YouTube has announced a new event as part of International Small Business Week which will showcase how SMBs are making use of YouTube for promotion – which, interestingly, will also include a new live shopping experience on the platform, featuring a range of selected fashion, beauty and food businesses.

As outlined in the video, YouTube’s Small Biz Day event on June 24th will include interviews, workshops, insider tips, and more.

As explained by YouTube:

“According to survey data, 72% of small businesses in the U.S. state that YouTube helps them boost their online presence, using it as a tool to spotlight their products and services. A unique aspect of YouTube is that it allows the human stories behind these enterprises to shine through, building a connection to audiences who become invested in their narratives and success.”

The insights and workshops provided will be focused on these aspects, with this event (below), in particular, potentially of interest to social media marketers and those looking to use YouTube for business promotion.

• Create YouTube Videos That Attract New Customers, 9:00 am PT | 12:00 pm ET: During this workshop hosted by YouTube and Grow with Google, learn how to create engaging YouTube videos for your business and showcase your products on video in this creative workshop. Register here

But the live shopping experiment is a bigger consideration. Similar to TikTok’s shopping live-streams, which it’s tried out a few times, YouTube is now looking to test the same, which users will be able to tune into from the Google Small Business YouTube channel. 

If the experiment works out, and users have a good experience with live-stream YouTube shopping, that could become an increasingly commonplace option, with all channels eventually able to create their own live shopping experience, with purchase options available in-stream.

YouTube has been working on the option for some time, with QVC launching a live-stream shopping channel on the platform back in February. YouTube’s also developing more advanced eCommerce connection tools in alignment with videos, including product listings beneath video ads and the option for creators to tag products within video clips.

YouTube may also, eventually, automatically tag products in videos based on object identification, which could turn the platform into an eCommerce powerhouse, giving viewers the capacity to see an item, then make a purchase, in-stream and direct, which could have a transformative effect on user behaviors.

Given these considerations, the new live-stream shopping experiment for Small Biz Day is a small, and logical step, and it’ll be interesting to see how it’s received, and where YouTube goes with the process from here.

The overall Small Biz Day event will be hosted by Blogilates founder Cassey Ho, and will feature additional YouTube creators and business owners including Molly Burke, Erin on Demand, and TheDomesticGeek.

Each of these creators is experienced at building their business via YouTube content, and they’ll likely share some valuable insight for those looking to optimize their approach. 

You can learn more about YouTube’s Small Biz Day, including what’s on and how to tune in, here.