With YouTube’s new Shopping Ads, every YouTube content creator can now make their video “shoppable.” On September 29, 2015, YouTube announced on their official Google AdWords blog their latest ad development after assessing the significant growth of channels and videos featuring product reviews (up 40% as cited by Wired magazine). To better connect advertisers with top YouTube influencers and shorten the path to purchase, YouTube’s new Shopping Ads overlay an icon over each video that redirects viewers to an advertiser’s external site when clicked.
In an effort to promote and raise awareness for the new YouTube Shoppable Videos, YouTube launched their new channel “Awesome Stuff Week” Monday October 5th complete with a blog post explainer on the official YouTube blog. YouTube cites Think With Google case studies to support the importance of how YouTube product reviews influence purchase decisions and to provide the specific “I-Want-To-Buy” point solution (Step 4 here in their case study) with YouTube Shoppable Videos.
With Awesome Stuff Week (ASW), YouTube partnered with several of its top YouTube influencers including GiGiGorgeous, iJustine, UnboxTherapy, and rising star sneakerhead, Brad Hall, to not only promote products as part of their usual product review style videos but also to clue fans in on YouTube new Shopping Ad.
Here in his typical tongue-in-cheek manner, YouTuber Brad Hall makes an announcement of his own: “l am officially an influencer. YouTube reached out to me and asked me to participate on Tuesday Reviewsday during Awesome Stuff Week.”
Though YouTube’s new Shopping Ads provide brands and advertisers a new way to reach consumer audiences, it could be a big miss with some brands and many YouTubers. Here are a few foreseeable ways on how YouTube Shoppable Videos may not gain the user traction it’s hoping for:
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YouTube’s New Shopping Ads: What You Need To Know