Affiliate links play a vital role in the creator economy, especially for individuals specializing in unboxing videos, beauty advice, or product assessments. YouTube Shopping has transformed this into a lucrative opportunity for creators.
During VidCon 2025, creators Carter Kench, Christie Xie, and Ben Schlichter talked about leveraging YouTube Shopping to refine the affiliate procedure, which has shown to be financially beneficial. Xie was amazed by her profits after the initial month: “It was like four times what I normally earned, and I was thinking, did I commit tax fraud?”
To participate in the program, creators must have a minimum of 10,000 subscribers and be enrolled in the YouTube Partner Program. After that, it’s up to the individual to manage it. Kench, Xie, and Schlichter provided tips on how to get started.
Timestamps and auto-tagging are essential. Kench believes that incorporating timestamps for products, which allows links to show up in the videos, provides unmatched ease. Julia Hamilton Trost, head of creator partnerships for YouTube Shopping, revealed that creators who use timestamps alongside description links experienced a 43% boost in clicks compared to those who used only description links.
Tagging products can be a lengthy process, so Xie utilizes YouTube’s auto-tagging function, which automatically identifies and links products, managing most of the workload and permitting her to adjust the product list as necessary.
Genuineness is crucial. When promoting products, it’s important to strike a balance between sharing and advertising. The creators stressed the significance of being selective about the products they endorse. “I only tag products I genuinely want to discuss. I focus on keeping my content very authentic,” Kench stated.
Xie, a beauty creator, emphasizes content over shopping experience. Schlichter, who evaluates home appliances, concurred, referencing Xie’s comment about full-basket commissions, which enable creators to profit from an entire viewer’s basket, even if just one product is linked. “Even if I provide a negative review, I critique it and say this is bad. I don’t like it, but here’s the link for it, just for you to check out. Because as Christie mentioned earlier, with the full basket commission, they don’t have to enjoy that product for me to earn from it,” Schlichter noted. This tactic works: “I earn more from affiliates on YouTube Shopping than I do even from AdSense,” Schlichter remarked.
YouTube Shopping analytics can assist in striking brand partnerships. Although he was a well-known home appliance reviewer, Schlichter had no brand relationship with Lowe’s. After showcasing success with Lowe’s products via YouTube Shopping, he reached out to a brand representative, stating, “Hey, I’m performing really well for you on YouTube Shopping. Can we collaborate in a more creator-centric way?” He landed a deal and became one of the brand’s highest-earning creators. “That information is empowering for a creator,” Schlichter expressed to the audience.
Following audience insights is essential. The creators highlighted the importance of examining what connects with their audience, which influences their content development. “Really monitor your YouTube Studio for any insights,” Xie advised. “For instance, many viewers appreciate lip glosses and lip balms. Thus, I aim to create more lip combo videos. Catering to your audience is crucial.” Schlichter added, “Out of my top 10 videos, I’d say half originated from commenters suggesting, ‘Hey, why don’t you explore this?'” He pointed out, “In terms of my shopping videos, 75 percent of the concepts are no longer coming from me.”