If you’re regularly on YouTube, you may already be shopping your favourite content creators’ YouTube channels. YouTube Shopping was launched in mid-2023, marking a new chapter in the evolution of YouTube. Content creators who qualify for the YouTube Partner Program have traditionally been able to monetize with Adsense. And YouTube creators have traditionally provided product links in the description boxes of their videos. With YouTube Shopping, creators can now monetize their videos without asking their audiences to leave YouTube.
With 250,000 creators now enrolled in the YouTube Shopping program and thousands of brands, including Sephora, Target, Walmart, and Home Depot, available to tag, YouTube is officially in the social commerce game.
What Is YouTube Shopping?
At its core, YouTube Shopping enables creators to tag products directly in their videos. Viewers can then click the product links in the video, whether they’re watching Shorts, long-form videos, or even YouTube on TV, and purchase the products.
“This is an evolution of something that has always been there,” said Tara McNulty, a lead on YouTube’s creator partnerships team. “We’re just finally giving viewers a native, visual experience that meets the true experience YouTube is known for.”
How YouTube Shopping Works
The YouTube Shopping Viewer Journey
YouTube Shop Team
From a creator’s perspective, YouTube shopping tools can be accessed in YouTube Studio. Creators can add tags manually or use the Chrome extension to quickly link products. Auto-tagging is also being rolled out, making it even easier to monetize shopping content.
The tools are available on both short-form and long-form video:
- Shorts: Viewers can see tappable product tags directly in the video.
- Long-form: Tags can be added with or without Timestamps—a feature similar to video chapters, where product tags appear at the exact moment they’re referenced.
Who Qualifies For YouTube Shopping?
YouTube Shopping is currently available to creators who:
- Are in the YouTube Partner Program
- Have at least 10,000 subscribers.
As of August 2024, over 250,000 creators are monetizing through Shopping, as shared by the YouTube Shop team. The program has expanded beyond the U.S. into Southeast Asia, including Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore, with more markets to come soon.
Why Should Content Creators Join The YouTube Partner Program?
With over 70 billion views per day on YouTube Shorts, as reported by YouTube, the platform has the opportunity to lead the next wave of shoppable content. YouTube is already one of the most trusted social commerce platforms in the U.S. for finding and purchasing products. According to Pews Research, YouTube is also the most used platform for adults in the United States.
For creators, this means:
- Earning commissions directly from trusted product recommendations
- Streamlining the audience experience
- Connecting more authentically with audiences who already treat creators as their go-to for product advice
YouTube has been an established platform where creators build communities. Now, it’s becoming a place where they can also build storefronts. Whether you’re a beauty guru, tech reviewer, or an interior designer, YouTube Shopping gives you tools to turn authentic content into income.
Feature image credit: Getty
By Emma Cortes Ellendt
Find Emma Cortes Ellendt on LinkedIn.
