• by Colin Kirkland , Yesterday

YouTube has announced the addition of Amazon to its U.S.-based shopping affiliate program, allowing creators to share and earn from Amazon product tags integrated into video posts, YouTube Shorts, and livestreams. 

Through this program expansion, video product tagging remains a capability designed to promote Amazon’s wide-ranging catalog, while providing YouTube creators with an incentive to do so. 

According to YouTube’s announcement, eligible creators will earn commissions based on sales resulting from the tagged product in the video.

As noted, U.S. creators’ Amazon tags may be visible to international viewers, with the option to increase commissions by allowing the platform’s AI-powered system to automatically match the tagged products with a local merchant. 

Internal findings from the Google-owned company state that videos using YouTube shopping product tags see over 110% more clicks on products compared to the utilization of description links. 

Per the program, eligible creators will be provided with a curated catalog of the most requested and currently trending products on Amazon, of which they can choose to feature in their videos.

Creators can also turn on “auto-tagging,” allowing YouTube to tag products that may align with the creator’s brand. 

To earn from commissions, YouTube creators must be signed up to the platform’s shopping affiliate program and Amazon’s influencer program.

YouTube initially launched its shopping affiliate program in 2022, expanding access to creators beyond the U.S. to Thailand, India, and the U.K., partnering with local merchants in each market, including Wayfair, Currys Boots, Etsy and more.