YouTube can now automatically detect products shown in videos!

Hi folks! Welcome to another TechTuesday with WeBizz!

Today we are delighted to announce an exciting new YouTube feature that could signal the end of traditional advertising as we know it.

Ready to find out more? Then keep reading!

“We are experimenting with a new feature that displays a list of products detected in some videos, as well as related products. The feature will appear in between the recommended videos, to viewers scrolling below the video player. The goal is to help people explore more videos and information about those products on YouTube.” (YouTube Representative)

You read that right – YouTube can now detect items shown in videos and generate a list of related products to purchase. The list will appear as an automatic suggestion below the video, helping viewers to identify the products in the video and search for related content.

We already know the YouTube algorithm that suggests related videos is very solid. 

This new feature, however, seems more commercially oriented and is ideal for video content watched by people in advance of making a purchase. Consider all the potential customers who seek out product reviews and advice on YouTube. This is very common in the beauty industry, but is also a major influencing factor in technology and other verticals. 

What are the implications of this new feature? There are so many!

For starters, it could work as a second algorithm that suggests other YouTube videos featuring similar products. It has the potential to move Google (who own YouTube) into the lucrative affiliate link market. It could transform YouTube into a user-friendly marketplace experience that competes with other platforms like Instagram and Facebook. It would also create more advertising opportunities for the videos featuring the products, which would mean increased earnings for content creators. We can’t predict all the possible implications of this new feature – only time will tell! 

At the moment, the feature is only being tested on select users in the US, so stay tuned for the official launch!