YouTube presented its 2022 roadmap for shopping features, shorts and other updates for brands and creators in a blog Publish by product manager Neal Mohan on Thursday. Although Mohan didn’t go into specific details, he did provide some useful insight into what to expect from YouTube this year.
More robust shopping experiences. Shopping capabilities will be expanded through shoppable videos, live shopping, and through the YouTube app UI.
Shorts. YouTube plans to continue adding features to its Shorts format, the platform’s answer to TikTok and Instagram’s Reels. Along with new effects and editing tools, YouTube plans to introduce the ability to respond to individual comments by creating another Short (similar to TikTok).
YouTube is also exploring monetization options for this format. In the coming months, he plans to test Brand Connect for the creators of Shorts, integration of the great cat functionality (in which viewers can purchase visually distinct chat messages) as well as the ability to purchase directly from a Short.
New perspectives for creators. New metrics will be added to YouTube Studio. Mohan didn’t go into detail about what to expect from these new analytics capabilities, other than that they’re supposed to help “generate actionable content ideas for upcoming videos.”
Other updates for brands and creators. Channel guidelines, which can help creators influence the tone of conversations on their channel, are currently being tested.
Collaborative live streaming will also be introduced, allowing creators to go live with other creators.
And, YouTube has started testing gifted subscriptions, which allow viewers to purchase channel subscriptions for other viewers in a live stream.
Why we care. More shopping experiences on YouTube likely mean more places to showcase products for viewers. These product ads will likely leverage data feeds from Google Merchant Center, making them more useful to advertisers while strengthening Google’s ecosystem.
Shorts’ new features may help it compete with TikTok and Instagram. Being able to respond via a Short can keep users engaged on the platform for longer. Additionally, monetization options for creators can also help drive adoption as well as influencer marketing opportunities on YouTube.
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George Nguyen is an editor for Search Engine Land, covering organic search, podcasting and e-commerce. He has a background in journalism and content marketing. Prior to entering the industry, he worked as a radio personality, writer, podcast host, and public school teacher.
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