Google is introducing a new way for advertisers to boost their YouTube Shorts campaigns. The company is testing Creator Partnerships available in Google Ads. This feature will let advertisers discover and promote YouTube Shorts videos from third-party creators who have already mentioned their brand or product.

The tool is powered by BrandConnect, Google’s creator marketing platform that enables brands collaborate to with creators. Once a brand finds a relevant Shorts video, it can link it to its Google Ads account and promote it as an ad. 

The feature is in beta and available to limited users on an invite-only basis. Advertisers who have access can find it under the Tools section in Google Ads.

What this means for advertisers

There’s a growing trend of brands using influencer-driven content in paid media campaigns. Instead of running their own ads, brands can partner with creators whose content already aligns with their target audience.

Social platforms like TikTok and Instagram have already proven how powerful creator-driven ads can be. Google also wants to capitalize on this by giving advertisers direct access to relevant Shorts content.

Advertisers can now use existing creator videos that talk about their brand in place of producing their own YouTube Shorts. This could mean less effort on content production. They don’t need to create ads from scratch, they can promote their campaigns using videos from creators.

YouTube’s push for Shorts monetization

YouTube Shorts has been a major focus for Google, as it competes with TikTok and Instagram Reels. Short-form video is where audiences are spending time, and brands are trying to find ways to grab their attention. Traditional ad formats don’t always work well in this fast-scrolling environment, which is why creator content is becoming an important part of the mix.

This test also fits into YouTube’s effort to monetize Shorts. Just last week, the platform launched a new ‘Promote’ button that lets creators run ad campaigns directly from YouTube Studio. This means advertisers now have more ways to push Shorts content into ad campaigns.

In November 2024, YouTube tested Open Call, a feature that allows advertisers to request custom ad content from creators. When an Open Call campaign goes live, eligible creators can submit content to be considered for ad use.

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