YouTube users will now be able to share photos, short posts, links, polls and videos with subscribers thanks to a new feature code-named “Backstage.” Similar to Facebook’s timeline, with Backstage, items will posted in the subscriber’s feeds and will be listed from the latest to the oldest.
YouTube is still a power video site and Backstage is just one among several attempts Google is making to continue its supremacy within the social video space. Backstage will appear as a channel tab and will provide producers with a new option for sharing content with their fans. The feature can also be used by channel subscribers to comment with (Backstage-only) video, text, and gifs which is similar to Twitter which also allows links, videos and GIFs.
Google is expecting this new social feature to expand social sharing and interaction to YouTube which in turn can drive engagement. Video watching is the primary reason why users make a beeline for YouTube. But with the introduction of Backstage, the site is viewers to stick around longer and for more. Backstage will be made available to a few select influential YouTube accounts by the end of the year.
