Listen up, YouTubers! There are some big changes on the horizon for the streaming platform. Google is in the early stages of transforming YouTube into a shopping site. No, not by completing purchases on Amazon or another third party site, but right there on YouTube!
The idea behind shopping directly off YouTube makes sense since creators already use the video site to unbox and review products and help consumers make purchasing decisions with tutorials, etc. But now, Google will enable its publishers to tag and track products in their videos, and then use the data to link to analytics and shopping tools from Google without leaving the site, much like Instagram does now.
The end goal is to turn YouTube’s video library into a product catalog where users can click on items they see and buy them directly. As a matter of fact, Bloomberg reports YouTube is already testing these enhancements in a limited number of channels.
But we know what you’re thinking… all this is cool and all, but will publishers get anything out of this new feature? Well, that’s still unclear. Although we’re guessing they will most likely become affiliate marketers. Which means, they will make a commission for each product they sell.
It’s worth noting that Google is also in the process of testing an integration with Shopify to sell products through YouTube. Although all these enhancements are still in the experimental phase, and there’s no official word on when this feature might roll out for everyone - just know that a few years from now YouTube might look completely different!
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