YouTube is testing a new feature that lets you easily display your collaborating creators in your videos, just like Instagram Reels or TikTok! This not only increases your visibility but also expands your audience and that of your collaborators.
This is undoubtedly a huge benefit for content creators who are looking for growth.
This article will explain the details and highlights of this new feature, teach you how to plan a successful YouTube collaboration, and provide practical tutorials and strategic advice to help you plan ahead and seize the traffic dividend.
What is YouTube's "Collaborator Showcase" feature?
YouTube's "Collaborators Display" feature is a new creator collaboration mechanism.
This feature enables creators to tag their partner accounts when Posting videos. It not only displays the co-branded creators in the video title area but also synchronously recommends the content to the fan base of each collaborator. These collaborators will:
Display their channel avatar below the title (similar to a stacked avatar display)
Provides a "...and 3 other people" tag, which can be expanded with one click to view all collaborative channels
Push videos to the audiences of all co-creators to achieve traffic sharing
YouTube official statement:
"We're testing a feature that allows creators to add collaborators so their videos can be recommended to all relevant audiences."
Note: This is different from "Channel Collaboration", which is a video-level collaboration display mechanism.
Feature highlights at a glance
Traffic interconnection: The video will be recommended to the audiences of multiple co-creators, easily achieving cross-circle dissemination.
Showcase partnerships: Viewers can clearly see every creator involved in the video production, improving content transparency.
Adapting to short video habits: The labeling method is consistent with TikTok and Instagram, which is easier for users to understand and accept.
Enhance professionalism: Whether it's co-branded content, brand collaboration, or team production, this can enhance the professional image of your channel.
Tutorial: How to Use?
Currently, this feature is in a limited beta test and is only available to a select group of creators. For example, MrBeast's latest video already uses this feature.
However, YouTube officials have made it clear:
"We will gradually expand the scope of the test and open it to more creators in the future."
How to prepare?
Even if you haven't qualified for the test yet, you can lay the foundation in advance:
Build a collaborative circle of creators: proactively contact peers and high-quality accounts interested in collaboration
Plan joint content types: joint shooting, theme relay, Q&A exchange, etc.
Develop a cooperation agreement: agree on details such as content ownership, profit distribution, and cover uniformity in advance
Unified visual style: Improve recognition and make it easier for viewers to see the joint relationship at a glance
Who is it suitable for?
This feature is useful for all creators, but is especially useful for the following categories:
1. New channel that wants to increase followers
After cooperating with a big channel, viewers can directly see your avatar and jump to your channel.
2. Team creators/MCN accounts
When multiple members collaborate to produce content, they can uniformly display member participation and increase channel stickiness.
3. Brand linkage content
Brand + KOL and brand + brand cooperation content clearly marks the roles of all parties, which is conducive to dissemination and endorsement.
4. Educational/Project Channels
Having multiple lecturers and guests appear in the same video can fairly demonstrate the value of each creator.
5. Multi-channel operators
Do you have multiple accounts? This feature can redirect traffic between channels, letting users know who your "other self" is.
Teach you how to plan an effective YouTube collaboration
YouTube has been encouraging creators to collaborate, even offering a full course in the YouTube Creators Academy. Here are a few suggestions for collaboration:
Is the goal of the collaboration
to increase followers? Brand exposure? Or perhaps create a series of content? Setting goals ahead of time can help focus your content.It is easier to achieve a win-win situation by choosing the right partners
and finding creators whose channel's tone complements yours and whose audience overlaps highly.Have a clear division of labor and responsibilities.
Who edits? Who shoots? Who leads the script? Make it clear upfront to avoid disputes later.Unifying the video style and presentation method
ensures that the audience has a sense of continuity in vision and rhythm, avoiding a "collage"-like fragmented experience.Arrange a reasonable release time and publicity plan
for simultaneous release on multiple channels, and preheat on social media in advance to maximize the traffic effect.After the cooperation is completed, a review analysis will be conducted
to check the data performance, summarize the highlights of the cooperation and areas that can be optimized, and lay the foundation for the next cooperation.
Future Trend
The update marks another step in YouTube's continued absorption of social mechanics from other platforms, such as:
Instagram's "Co-Creators" feature
TikTok's "Collaborative Tags" feature
X (formerly Twitter)'s "co-publisher" display mechanism
The purpose is simple - to connect creators with each other, guide each other, and grow together.
Summary
YouTube's "co-creator annotation" test may just be the beginning, but it's definitely worth preparing in advance:
Get to know more colleagues and accumulate more blogger resources for cooperation.
Start with small-scale collaborations to accumulate experience.
After the official release, try it out as soon as possible and get the first wave of recommendation bonuses.
For self-media people, this is not just a new feature, but an upgrade of the "traffic distribution model". Don't wait until your peers are using it before you remember to follow up!
Who would you most like to have a YouTube collaboration with?
