YouTube creators and marketers are facing some significant challenges with the regular changes to the platform. YouTube announced three major updates at the start of 2023 and there are many more to be rolled out in the near future. Two of the updates announced in 2023 have already been implemented. The one scheduled for September 2023 is also complete to a great extent. These updates are important for content creators and marketers to be aware of and prepared for.
No redirect links in YouTube Shorts
The first update was that from August 31st, YouTube no longer allowed viewers to click on links in YouTube Shorts. This change disappointed many creators who earn money through affiliate marketing or brand deals via YouTube Shorts. However, YouTube has a strategy behind this decision. YouTube has proposed an alternative solution that we will discuss here.
The reason for YouTube’s decision to disable off-site links in YouTube Shorts is due to concerns about spam. Some creators were uploading content that directed viewers off-site, causing issues for viewers. To address this, YouTube has decided to disable off-site links in YouTube Shorts.
For creators who have many links in their descriptions, tools like TubeBuddy, Vidooly, and SocialBlade offer a bulk update tool. The tools allows you to replace links with text such as “check the link in my bio,” directing viewers to your channel profile links. This leads us to the next feature, which is the ability to include links in your channel profile.
Links in YouTube channel profile
Channel profile links are a new feature that allows you to display links directly on your channel page, both on computers and mobile devices. This feature replaces the header links, which are being removed, and provides you with 12 different links to use. When a viewer clicks on the option in your profile, a slide-up will appear that lists all of your links.
If you work with brands or use your YouTube channel to promote your business, services, or other interests, these links are a great way to share that information with your viewers. They will be visible to everyone. You can drive traffic to them through your Shorts and long-form videos. This feature provides a valuable way to redirect more people to your YouTube channel page and increase visibility for your links.
The way out
If you have multiple sponsors for your YouTube Shorts, you can include links to all of them in your channel profile. This makes it easier for viewers to find the specific links you’re promoting. For example, if you have a sponsored deal on your YouTube Shorts and are working with three different sponsors over the course of a month, you can include links to all of them in your channel profile. This is a win-win situation for both you and your sponsors. This idea will make it easier for viewers to find and access the links.
One downside to this approach is that your sponsors’ links will be competing with all the other links in your channel profile. Instead of having one isolated link in the description, your sponsors’ links will be among the 12 links available in your channel profile. This can be frustrating for both you and your sponsors. This is because the links may not receive as much visibility as they would if they were the only link in the description.
Despite this downside, including links to your sponsors in your channel profile is still better than not being able to include any links at all. It provides a way for viewers to access your sponsors’ links and learn more about their products or services.
When you use this feature, just like every other thing that you're linking to on YouTube, all of your links still have to comply with YouTube's external link policy.
The latest YouTube update for creators
Starting in September 2023, YouTube introduced content links to YouTube Shorts. This means that clickable links were removed from Shorts, but content links were allowed to be added. Content links are direct links to any content on a user’s YouTube channel. This includes live streams, live stream premieres, long-form videos, and other Shorts. At this time, it is not possible to link to playlists. Many creators hope that this feature will be added in the future.
When someone is watching a YouTube Short, they will see a visible link on the screen. They will be able click on to be taken directly to the linked content. This is an exciting development because it allows creators to strategically use Shorts to direct viewers to their long-form content. This is part of YouTube’s effort to bridge the gap between Shorts and long-form content. The main idea here is to encourage viewers to explore more of a creator’s work.
As a content creator, you can now think about what type of content you can create for your Shorts. The idea should be to intentionally direct people toward your long-form content. This is a great opportunity for creators to get their audience more familiar with everything else they are doing on their channel.
If you frequently respond to comments using YouTube Shorts, this new feature is very useful. When answering a comment with a Short, you can use content links to direct viewers to relevant content on your channel. This is particularly helpful if you have a “money video” that generates affiliate sales or promotes a brand deal. You can create several Shorts that direct viewers to this long-form video. This will increase traffic and drive more sales or awareness.
As a content creator, it is important to start thinking about how you can use content links, which are available from September 2023. Consider how you can use this feature to drive viewers to additional content. Think how to create longer viewing sessions on YouTube, which is crucial for growing your channel. Stay up to date with the latest developments on YouTube. You should continue to learn how to grow your channel.
To sum it up – YouTube updates
Overall, these are some major features that you should be taking advantage of as a content creator. With the introduction of content links in September 2023, now is the time to start thinking. Plan how you can use them to drive people to additional content and create longer viewing sessions on YouTube. This is an important factor when it comes to growing your YouTube channel.
