YouTube adds updated tools to its creator partnership program

YouTube is updating its creator partnerships program to help facilitate brand deals. The company is rolling out a new, integrated system that will merge creator and advertiser tools into a single platform in order to make it easier to discover potential connections.

YouTube said it’s bringing various creator partnership elements, including BrandConnect and the Creator Partnerships Hub, into a new merged platform called YouTube Creator Partnerships. The updated platform will create “a more unified identity for the features that both creators and brands use,” per a company press release.

To be clear, BrandConnect displays potential content collaborations to brands, based on eligible, relevant videos that have been posted by creators. Meanwhile, the Creator Partnerships Hub facilitates those connections by gathering all of a creators’ branded content opportunities and in-progress projects into a single platform.

Logically, these two elements complement each other. Now, YouTube is looking to bring these and other creator partnership tools together to streamline the affiliate marketing and partnerships process.

The updated platform, which will be available in both YouTube Studio for creators, and Google Ads and Display & Video 360 for advertisers, will provide more direct insight, and facilitate connection to enhance brand partnerships opportunities.

YouTube said that the new platform will include:  

• Improved Brand Deal Matching and Outreach – YPP creators in more countries will be able to receive direct outreach from brands on potential brand deal opportunities.
• Sharing Channel Insights – Creators will be able to share channel and audience insights with advertisers, brands, and third-party platforms.
• Collaboration Features Built-In – YouTube’s Media Kit and Open Call elements will also be integrated into the platform to help creators pitch their unique brand deal ideas and share more insight about their channel’s audience.

YouTube is also rolling out improved brand partnership recommendations powered by artificial intelligence. These recommendations will provide more accurate, relevant suggestions for potential affiliate promotion deals.   

Which could present significant opportunities. YouTube said there are now more than 3 million creators in the YouTube Partner Program, providing a wide breadth of potential outreach opportunities for brands.

And those can be effective. YouTube further noted that 79% of Gen Z viewers say YouTube creators “form communities that give them a sense of belonging,” while 83% of Gen Z viewers prefer watching their favorite creators instead of watching studio-produced shows. Those are some compelling data points to underline the potential value. YouTube is also the top platform viewers turn to when they want to research a brand or product.

Tapping into creator partnerships, then, could be valuable, aligning with modern content consumption and discovery behaviors.