StreamElements today revealed Mercury, a suite of tools designed to make static YouTube VODs more dynamic and engaging. Content creators can sign up for Mercury, which is currently in beta, now.
Mercury aims to get YouTube videos to the same level of user engagement as livestreams. Its tools include dynamic thumbnails, dynamic description, and on-screen shout-outs. As the name suggests, the former two add real-time data to both video thumbnails and descriptions. In the case of thumbnails, this could be data on charity goals and merch sails, or shout-outs to subscribers or supporters. Dynamic descriptions can include real-time polls, supporter spotlights, and data on community goals.
Other tools include on-screen shout-outs for supporters, including YouTube subscribers, Patreon backers, or Discord members. StreamElements also sends users a personalized weekly email with a performance summary.
These kinds of updates can help make even older videos more engaging to viewers, according to StreamElements following tests across 350 YouTube channels. Sergey Bukhman, product manager of Mercury, said in a statement, “By offering dynamic descriptions and thumbnails, shout-out overlays, and polls, the instant gratification translates to more viewer engagement, retention, and growth. Illustrating the appeal, creators who used Mercury experienced a 60% increase in engagement on average. This is a significant boost that validates our free tools as a compelling new layer to video on demand production.”
Mercury is currently free and available in beta for content creators on StreamElements’ website.