YouTube is stepping up its game in the e-commerce space with the introduction of new features aimed at helping creators make more money from their shoppable videos. These additions, including the ability to add timestamps to videos for tagged products and bulk tagging of affiliate products across a creator’s video library, aim to simplify the process of marketing products through YouTube videos and potentially increase sales.
Key Takeaway
YouTube is rolling out new features to help creators monetize their videos through e-commerce. The addition of timestamps and bulk tagging of affiliate products simplifies the process of marketing products and potentially increases sales. As TikTok expands its own e-commerce features, YouTube is making strategic moves to stay competitive in the market.
Timestamps for Tagged Products
One of the newly introduced features is timestamps for tagged products. With this feature, creators can make the shopping button appear at relevant points in their video, such as when showcasing a favorite gadget or beauty product. YouTube tested this feature in the U.S. last month and found that viewers clicked on tagged products twice as often. However, it should be noted that this feature is only available for long-form content and not for YouTube Shorts. Additionally, the video must be at least a minute long with a maximum of 30 seconds between timestamps.
Bulk Tagging of Affiliate Products
In addition to timestamps, YouTube is also adding a new tool that allows creators to tag affiliate products in bulk across their video library. This feature is based on the products mentioned in the video’s description. Creators can access the Shopping tab in YouTube Studio to view a list of videos with products mentioned in the description. From there, they can select the videos they want to tag, make any necessary adjustments, and save the changes. This tool enables creators to monetize videos from their back catalog effortlessly, especially those that are still receiving high views.
New Insights and Analytics for Affiliate Products
YouTube is also teasing upcoming insights and analytics for affiliate products. Creators will be able to access sales metrics, orders, offer clicks, and impressions related to their affiliate products through the Studio’s Analytics tab under Revenue and Affiliate program. Although this feature is not available yet, it will provide creators with valuable data to optimize their monetization strategies.
Overall, YouTube’s latest features show its commitment to empowering creators and helping them make more money from their content. By providing easier ways to monetize shoppable videos, YouTube aims to attract more creators and strengthen its position in the e-commerce space. As the competition in the video shopping industry heats up, it will be interesting to see how YouTube continues to innovate and improve its offerings to support its creator community.
