YouTube Will Show When, Where Clips Are Hot

In what could be a boon to advertisers, a new YouTube feature will allow video makers to see when and where their clips are being watched, reports the New York Times. YouTube Insight will show a map and graph representing the video’s popularity by state and over time--interesting information for casual users, but a boon to marketers hoping to better direct their ads.

If a movie trailer scores big in Texas, for example, the flick’s studio could air it on local TV.  If Pennsylvanians are watching a pro-environment clip, a political candidate could focus on the issue while stumping there. With millions of daily viewers, “YouTube has become an ad-effectiveness tool,” says a rep; in other words, it’s “the world’s largest focus group.” (More YouTube stories.)