YouTube has started testing out a new social media shopping experience that allows North American participants to buy featured products directly from the video they are watching or posting.
This form of social shopping has been increasing with the likes of Instagram, and Facebook paving the way with their own built-in shopping features. By including its own social shopping experience, YouTube makes it easier than ever for its users to find the products showcased on their favorite YouTuber's channel so that they can feel more connected to them. Given the rise in the social influencer and online shopping from the stay-at-home world, YouTube looks to reap the rewards from this feature and continue building its platform to become a global social app to cater to influencer marketing.
This feature has only been tested with a small group of creators in North America so far, and is linked to the analytics and tools from the platform's parent company, Google.
Social Media Shopping Experiences
Youtube Tests New Feature to Buy Products Shown on Video
Trend Themes
1. Social Media Shopping Experience - With the introduction of social shopping experiences, companies can create more personalized shopping experiences for their consumers by utilizing social media platforms.
2. Influencer Marketing Platform - The rise of influencer marketing has created an opportunity for companies to make use of influencer marketing platforms like YouTube to reach a wider audience.
3. Social Video Shopping - By incorporating a social shopping feature, YouTube brings online shopping and social media together to create a new market which bridges the gap between influencer communities and consumers.
Industry Implications
1. Social Media - Social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook are set to take over the online shopping niche.
2. Influencer Marketing - Influencer marketing is an industry that is growing rapidly and has the potential for significant disruptions with the integration of social shopping features.
3. E-commerce - E-commerce companies that make use of social media platforms can leverage the trend of social shopping and find new ways to connect with consumers.