“YouTube shopping is not just a platform for introducing products. We need to persuade viewers why they should buy these products. By showing that a real person has used the product, we can demonstrate authenticity, and this aspect will be the biggest marketing for the brand.”
(Mr. Kwon Dong-hyun and Ms. Lee Ye-rin, who operate the YouTube channel “IntroTip”)
“The fact that viewers actually purchase products after watching my content is proven by the numbers. It’s great that I can make evidence-based proposals when collaborating with brands, and I think brands can trust me from their perspective as well.”
(YouTube creator “Scarlet Sister”)
Mr. Kwon Dong-hyun and Ms. Lee Ye-rin, who operate the YouTube channel “IntroTip”, and YouTube creator “Scarlet Sister” attended the ’2025 ChosunBiz Consumer and Retail Forum' held at the Westin Josun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 11th, where they made these comments. The discussion, themed ‘Expansion of YouTube Shopping and Video Commerce,’ was moderated by Lee Hyun-jin, YouTube creator and head of shopping partnerships.
Lee noted, “Shopping features are YouTube’s top priority,” and added, “The goal is to create an optimized business that allows the three pillars—creators, viewers, and brands—to harmonize and succeed together.” According to Lee, last year, users around the world watched a total of 35 billion hours of shopping-related content, averaging 90 million hours a day and 4 million pieces of content consumed.
As of March, over 25,000 creators in Korea are participating in YouTube shopping, and since the launch of the shopping affiliate program, more than 950,000 videos have been tagged with products. Lee stated, “YouTube’s vision is to create a space where viewers can naturally discover and purchase new brands or products through their favorite creators,” adding, “Since Korea is accustomed to home shopping and consuming based on videos, YouTube shopping is expected to grow even more rapidly in the Korean market going forward.”
In particular, Korea is the first country outside the U.S. to introduce the “YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program.” Creators who meet the eligibility requirements can introduce various products sold by affiliates by tagging them in their content after a simple registration process. The affiliates have recently expanded from Coupang to Olive Young and will soon include Zigzag. Viewers can click on the tags to purchase products, and creators receive commissions through this.
On that day, Lee asked creators about changes in their revenue structure since the start of YouTube shopping. Scarlet Sister replied, “In the past, advertising revenue accounted for about 95% of total revenue, but after participating in the YouTube shopping affiliate program, the commission revenue from it has accounted for 50% of the total starting from the first month,” adding, “So, additional revenue has increased, allowing for greater investment in content.”
The creator operating IntroTip also said, “In the past, our main sources of income were advertising revenue and view count revenue,” adding, “Since we started the shopping affiliate program, our shopping revenue has grown significantly, accounting for 100% of total revenue. Compared to before, our monthly revenue has increased tenfold.”
They also reported positive changes within their channels. Ms. Lee, who operates IntroTip, said, “Not only related feedback on the fun of the content but also specific comments started appearing, indicating that product B is better than product A,” and added, “Not ignoring such reactions and beginning to produce relay videos has led to higher purchase conversions and a surge in view count, resulting in positive interactions with viewers.”
“Currently, I’m trying to introduce essential products rather than just popular products. It’s important to show what problem the product solves,” Scarlet Sister said, noting, “YouTube shopping is not just a sales tool but rather content-based commerce that naturally shows why a product is needed.”