Google-owned YouTube has announced a new partnership with Amazon which could significantly expand the scope of shopping and product discovery to the video platform. The deal will see YouTube creators tag Amazon products in their videos and livestreams for free on their videos and livestreams, and use them to do so in a way that makes Amazon products more easily, Bloomberg reports.
It brings together two of the biggest digital platforms in the world and strengthens the link between online video content and e-commerce. For creators, the integration could help them to show products more directly to viewers, to find and buy the items they see in the content.
Product recommendations have become an increasingly important part of the creator economy. Influencers, reviewers, lifestyle creators, gamers, tech channels and other content producers frequently feature products in their videos. Until now, viewers have had to refer to links in descriptions, pinned comments or other external pages to find products mentioned by creators.
The new YouTube-Amazon arrangement will make that process easier. That means creators can tag Amazon products (e.g. for video or livestream) and make sure that viewers can see a product available on Amazon.
The development is especially important for livestreaming. Live shopping has become a significant form of digital commerce in many major markets where people can watch creators demonstrate products and make decisions about buying products during the course of the livestream. YouTube could make this type of interactive shopping a reality for its huge global creator community by enabling Amazon product tagging in livestreams.
For Amazon, the partnership provides another channel to reach consumers at the times when they’re finding products. So instead of simply searching Amazon, product discovery could begin within entertainment and creator-driven content.
The deal is also emblematic of the convergence of entertainment, advertising, influencer marketing and e-commerce. Consumers are looking for new products in videos, short-form content and livestreams, not just in search. So platforms such as YouTube are becoming all about entertainment but also product discovery channels as well.
For creators, monetisation is a major point. Product tagging can help in monetising content and other creators' monetisation tools through recommendations and purchases and may also be used for advertising revenue. The benefits of the tags in relation to individual creators will be dependent on YouTube's programme terms and Amazon's commercial arrangements.
That partnership could add to the competition in the rapidly growing social-commerce market. Digital platforms are looking for ways to keep users engaged while creating additional commercial opportunities around content. Integrating product discovery directly into videos allows platforms to participate in that value chain without requiring viewers to leave the content experience.
The announcement is also indicative of Google's larger YouTube strategy. YouTube remains one of the world's largest video platforms, with its huge creator ecosystem and its huge audience of brands, products and consumers. A deeper relationship with Amazon will only enhance YouTube's position in digital commerce and provide Amazon with access to an enormous audience of content consumers.
At the same time, the development shows how creator-led recommendations are becoming more and more important in online shopping. A product demonstration, review or livestream can provide consumers with context that a product listing may not provide. The combination of video storytelling and direct product access may make product discovery more engaging.
And this new Amazon integration is another step toward making YouTube a more commerce-friendly platform. As creators are marrying entertainment, recommendations and shopping more and more, the line between watching content and buying it is becoming less and less clear.
With YouTube creators now able to tag Amazon products in videos and livestreams as well, the partnership could create new opportunities for creators, advertisers and Amazon sellers but also provide a route from product discovery to online shopping.
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