YouTube’s New Social Network

How does it work?

The posts are shown in users’ subscription feed along with videos, and users are able to opt into notifications from creators who are using the Youtube Community to post. Users are also able to select whether they would like to see both videos and posts or just videos from a drop down list within their subscription feed.

The posts work like a normal YouTube video would, as you are able to like, dislike and comment on the posts. You are able to view a creator’s posts by selecting the “community” tab next to the link to get to their playlists. This gives creators a brand new way to engage with their viewers in YouTube itself, to keep everyone subscribed up to date. This avoids problems like content and news not reaching subscribers as a result of being posted on a different platform, and means that you can keep your account more active easier than by creating a video.

The new ability to post in different ways other than video means that you’re able to interact with your audience in between uploads, so there are less blank spaces, which can be especially useful if you don’t have a frequent uploading schedule. This keeps your account active more often and gives you more opportunity to create and respond to discussion with subscribers and creators.

These new features could reduce the need for other social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, as YouTube seem to be integrating similar ways to communicate. The new text and image posts work just like a small blog, which means that YouTube could be a hub for all types of social media, reducing the need for separate accounts on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. YouTube Community would make it easier to reach your YouTube audience without having to cross over to another platform, pulling all of your content together in one place.

What does that mean for you?

At the moment, the beta version of the product is only available to a select few of YouTube’s biggest creators, like AsapSCIENCE, VlogBrothers and Lilly Singh, but YouTube’s senior product manager, Kiley McEvoy, stated in their Creator blog that YouTube are planning to add more creators and functions in the near future with creator and fan feedback.

YouTube Community looks like it’s going to be a great way to share behind the scenes pictures, information, and extras from videos you’ve posted. It personalises your channel, so subscribers are able to see more of the people behind the camera, going beyond video and breaking down a bit of the wall between creator and viewer. The new community certainly looks like it’s going to achieve its goal of “strengthening the bond” between creator and viewer.

This new addition on to YouTube could work to help humanise brands. It adds an extra dimension to your page, with extra information that your audience can read and view. This could mean that people are more likely to subscribe and look forward to your active and regular feed on YouTube. It’s always nice to see a brand that engages with its audience, and YouTube Community seems like the perfect way to do it.