YouTube's introduction of remnant post-roll advertising last week was just a taste of what the video giant is testing out to monetize its popularity. Starting today, the company is launching a new "Click-to-Buy" program.
Together with Amazon and iTunes, YouTube will now offer retail links underneath its videos to help viewers purchase the content that they're watching.
YouTube views today's announcement as a first step in creating a viable eCommerce platform for users and partners on on the site. "Ultimately advertising is most effective when it makes the most sense for what a user is doing at that moment," says YouTube spokesperson Aaron Zamost."The ultimate goal for youtube advertising is to create the right ad
for the right content."
Though launching with only two partners, the site hopes to expand its reach with brands as well as the content that will be available. Currently, the links are posted under video of music, games, and films.
The feature most enticing for brands should be click-to-buys integration with YouTube's Content ID program, which enables content partners at YouTube to identify portions of their content in user uploaded video content.
The retail link approach helps YouTube step around the whole pre-
and post-roll debate that is slowing down advertising integration and also help overcome the problems of putting branded content on sometimes questionable user uploaded content.
Now we'll just have to see if people want to buy the things they're checking out on YouTube.
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