizable video templates, and seamless product integration, Zeely optimizes your video ads for maximum conversion rates, allowing you to focus on growing your business without worrying about the technicalities.
Key features and benefits of Zeely AI
Zeely AI offers powerful features that help you create high-converting, engaging content quickly and cost-effectively. Let’s take a closer look at what makes Zeely AI stand out:
Lightning-fast video creation
With Zeely AI video ads maker, you can generate professional video ads in under 7-12 minutes, cutting 97% of the time compared to traditional methods. It’s fast, efficient, and perfect for businesses needing to stay agile.
Hyper-realistic AI avatars
Zeely AI’s avatars act and talk like real people. With 37+ avatar options, you can choose one that fits your brand’s personality. Whether you need a professional tone for corporate videos or a casual vibe for product promotions, these avatars provide a personalized connection with your audience.
Dynamic video templates
Zeely’s high-converting templates feature smooth transitions, fast scene changes, and engaging effects that ensure your content stands out. These dynamic templates are designed to grab attention and keep viewers engaged, which results in higher CTR and more conversions. No need for a design team — Zeely’s templates make it easy for anyone to create effective, high-quality videos.
AI-powered script generation
Writing ad scripts is now effortless with Zeely AI. It automatically generates sales-driven scripts using proven frameworks like AIDA, PAS, and FAB. You can tweak or fully customize these scripts to match your brand’s voice. With AI-generated scripts, your videos are optimized for maximum impact in just minutes.
Cost-effective production
Traditional video production can cost thousands of dollars. With Zeely AI, you can produce high-quality video ads for a fraction of the price — starting as low as $29.95 for your first 7 videos. Zeely eliminates the need for actors, models, and film crews, making professional-grade video content affordable for businesses of all sizes.
Batch video creation
Zeely AI’s Batch Mode allows you to generate multiple video versions simultaneously. This is perfect for A/B testing and scaling campaigns. Test different video variations, measure performance, and optimize your campaigns — all without adding extra time or resources.
Cross-platform compatibility
Zeely AI isn’t just for YouTube Shorts. Your videos are optimized for Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and other platforms, ensuring your content performs well no matter where it’s seen. You don’t need to worry about reformatting or adjusting videos for each platform — Zeely handles it for you.
Avatars-only videos
Prefer simplicity? Create avatar-only videos for product explainers, tutorials, demos, or website embeds. You get full control over the content and don’t need a pre-designed template. Whether it’s showcasing a product’s features or creating an educational piece, this feature offers flexibility and a hyper-realistic touch to your content.
Built-in hooks and CTAs
Hooks are critical for capturing attention in the first few seconds. Zeely offers 130+ hooks across various styles. Videos with hooks have been shown to lower CPC by 2x and drive higher CTR. Whether it’s a meme, caption, or UGC-style hook, Zeely lets you customize them to fit your video’s tone and drive more conversions. Add a 3-second hook, and you’re set to grab your audience’s attention instantly.
How Zeely AI works: A step-by-step guide
Using Zeely AI to create high-converting YouTube Shorts is fast, simple, and efficient. Here’s a step-by-step guide to walk you through the process from start to finish:
- Add your product link. Start by adding your product link. If you’re using Shopify, simply paste the Shopify store link, and Zeely AI will automatically pull your product details — images, descriptions, and pricing. You can also manually enter product details if you don’t have a Shopify store
- Choose a product from your library. Once your product is added, Zeely AI allows you to choose the specific product you want to feature in your video. With Zeely’s product library, selecting the right product to promote has never been easier
- Select a high-converting video template. Next, select a video template that best suits your product and marketing goals. Zeely offers 100+ proven templates that have been optimized for conversion. These templates are designed to capture attention and keep viewers engaged, ensuring that your videos are effective right from the start
- Pick a hyper-realistic AI avatar. Choose from 37+ hyper-realistic AI avatars to represent your product. Zeely’s avatars feature advanced lip-sync technology, ensuring they look and act like real people. Whether you’re going for a professional tone or something more casual, you can customize your avatar to match the mood of your brand
- Generate or customize a video script. Once you’ve chosen your avatar, it’s time to work on the video script. Zeely AI automatically generates scripts using proven marketing frameworks like AIDA, PAS, FAB, and Before-After-Bridge. These scripts are tailored for your specific product, but you can customize them to fit your brand’s voice. The result is a sales-focused video script that ensures you’re conveying the right message to your audience
- Select matching background music. Choose the perfect background music for your video. Zeely offers a library of 64+ royalty-free tracks, categorized by mood and genre, so you can easily find a track that aligns with your product and the message you want to convey
- Render your video. Hit Render, and Zeely AI processes your video — typically within 12 minutes. The video will be ready in MP4 format, making it easy to download and use across platforms. The quick rendering time means you can get your content live in no time, ready to drive engagement and sales
Quick pro tips to use AI for creating YouTube Shorts
You might feel overwhelmed by all the tech rules, but it’s easier than it sounds. Aim for 15–30 second clips, film vertically at 1080×1920, and craft a title and thumbnail that tell viewers exactly what they’re about to see.
By nailing those basics, you let your content shine in a crowded feed. Then focus on one clear story: hook them fast, deliver value in every second, and skip the info overload. Add close-ups, quick cuts, punchy transitions, and a sprinkle of text to boost emotion and keep people watching.
With Zeely AI, you can shave even more time off your workflow. Always work on a strong Wi-Fi connection and keep our app up to date so nothing slows you down. If a render stalls, just refresh your browser or restart the app. Clear your cache or switch to Private Mode to zap any glitches. Pick simple avatars that process quickly, give your Short one final preview to trim anything extra, and then publish directly to YouTube or your favorite social channels — fast, easy, and stress-free.
Transform your YouTube shorts strategy with Zeely AI
Creating engaging YouTube Shorts is essential, but without automation, it quickly becomes overwhelming and costly. Zeely AI simplifies your entire production process, making professional video creation easy, affordable, and fast. Whether you’re a small business owner, marketer, or content creator, Zeely AI’s powerful automation features ensure you stay competitive and capture the explosive growth of YouTube Shorts.
Stop struggling with manual edits, cumbersome asset management, and technical headaches. Embrace Zeely AI to effortlessly produce hyper-realistic, high-conversion Shorts optimized for all major social platforms. Ready to boost your reach, streamline your workflow, and significantly increase your conversions?
Get started with Zeely AI today and turn your YouTube Shorts into a powerful marketing engine.
