YouTube is adding new ways for creators to include promotional ads in their videos. This new feature will let creators include timestamps for products they are promoting in videos shared on the platform. A shopping button will then appear at selected timestamps when the video plays. YouTube says this will help creators earn more from ad revenue as the holidays approach. Consequently, this would mean users will have to prepare for more ads at a time when YouTube is stepping up to eliminate ad blockers.
The video-sharing platform says this will help creators increase engagement for the products they are promoting. In a blog, the platform adds, “The shopping button will then appear at relevant points in your video — like that close-up shot on your favorite tech gadget or makeup kit you’re reviewing.”
YouTube claims that a test in the U.S. with the time-stamped ads resulted in users engaging with this type of ad twice as those without timestamps.
This comes after YouTube has been on a campaign to eliminate ad blocker use while disabling videos for people using ad blockers. The only option left will be for users to pay for the premium subscription. Funny enough, YouTube Premium is still unavailable in some countries including Kenya despite users in these countries being able to pay for other Google products and services.
Presumably, these product ads may be skippable, unlike the annoying unskippable ones where users have to sit through them. On a positive note, creators will be able to monetize from products that users would have otherwise skipped if their ads were chained forcing users to pay less attention or skip them.
More ad control for creators
In addition, YouTube is adding more ad control features for creators starting in November. This includes more options to optimize mid-roll ads on long-form videos and livestreams. Creators will see a 60-second countdown before an ad is shown on a livestream and will have the option to skip it. They will also have the option to delay mid-roll ads to prevent them from displaying for 10 minutes. For long-form videos, creators will have the option to combine automatic ad breaks set by YouTube and manually set mid-roll ads within the video. At the moment, creators have to select one of the two options.
Creators will also have new revenue information where they can learn about ad revenue generated from livestreams and live replays as well.
