Have you ever seen a product shilled on YouTube and thought to yourself, “Wow, I wish I could buy that with a click of the mouse”? Probably not, but Google is trying to make shopping through the world’s most popular video site a reality anyway.
According to a report from Bloomberg, YouTube has begun asking popular creators to tag and track products in their videos. The goal is to create a catalog that would allow the platform’s billions of viewers to make direct purchases while watching content.
“A YouTube spokesperson confirmed the company is testing these features with a limited number of video channels,” Bloomberg wrote. “Creators will have control over the products that are displayed, the spokesperson said. The company described this as an experiment and declined to share more details.”
YouTube hasn’t shared how it’ll generate revenue from video sales, but the potential is obviously there thanks to the platform’s enormous user base.
“YouTube is one of the least utilized assets,” said Andy Ellwood, co-founder and president of smart grocery shopping app Basket. “If they decided they want to invest in it, it’s a huge opportunity for them.”