Obviously, without neglecting the other services of the platform, YouTube focused on YouTube Shorts, you know, the short videos, generally uploaded vertically, that have been so successful for several years on other platforms, mainly TikTok. Of course, a very smart move by Google, because this format has become popular with the youngest and, contrary to the beliefs of those who do not consume this type of content, with great displays of originality and creativity.

Initially leaked in the spring of 2020, YouTube Shorts were officially announced in September of that year, and for its international debut the company knew how to engage creators, new and those already publishing on other services, with a $100 million funding injection that would were used to pay the creators. This economic incentive, added to the visibility that YouTube provides, was a big claim YouTube Shorts started filling up with content from day one.

Since then, the number of YouTube Shorts has continued to grow, reaching over 1.5 billion active users last June. a most compelling number. At this time G.oogle also explored ways to improve channel monetization (monetization split between the platform and the creator) such as ad insertions, which began to be tested in April of this year, at least apparently with great success.

It is known that when it comes to YouTube Shorts, Google has never stopped watching TikTok because, for better or for worse, it is a great reference in this area, just as it did with Twitch when it comes to live streaming. And we can understand that this is the origin of a new feature that is already being tested, namely will allow creators to insert shopping links with an affiliate code into their YouTube Shorts videos.

In case you don’t know what this feature is, many online stores have affiliate programs. With them, any creator of any kind can generate personalized links that, if used to purchase the product they link to, will result in a commission for said sale. So if a creator includes a link of this type in one of their videos and recommends that product, every sale of the same, if it comes from a click on the link they posted, will result in financial compensation.

Implementing this monetization model in YouTube Shorts will start in 2023, according to The Financial Times, and will do so in two ways, one that will only be available (at least initially) in the United States, and the other that will debut in Australia, Brazil, Canada, the United States, and India. In both models, yes, the revenue generated by promotion and sales will be shared between the platform and the creators.