YouTube Monetizes Videos With Click-to-Buy Links

Google recently launched a new feature on YouTube called YouTubevertorial. Users can now click on links to Amazon or iTunes, placed below each video, to buy products related to the content they are watching. These click-to-buy links represent a new way for YouTube to monetize online video sharing.  Currently YouTube is embedding links for music and video games. They are planning on adding more industries, like film, print, and television, to build e-commerce on YouTube.

So why does this matter to filmmakers? Well, Google is giving filmmakers the chance to monetize content on YouTube, which has proven difficult in the past. Soon, not only will filmmakers be able to spread awareness about their projects to fans on YouTube, they can also make money off of these fans with links to the appropriate distribution sources.  Google is taking viral marketing to a new level. A YouTube video could generate millions of dollars with a click-to-buy link at the bottom of a catchy video (see: "The 3 Things that Make a Video Go Viral").

This new development is just one in a series from YouTube that has helped independent filmmakers. YouTube has begun experimenting with feature length movies on their site. Also, in June, YouTube launched The Screening Room, where users can watch and buy short movies online. Will the click-to-buy links help filmmakers in the long run too?