Social media platforms, where many of us spend a significant part of our day, have now started to turn into shopping applications as well as being an entertainment platform. So much so that leading platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube allow us to buy products with such features and act as ‘stores’.
Now it turns out that YouTube will make another move in this regard. According to the Financial Times, the platform, which operates under the roof of Alphabet, brings shopping features to the TikTok-like short video format Shorts. It is also reported that a new commission system is being worked on for content producers.
Users will be able to shop while watching Shorts
According to the published report, this move of the platform comes after the economic downturn and a decrease in advertising revenues. YouTube published a report on the last quarter in the past weeks and announced that there was a 1.9% decrease in its revenues, falling short of expectations. That’s why the company has been experimenting with new ways to generate revenue lately.
Similar to TikTok and Instagram, YouTube’s new shopping features, which expand their steps in e-commerce, will allow users to purchase products they encounter while watching Shorts videos. According to the information received, new features will be available as of 2023. Additionally, the Financial Times adds that the platform aims to ensure that content producers promoting products receive commissions.
Finally, let’s add that the giant platform has made a separate income move for Shorts producers in the past months. In this system, it was stated that content producers would receive a share of 45% from the advertisements appearing between the videos. It was stated that the remaining 55% will remain on the platform.