Bridget Dolan, managing director of YouTube Shopping partnerships, told BI the platform’s greatest advantage is its user experience and the resources it can offer creators.

Dolan said YouTube Shopping’s user experience is more interactive than other programs. Built directly into the platform, viewers can see products and prices below a YouTube video without searching through a sea of links in the video’s description, where users typically find other affiliate links.

YouTube also has dedicated partner managers who communicate with shopping creators weekly to troubleshoot, share best practices, and plan in-person and virtual events, Dolan said.

Shopping has always been at YouTube’s core, with tech, beauty, and fashion creators earning millions from pushing their favorite products. Last year, people watched over 30 billion hours of shopping-related videos on YouTube, and there was a 25% increase in watch time for videos that help people shop on YouTube, the company said.

YouTube wants to build on that by making it easier for people to shop and for creators to earn commissions.

“This is the basis of what YouTube has always been,” Dolan said. “Our features are just making that so much slicker and easier for the viewer instead of the viewer hunting and pecking for links below in a sea of blue links trying to be like, ‘Wait, which one is this product?’ And then leaving the video and being like, ‘Oh, it’s how much,’ or, ‘Oh, it’s out of stock,’ or all those things.”

What sets YouTube apart from other programs

YouTube has released a slew of new features to set its program apart and improve the affiliate experience for creators.

The company released in April a way for creators to group their most-used products and other links, called Shopping Collections; an Affiliate Hub in the YouTube app that lists potential shopping partners, commission rates, promo codes, and the option to request samples from brands; a tool to tag products across multiple videos at once; and the ability for creators to tag their own products and merch across their video library.

Dolan said YouTube is also working more closely with creators than other programs.

Her team of YouTube Shopping partner managers helps creators with everything from which products and brands to link to what products are selling well to trending product search terms. The team acts as the middleman between merchants and creators.

It’s also helping creators connect with brands beyond affiliate marketing. Through the Affiliate Hub, brands can contact creators directly to offer unique promo codes or higher commission rates. The brand can also take the relationship a step further and partner with the creator for a paid campaign through YouTube’s Brand Connect or a Shopping partner manager, adding another way for the creator to earn money.

“That’s helping our creators be on the radar for a brand or a merchant,” Dolan said. “They might have a small subscriber base and not look like they are wildly impressive until you see how much they’re driving through affiliate.”

Her team also brings creators together in person and virtually with workshops about integrating shopping into their content. YouTube has hosted events with retail execs, including the head of merchandising at Sephora, where Dolan was previously SVP of new ventures.

How the shopping team measures success

To measure its success in affiliate marketing, Dolan said her team looks at the number of dollars flowing through the program and creator interest, including the number of creators who have signed up and how active they are, as well as the selection and quality of merchants.

“They want data, they want us talking to them, and then they love talking to the brand themselves,” Dolan said about creators. “Other programs can say, here’s how you’re doing. We’re showing you tied to more of the video.”

Still, the team doesn’t expect to completely replace the other affiliate marketing channels creators use. YouTube doesn’t require exclusivity; therefore, anyone who participates in the program can still work with other similar programs.

“YouTube Shopping is the idea that creators are talking about the products that they love and tagging them,” Dolan said. “That is what viewers are looking for. They’re looking for the creator’s point of view about products.”