YouTube’s short-video and commerce ambitions rely on creator adoption and participation. Creators are the lifeblood of YouTube, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that they have the power to move audiences to new features or formats, as well as sway purchase decisions.

• Close to half (43%) of US consumers surveyed by Hub Research in December 2021 said they watch influencer videos on YouTube at least weekly, with that share rising to 52% among respondents ages 13 to 34.
• More than two-thirds of US teens and adults could recall the names of specific brands highlighted in YouTube influencer videos, per Hub Research. Of those who could, 86% said they had purchased or considered purchasing a product endorsed by a YouTube influencer.

YouTube creators will get more ways to monetize, and brands will benefit. The more money creators can make, the more likely they are to stick around, opening up opportunities for brands to work with them. Shorts ads, dual livestream hosts, and more commerce tools are being rolled out with creators in mind. But YouTube has also released more direct monetization options for creators:

• As of April, eligible creators can receive Super Thanks (tips in the form of a public thank you message) from viewers, along with other tipping features like Super Chat (paid highlighted messages in a chat stream), and Super Stickers (paid stickers in livestreams).
• YouTube is continuing its $100 million Shorts Fund in 2022, which awards bonus payments to well-performing Shorts creators. YouTube said in January that 40% of creators who weren’t previously monetizing their work got a check after launching in August 2021, though it’s not clear how much money they made.
• Creators already receive 55% of ad revenues generated from ads displayed during their long-form videos. There is no direct revenue share from Shorts ads right now.

Read the full report.