YouTube is experimenting with a new way for creators to promote their channels and content without having to go through Google Ads Manager. The Google-owned company is testing a new “Promotions” tab within YouTube Studio that will make buying ads easier for creators. The new tab is being tested with a limited number of creators on desktop, YouTube notes on a support page.
“We’ve heard that creators want more tools to help grow their channel and reach a wider audience, so we are testing a simpler end-to-end workflow in Studio instead of through Google Ads,” the company says. “If you’re in this experiment, you’ll see a new ‘Promotions’ tab in the Content page of Studio.”
The new addition makes it easier for creators to run quick promotions for their content and also gives them a way to boost their presence on the platform. The new feature is also a way for YouTube to bring in more ad revenue.
As with any other test feature, it’s unknown when or if YouTube plans to roll out the promotions tab more widely.
On the topic of creators, YouTube is also giving creators the ability to view key metrics on the main app, bringing it in line with the YouTube Studio app. Prior to this change, creators could only view metrics about videos, Shorts and livestreams from the Studio app. Now, they can view these metrics from the main iOS and Android YouTube apps. YouTube says the goal with the new addition is to help creators understand how one content type performs over others on their channel.
The platform is also rolling out a new way to manage livestreams. Creators now have the ability to schedule, manage and edit live and upcoming mobile streams in Live Control Room and YouTube Studio. Up until now, creators have only had the ability to moderate live chats in the YouTube mobile app and could not edit or manage any mobile live stream. YouTube says this change will be live for all eligible creators by the end of the week.