Shopify Stores Can Boost Sales With YouTube Shopping Affiliates Program

Shopify’s Summer ‘24 Editions dropped yesterday, making it the fifth release of its bi-annual announcement on new and upcoming features. This time, Shopify unveiled 150 new product updates to support Shopify merchants, from split shipping options at checkout to the testing of the much-anticipated Shopify Sidekick.

Alongside these features was the news that select Shopify merchants will soon be able to harness the power of the YouTube Shopping affiliate program.

This will allow US stores – with Advanced or Plus plans – to connect with creators, who can then tag and promote products through their YouTube videos.

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There are obvious benefits to the feature, such as getting your products seen by a wide audience and targeting customers on a platform they’re already browsing. It’s a great way to use influencers to drive sales, but there are some downsides I want to flag.

Firstly, it’s a costly feature to use. You don’t have to pay to sync your products from Shopify with YouTube, but you will have to pay the influencer a commission (that you set) once a purchase is made. Plus, to access the feature, you’ll have to pay for at least the $299 Advanced Shopify plan to get your products seen on YouTube.

Shopify merchants using the Basic or Shopify plans will not have access to this tool. Currently, there’s no set release date for the update, with Shopify stating it’ll be available soon.

In the meantime, I recommend building an influencer marketing strategy across other channels, such as Instagram and TikTok. This will help you know which type of content creator your customers engage with. I also suggest thinking about what products align well with YouTube content, such as beauty hauls or DIY videos.

As customers look to influencers for product recommendations, it makes sense that Shopify is helping its online stores tap into the creator community. Similarly, TikTok recently announced its AI Avatars to make it easier for businesses to create branded content with influencers and creators.