In an effort to encourage interaction and reward viewers, YouTube is introducing a new feature. Known as Badges, these virtual awards will be given to users for various activities, like being one of the first subscribers to a creator’s channel or completing quizzes.
YouTube’s new approach
This gamification approach, which is similar to game point systems and leaderboards, aims to increase user engagement by providing a means for viewers to show their support for creators on the platform.
“YouTube is special because of the sense of community creators foster with their viewers,” YouTube mentioned in a company blog post.
Only a select few badges are available right now, such as ones for top listeners and early subscribers of a creator. If a creator likes your comment, you can also get rewarded with a badge.
These badges will be visible on the user’s “You” tab, and while YouTube hasn’t specified how they will appear in interactions like comments, it’s possible users will get to show them off alongside their usernames.
Badges beyond channel memberships
There were already existing Channel Membership badges on YouTube, but they were only available to individual creators. For instance, if you were a paid member of a channel, you could earn a badge that only appears when you comment on that specific creator’s content. The new badges are unique in that they are not limited to one creator and may be seen anywhere else on the site.
As viewers see badges in different comment sections, they might explore the channels associated with those badges.
More features rolling out
In addition to Badges, YouTube has introduced other updates, like a sleep timer and improvements to the Playlist and TV app. These updates are part of YouTube’s broader strategy to keep users engaged, increase watch time and strengthen ties between creators and their audiences.