natpe||Content First

Reposted from Mashable / by Lauren Indvik

Marketers have long been experimenting with “shoppable” videos, partnering with third-party technology providers to allow viewers to click on, say, a handbag in a music video or a lipstick in a makeup how-to to pull up product information and even make a purchase. Now, Google is releasing a “channel gadget” that brings some of that functionality to YouTube.

Here’s how Google describes it, per a blog post published Wednesday:

“To shorten the path to purchase and translate video views to sales, today we’re introducing a new channel gadget on YouTube that will enable consumer goods brands to connect consumers directly with retailers throughout the entire YouTube experience. This new channel gadget will enable shoppers to seamlessly move from browsing how-to videos and featured products to finding which retailers carry them, check availability, compare prices and make a purchase, all with fewer clicks than today.”

Read more…