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Shopify X YouTube: YouTube Shopping to Scale Commerce and Community

Shopify continues to launch features that are changing the game for ecommerce brands. Shopify recently released its newest integration with YouTube, YouTube Shopping, allowing creators to more deeply connect with their online community and for ecommerce brands to leverage creator networks to promote their products. 

A win-win for creators and ecommerce brands, this development will enable both parties to scale their growth more than ever before. 

What is YouTube Shopping? 

YouTube brings commerce into its platform with the release of YouTube Shopping. The millions of merchants in Shopify’s network can now take advantage of YouTube’s over 2 billion monthly active users to exponentially expand the reach of their product offerings. YouTube Shopping allows Shopify merchants to promote their products using three outlets:

  • Live streams: Merchants can turn live streams into engaging, shoppable experiences to promote their products.
    • Tag and pin your products to the live stream at integral points. Viewers can then directly shop your inventory during the live stream, while picture-in-picture playback will enable customers to continue watching your live stream while they make their purchases. 
  • Videos: Merchants and creators can feature a curated, shoppable display of products on a product shelf that appears below the video content. 
  • Store Tab: Merchants and creators will now be able to add a whole tab devoted to displaying their product offerings as an addition to their YouTube channel.

What Does Youtube Shopping Mean for Creators and Merchants? 

According to a study YouTube conducted with Publicis and TalkShoppe, 89% of viewers trust recommendations they receive from YouTube creators. YouTube creators already use video content to promote brands they work with, so this integration with Shopify feels like a natural next step for both the merchant and creator to scale their growth. 

In a match that feels serendipitous, YouTube Shopping merges the merchant with the creator, blurring the lines between both parties. Kaz Nejatian, Shopify’s VP of product stated, “We believe creators are the next generation of merchants…” as he expressed his excitement for how this new development will supercharge the creator economy and YouTube’s growth. Shopify also aims to accelerate its overall conversion rate and sales with this release.

YouTube Shopping enables merchants to leverage video content to deepen engagement with their customers’ networks while directly promoting their products. Creators can use YouTube Shopping to monetize their personal brands, promoting their merch or own line of products, while merchants can use YouTube video content to access new audiences and build stronger customer connections. 

Which Merchants Are Eligible to Use YouTube Shopping? 

To get started with YouTube Shopping, merchants will need to have at least 1,000 subscribers.

Learn more about the requirements around content creation here in YouTube’s guide to YouTube Shopping. 

How To Get Started With YouTube Shopping

  1. Install the Google Channel in the Shopify App store.
  2. Connect your YouTube Account in the Youtube Shopping section of the Google Channel.
  3. Decide which products to promote in your YouTube Shopping content. 
  4. From the Shopping tab you can access the Monetization tab and begin adding products to feature in your videos. 

Content is At the Center of Your Growth

One thing we can learn from YouTube’s integration with Shopify is that content is not only at the heart of engagement with your community but also the catalyst for your growth. YouTube Shopping enables you to leverage content and creator networks to reach new audiences of buyers and scale your growth to exponential, new levels. 

If you want to accelerate your brand’s performance and start making moves that mean everything to your bottom line, partner with the digital marketing experts at The Snow Agency. Our leading marketing teams create powerful content that drive explosive results for our clients. 

Get started with a kickoff call today.