What Brands Should Look for in a YouTube Shopping Strategy Partner

When it comes to YouTube Shopping, choosing the right partner can make the difference between a campaign that simply drives clicks — and one that drives measurable sales and long-term brand lift.

YouTube Shopping brings together video storytelling, product discovery, and audiences who are ready to buy—but success takes more than simply having creators link to products. To truly maximize ROI, brands need a partner who knows how to navigate YouTube’s unique ecosystem and tap into its audiences with the right strategy.

As an exclusive strategy partner for YouTube, MagicLinks brings that insider expertise to every campaign. Here’s what to look for—and how we fit in.

What is YouTube Shopping?

YouTube Shopping is Google’s integrated e-commerce feature that lets viewers purchase products directly from videos, without ever leaving YouTube. Think of it as Google’s response to TikTok Shop: Brands can directly integrate their products with YouTube and, through shoppable video links, product shelves, and in-video overlays, give audiences the opportunity to click and buy from within the platform.

Why YouTube Shopping is an Important Channel for Brands

YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine and a daily habit for over 2 billion logged-in users. As we’ll expand on below, YouTube’s search power turns every video into an investment that drives results for months—even years—after it’s live. Because of its search capabilities with YouTube Shopping, a brand’s products are not just being seen—they’re being seen in context, with the power of storytelling behind them. 

Viewers aren’t simply scrolling past an ad; they’re engaged with trusted creator content that inspires purchase decisions. And, viewers can shop for products in real-time while they’re most engaged. That means a more intentional audience, higher-quality traffic, and the ability to track the full-funnel from view to conversion.

How to Incorporate YouTube Shopping into Creator Campaigns 

Brands must meet certain criteria in order to apply to the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program:

• A Shopify Advanced or Plus subscription plan
• The Google & YouTube app connected to your Shopify store and Google Merchant Center account
• Conversion tracking and auto-tagging are turned on in account settings
• A U.S. billing address and store currency set to U.S. dollars
• To follow Google Merchant Center guidelines

From within the Google Merchant Center, brands can add products and search for creators to collaborate with.

Once the requirements are in place, the real opportunity lies in weaving YouTube Shopping seamlessly into your creator campaigns. This isn’t just about adding links in videos—it’s about selecting the right creators, crafting content that feels natural yet conversion-focused, and timing your product drops for maximum impact. 

The brands seeing the strongest ROI are the ones treating YouTube Shopping as part of a bigger creator marketing program, not a standalone tool. That’s where having a dedicated strategy partner can make all the difference—someone who knows how to pair you with the right talent, optimize your shoppable content for YouTube’s algorithms, and amplify results with precision.

What Brands Should Look for in a YouTube Shopping Strategy Partner

1. A Proven Creator Content Strategy

YouTube’s magic lies in its unmatched mix of creator authenticity and formats – traditional long-form video, Shorts, and even Connected TV. The ideal strategy partner will cast creators that reflect the brand’s values and goals, while also sparking curiosity and action with audiences.

MagicLinks’ YouTube network spans every niche, with creators who drive action throughout the funnel—leading to 2.1 billion in reach, 177 million clicks, and an average engagement rate of 5% across campaigns.

To see success with YouTube Shopping campaigns, brands need to design video content strategies tailored to the ecosystem—from the quick-hit excitement of Shorts to the deep-dive, evergreen value of long-form videos. We connect these formats to fuel product interest and purchase intent.

A few examples of what this looks like in action: 

For Quince, MagicLinks paired highly aligned lifestyle creators with long-form to highlight quality and price. The result? Sustained growth not just during the campaign period, but well after, showing YouTube’s longtail impact.

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For MGA, we tapped into key creator personas and playful, super visual content to build awareness for the toy brand’s MiniVerse line. The combination of YouTube long-form and short-form content, plus paid media amplification generated major buzz for the brand with key audiences.

For Nordstrom's first ever YouTube Shorts campaign, we cast fashion creators to produce quick vids that teased looks and invited audiences to their long-form YouTube content.

Every brand can win on YouTube — nearly 90% of shoppers discover new brands on YouTube, and over 40% go on to buy a product they saw on the platform. The secret is pairing the right creators with a long-game strategy. 

When you partner with creators who genuinely click with their audiences—and deploy content formats that tap into YouTube’s discovery engine—you’re not just delivering fleeting buzz; you’re building trust and conversions that stick.

2. Data to Back Up Your Investment

The other major strength of YouTube is in its long-term value for brands that invest here. 

Let’s compare the performance of YouTube links with TikTok and Instagram. In the first 30 days, links across platforms tend to behave similarly, driving significant sales in the first few days and then dropping off at the 5-7 day mark. 

The story is much different after 30 days, and this is where YouTube shines. Compared with Instagram and TikTok, the value of YouTube content and links lives on for months and years post-publish date. 

In fact, our data shows that as much as 20% of a YouTube link’s total revenue is generated after the year mark.

A partner with deep YouTube expertise is essential for making the most of your investment on YouTube. The platform’s algorithm, audience behaviors, and content formats are constantly evolving, and it takes more than a one-off activation to stay ahead. 

At MagicLinks, we’ve analyzed millions of data points from creator campaigns to build and scale YouTube strategies that keep delivering long after launch. The result? Content that consistently reaches the right viewers, drives engagement, and fuels ROI over time.

3. A Team That Makes Your Job Easier

With 60+ million creators on the platform, YouTube can feel like the Wild West. Having a team that can inform your YouTube strategy and take execution off your plate, will allow you to focus on the bigger picture for your brand.

At MagicLinks, we:

• Build a strategy that reflects your brand goals
  
  
• Find (and lock in) the perfect creators
  
  
• Manage every detail of creator communication — from first brief to final cut
  
  
• Review, approve, and optimize content
  
  
• Strategize & execute paid media amplification
  
  
• Track performance and serve up insights that matter
  
  

We know when to ride the wave of a trend and when to invest in evergreen content that drives results for months (or even years) after launch. And if your brand is tapping into the YouTube Shopping affiliate program, we become your casting and strategy arm—matching you with the right creators, formats, and moments to maximize impact. 

Bottom line: We make YouTube simple, successful, and seriously fun—for your brand and your audience.

Conclusion: Unlock YouTube Shopping’s Potential with the Right Partner

YouTube Shopping success comes from blending commerce tools with powerful creator-driven video content. MagicLinks, as an exclusive partner to YouTube, complements brands’ YouTube Shopping efforts by delivering the creative muscle and strategic support brands need to thrive.

Ready to build YouTube Shopping campaigns that move the needle? Let’s talk.