If you are trying to grow your YouTube channel and reach the 4,000 watch hours needed for monetization, there is a powerful strategy you need to know.
It is called the Flood Launch Method. Smart creators use it to turn every YouTube Short into a traffic source for their newest long-form video.
What is the Flood Launch Method?
The Flood Launch Method updates your top-performing Shorts to push viewers directly to your newest full-length video.
Instead of letting your Shorts sit and lose momentum, this method turns them into funnels that continue to drive traffic and build watch time.
How It Works
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Post a new long-form video.
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Open YouTube Studio. Go to Analytics, then Content, then Shorts.
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Filter by “Last 28 Days” to find your top-performing Shorts.
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For each Short:
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Click on it to open the Short
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Edit the video
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Scroll to Related Video
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Edit it to point to your newest long-form video
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(Optional) Pin a new comment linking to your full video.
By doing this, you take advantage of the views your Shorts are already getting and direct that attention where it matters most.
Why the Flood Launch Method Works
YouTube recommends videos to viewers after they finish watching a Short. If you do not set a Related Video, YouTube will choose one for you, which might not be ideal.
By manually setting the Related Video, you increase the chances that viewers will stay on your channel longer, increasing your session time, watch hours, and overall channel growth.
Large creators like MrBeast use this exact technique to push every new upload through their massive Shorts libraries. It works no matter the size of your channel.
Using Bulk Tools
If you have many Shorts, manually updating them can be time-consuming. Tools like TubeBuddy offer a bulk processing option (available on their Legend plan) that lets you update Related Videos across multiple Shorts in a few clicks.
A few minutes of setup can add hundreds or even thousands of extra minutes of watch time to your newest uploads.
Flood Launch Checklist
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Upload your newest long-form video
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Identify your top-performing Shorts in the last 28 days
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Update the Related Video field on each Short
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(Optional) Pin a new comment linking to the full video
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Monitor your watch time growth
The Flood Launch Method is a simple but highly effective way to boost your YouTube growth without creating extra content. If you apply it consistently, you will see compounding results over time.
If you still don’t get it here is a video explaining it in more detail.