YouTube rolls out click to buy ads

A new ad platform from YouTube could rejuvenate sagging online video campaigns. The Click to Buy ads give viewers the ability to buy products from the ad space. The ads are currently for games and music.

by Kristina Knight

Here is how the platform works: consumers watching a YouTube clip can click over that clip to buy and download MP3's or games from an iTunes or Amazon.com page which pops up when the ad is clicked. The links appear on a small bar just under the video area. This is the first offering from YouTube's new eCommerce platform which gives content providers the ability to open revenue streams from the videos they upload.

"When you view a YouTube video with a great soundtrack, you often see comments from YouTube users asking about the name of the song and where they can download it. Or, when users watch the trailer for an upcoming video game, they want to know when it will be released and where they can buy it. We're taking our first stape to providing [this kind of] instant gratification," said Glenn Brown on the Official Google Blog.

Not all clips are viable for the platform; YouTube will only make authorized clips clickable. In addition to content providers, actual musicians or record label can make clips clickable to build revenue.