It is evident that, without neglecting the rest of the platform services, YouTube has focused on YouTube Shorts, you know, the short videos, generally recorded vertically, and which have been so successful for some years now on other platforms, mainly on TikTok. A very intelligent move by Google, of course, since this format has become the favorite of the youngest and, contrary to the belief of those who do not consume this type of content, with great samples of originality and creativity.
Initially leaked in the spring of 2020, YouTube Shorts was officially announced in September of that year, and for its international debut, the company knew how to engage creators, both new and those already publishing on other services, with a supply of funds of 100 million dollars that would be used to pay the creators. This economic incentive, added to the visibility that YouTube provides, were a great claim, so YouTube Shorts began to be populated with content from day one.
Since then, the numbers of YouTube Shorts have not stopped growing, to the point that last June they exceeded 1.5 billion active users. a most compelling figure. At this time, G.oogle has also explored options to improve channel monetization (a monetization divided between platform and creators), such as advertising insertions, which began to be tested in April of this year, at least apparently with great success.
It is known that, with regard to YouTube Shorts, Google has never stopped watching TikTok because, for better or for worse, it is the great reference in this area, just as it has done with Twitch in terms of live streaming. platform. And we can understand that this is the origin of the new function that is already being tested, and that will allow creators to insert purchase links with affiliate code in their YouTube Shorts videos.
In case you don’t know what this function consists of, many online stores have affiliate programs. With them, each creator of all kinds can generate personalized links that, if they are used to purchase the product to which they link, translate into a commission for said sale. Thus, if a creator includes a link of this type in one of his videos, recommending that product, each sale of the same, as long as it originates from a click on the link he has published, will result in financial compensation for it.
The implementation of this monetization model in YouTube Shorts will start in 2023, according to The Financial Times and it will do so with two modalities, one that will only be available (at least initially) in the United States, and a second that will debut in Australia, Brazil, Canada, the United States and India. In both models, yes, the income generated by the promotion and sales will be shared between the platform and the creators.
