In this edition of Marketer of the Week, Ignite Visibility spotlights Danielle Tiedt, Chief Marketing Officer at YouTube.
Ignite Visibility applauds her and the YouTube team for transforming the platform into a 21st Century ecommerce shopping site.
Recently, YouTube began asking creators to tag and track products featured in videos. That’s how Google (the parent company of YouTube) can aggregate the data.
Ultimately, YouTube plans to convert videos into online catalogs that people can browse. Then, they can make a purchase without ever leaving the platform.
As of now, the whole plan is still in the experimental stage. Still, it’s a move in the right direction as other social media sites (notably Pinterest and Instagram) moved to accommodate online shoppers.
It’s also a smart move because the ecommerce market is exploding. That would have happened without the pandemic, but it’s poised to grow even more now.
According to Bloomberg Intelligence, ecommerce retail is expected to hit $2.8 trillion by the mid-2020’s.
Further, an RBC Capital survey of marketers shows that “social commerce” is “especially bullish.” That’s why Facebook’s stock jumped recently after the company unveiled Facebook Shops.
How will YouTube make money off of sales? That’s unclear at this time.
Maybe the company will take a cut as a commission. Maybe it will charge a flat rate per listing.
But one thing is certain: Tiedt will offer outstanding guidance on how to raise revenue from the program.
Danielle Tiedt, CMO, In High Demand
Tiedt left Microsoft in 2012 to join YouTube. But the move wasn’t without some friction.
You’ve heard of an amicable divorce? Yeah, this separation wasn’t amicable.
Here’s the statement Microsoft issued after she left: “We can confirm that Microsoft made the decision to part ways with Danielle Tiedt, effective immediately. We don’t comment on internal personnel issues, but we can say that the decision to part ways was not related to her interest in joining YouTube.”
Wait, what? Microsoft says it doesn’t comment on personnel issues and then it went on to comment on personnel issues?
That doesn’t make any sense.
But what it does tell us is that Microsoft was unhappy to see Tiedt leave. That’s because they viewed her as a great asset to the company.
She’s been with Google ever since.
The Challenges
“When I started here, the biggest challenge was to reposition YouTube away from being a place for [videos of] dogs on skateboards,” said Chief Marketing Officer at YouTube in an interview recently.
But that challenge paled in comparison to the one that she faced in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
“YouTube has really been essential for connecting during COVID, especially with young people.,” she said
To make the connection happen, Danielle Tiedt produced the Stay Home #WithMe campaign.
What Is the Stay Home #WithMe Campaign?
If you’re unfamiliar with the Stay Home #WithMe campaign, it can be summed up as follows: social media can prevent social distancing from turning into social isolation.
The idea is that people who can stay home should stay home so that those who can’t won’t face an increased risk of contracting COVID-19.
But just because you’re staying home that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some company.
To that end, YouTube celebrities created videos as part of #WithMe playlists. Their aim was to make staying indoors a little less lonely.
The content of the videos include subjects such as music lessons, meditation guides, study assistance, and cooking classes.
That’s the kind of innovation that Tiedt brought to YouTube just this year. Imagine what she’ll do in the future.
Ready for More
I have no doubt that Danielle Tiedt, Chief Marketing Officer at YouTube will face even more challenges in this uncertain world. But one thing’s for sure: if history is a guide, she’s ready for them.
And I’m ready to see where she takes YouTube from here.
