YouTube launches direct to fan “Community” tools

YouTube exists for one purpose and it does that one thing very well. YouTube is where you go to upload and share videos with the world. It’s a simple idea that has brought together a global community of creative people in a way that wasn’t even possible two decades back, but the time has come for the world’s largest video community to think about the future and how they will empower their creators to keep the views counts rising for many years to come.

This week, YouTube announced the beta launch of a “Community” tab, which is intended to make it easier for content creators to engage with their audience. It’s not about video as much as it is building a better relationship with your viewers through a variety of updates. Creators can now use text, images and animated GIFs to engage fans between uploads.

Commenting about the launch in their official blog announcement, YouTube wrote:

“This is a first step and, with creator and fan feedback, we look forward to rolling out new features and functions as well as including more creators in the months ahead.

As creators, your ideas and feedback shape our platform, inspire new features, and help us decide what to prioritize. It’s you who ultimately build YouTube and as the new Community product shows, together, we make YouTube better for everyone.”

You can view a video detailing the launch and how it will impact at least one YouTube channel below:

James Shotwell