Introducing the newest member of the Supers family - Super Thanks
Jul 20, 2021 – minute read
Editor's note by Neal Mohan, Chief Product Officer:
For creators, building a business isn’t a one-size-fit-all approach. Some may gravitate towards tools like channel memberships while others may double down on Super Chat. At YouTube, we’re always looking for fresh ways creators can diversify their revenue streams. That’s why I’m excited to unveil our fourth Paid Digital Good — Super Thanks. This new feature gives creators yet another way to earn money while also allowing them to strengthen relationships with viewers.
Creators are at the heart of what we do here at YouTube, and we’re constantly exploring new ways to help them get started, grow their businesses and diversify their revenue. In fact, we offer a multitude of ways that creators can make money on our platform -- from running ads and selling merchandise to channel memberships and beyond. We’ve recently been experimenting with an applause feature that allows fans to show support for their favorite YouTube channels. Based on creator feedback, today we’re super excited to share that it’s expanding to even more viewers and creators -- along with a new name: Super Thanks.
Since launching Super Chat in 2017 and Super Stickers in 2019, creators from around the globe have wanted us to bring this magic beyond livestreams and Premieres to video uploads. Enter Super Thanks! Fans watching YouTube videos can now purchase Super Thanks to express their gratitude and show support. They will see an animated GIF and, as an added bonus, get a distinct, colorful comment to highlight their purchase, which creators can respond to. Super Thanks is currently available at four price points between $2 and $50 (or local currency equivalent). Just like Super Chat and Super Stickers, Super Thanks does double duty for creators: keeping their connections with (super) fans meaningful, while also giving them a new way to make money.
Over the past year, we’ve partnered closely with creators to beta test this feature and gather feedback to inform and shape the experience. In fact, while beta testing Super Thanks, psychic intuitive Nicholas Ashbaugh was able to generate a new revenue stream—one that now accounts for nearly 15% of his revenue—by tapping this new way to recognize and engage with his most active fans. Here’s what he has to say:
“Having a built-in feature like Super Thanks ensures that my viewers can show their love and support while watching a video -- without interrupting their viewing. It nicely augments Super Stickers and Super Chat by allowing folks who are watching a replay of a livestream to still feel like they’re being seen (thanks to the purchase animation) and also thanks to the comment that it leaves.”
Super Thanks is currently in beta and with today’s expansion, is now available to thousands of monetizing creators. The feature is available to creators and viewers in 68 countries on desktop and mobile devices (Android and iOS). Creators can check if they have early access by following the instructions here. If they don’t yet have access, fear not -- we will be expanding availability to all eligible creators in the YouTube Partner Program later this year.