YouTube is unveiling a series of updates aimed at providing more earning opportunities for creators, many of whom are small business owners. These changes underscore YouTube’s commitment to supporting the creator community at various stages of their journey on the platform.
Expanding YouTube Partner Program (YPP)
One of the significant shifts is an expansion of the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). This change follows YouTube’s recent decision to extend YPP eligibility to include Shorts creators and enable Shorts ad revenue sharing.
The platform is now making YPP accessible even earlier, with lower eligibility criteria. This move will allow more creators to start earning sooner through fan funding features like channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Thanks, and others.
The updated eligibility criteria include a threshold of 500 subscribers, three public uploads in the last 90 days, and either 3000 watch hours in the past year or 3 million Shorts views in the last 90 days. This access to fan funding features, as well as the ability to promote their products with YouTube Shopping, will prove to be significant for small businesses looking to build revenue and community on the platform.
Currently, this new level of YPP is being rolled out to creators in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Taiwan, and South Korea, but plans are underway to extend this early access to YPP across all countries where the program is available.
As creators grow their channel, they will automatically become eligible for ad revenue sharing and additional benefits once they meet the existing YPP eligibility criteria.
Enhanced YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program
For creators further along in their journey, YouTube is expanding its Shopping affiliate program. Now, all eligible US-based creators in YPP with over 20,000 subscribers can take part.
The affiliate program enables creators to feature and tag products from other brands and creators in their content. They can then earn competitive commission rates on the sales of these tagged products in their videos and Shorts.
YouTube has already partnered with over 50 brands, including Nordstrom, Sephora, Ulta Beauty, and Wayfair, across sectors like beauty, tech, home, and apparel. This expansion provides small businesses and creators a new avenue for revenue generation while enhancing their content with relevant products.
Community Growth and Engagement
Fan funding features have seen increased utilization and success on the platform. In December 2022, the number of channels in the US earning a majority of revenue from fan funding products saw a more than 20% increase compared to the prior year.
These features allow creators to provide exclusive content and benefits to their fans through channel memberships or give shoutouts to viewers who use Super Chat during their live streams. This increase in engagement provides another opportunity for small businesses to grow their earnings while fostering a stronger community.
With these updates, YouTube is supporting creators, many of whom are small businesses, at every stage of their journey on the platform. By introducing earlier access to YPP, providing more ways to earn, and fostering engagement, YouTube is giving small businesses the tools they need to grow, engage, and monetize in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
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