BEST 5 WAYS TO USE INTERACTIVE VIDEO

Text, standard videos, graphics and gifs are great content marketing formats. However, these still remain ultimately passive user experiences. No matter how exciting, interesting or attention grabbing, only interactive video has the power to turn the passive viewer into an active participant.

Brands can tag videos with products on an interactive overlay. This creates hotspots that viewers can click, swipe, spin and more to find out information about products. Using interactive video content marketing can provide businesses with clear metrics as every click that occurs in the video can be measured! This makes it a valuable tool for measuring the effectiveness of campaigns.

Check out these 5 examples for inspiration on how to make interactive video that engages, immerses and impresses your consumer.

1. SHOPPABLE VIDEOS ON E-COMMERCE AND SOCIAL MEDIA

Smartzer's interactive video platform allows users to turn new and existing video content into dynamic, immersive clickable marketing content. Using an interactive overlay, brands tag videos with product images, URL's, text, via product feeds and API's. These videos are shareable across social media and can be implemented seamlessly into e-commerce landing pages.

Valentino used Smartzer's software to create a video featuring multiple collections. Viewers could click on an item modelled to open a popup and add the product to their bag, or follow a link to e-commerce. The shoppable carousel alongside the video allowed viewers to browse as the video played.

The Valentino shoppable video experience included the following features:

• Seamless Add to Basket integration giving users the ability to shop instantly on the Valentino website

• Shoppable carousel alongside the video that features all items

• Sharing across all social media channels including Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter

• Campaign launched globally with each market seeing an automatically language and currency optimised version of the shoppable video experience

• Automatically optimised for mobile experience

2. INTERACTIVE LIVESTREAM

The Bambuser app allows brands to incorporate livestream into their video content marketing strategies. The add on lets brands embed a code on their e-commerce that allows them to set up streams one-to-one or one-to-many. Brands upload product links prior to the stream so that viewers can shop along by adding items to their baskets from a shoppable carousel. There is a chat room that allows consumers to communicate with stream hosts, by asking questions or giving feedback. Bambuser brings the benefits of in-store shopping online.

Bambuser previously worked with Swiss electronics retailer, Kjell. “One thing we are always striving for is to have the best service in retail,” says Jonas Swärdh, Head of Education at Kjell & Company. “We wanted our sales personnel to meet our customers online to show them that our company's service is off the charts". So, they set up a one-to-one streaming service with the app.

Features:

• service available in 126 Kjell stores

• 800 store associate hosts available to take calls

• bespoke one-to-one customer service experience

• e-commerce booking system

• video chat, audio chat or text only chat options

3. GAMIFICATION

Through gamification, you can easily convey your brands message while educating and entertaining your audience. Through branching technology you can easily gain data from the choices your consumer makes. Cinema8 helps brands create gamified experiences through interactive video. Various interactive actions can be connected to the clickable areas on the video. These buttons, hotspots, links, images can serve your intended purpose such as opening a web site, jumping a specific part on the video, opening another video, opening popups, audio or trigger something else. Cinema8's platform lets brands create immersive video content through drag and drop methods. Videos can be made interactive in minutes without needing any technical knowledge and skill while creating the contents.

Above an example of Cinema8's gamified recruitment experience. In the video two employees are working in the same office, the company manager wants to choose someone for management. The viewer acts as a manager to answer the question 'What makes a better leader?'. This video was prepared for International Women's Day to discuss ideas of gender equality.

Features:

• Clickable hotspots

• Time queues

• Data measuring

• Personality results, an accurate outline of your viewer

• High engagement rates reduce user drop-off

4. VIRTUAL REALITY 360 EXPERIENCES

VRCraftworks high-tech platform allows brands to creat 360 degree virtual realities for viewers. Unlike traditional user interfaces, a 360 VR experience places the user inside the video. Instead of viewing a screen in front of them, users are immersed and able to delve into the created worlds. VR can give users a near real life experience allowing these applications to evoke real emotion and presence within the created environment. The platforms partnership with Quark Expeditions saw the company embed the 360 degree video within an application. Using an innovative video compression technique, VRCraftworks deployed the 10G video within the application as a 1.25G file. This allowed for the highest good quality distribution.

Results:

• unique method of selling a £15,000 holiday

• effective insight into Antartica

• immersive VR experience

5. B2B INTERACTIVE WHOLESALE

JOOR's interactive video platform supports buying with confidence through dynamic and 360 degree imagery. Brands can share their collections and make shoppable videos and images by adding hotspots. The interaction videos allow retailers to clearly see products online by clicking, zooming and spinning. The dynamic interaction videos provide stylistic content of shoppable designer interviews and runway shows. The call-to-actions encourage a "see now, buy now" philosophy. Brands can also personalise and merchandise looks for virtual market appointments with the edit story board. This adjustable feature creates a bespoke experience for retailers looking to buy products.

Sustainable fashion brand, Tribe Alive, streamlined processes and powered wholesale growth with JOOR. Showrooms alone weren’t getting the Tribe Alive mission across to buyers fully. Wholesale success depended on finding a way to consistently communicate the brand’s story because it’s an essential part of their product.

Results:

• 200% company growth

• 138% retailer growth

• Effective story telling of the brand's sustainability

• Effective retailer interaction and understanding through interactivity

THE TOP 10 VIDEO INTERACTIVITY TOOLS FOR 2021

Interactive video is set to become the biggest video content marketing format out there. With the market rapidly growing as 86% of businesses use video as a marketing tool. This was 85% in 2020, 87% in 2019, 81% in 2018, 63% in 2017 and 61% in 2016.

Brands who use interactive video can track every interaction that occurs within the content. This means that videos are extremely valuable for evaluating marketing strategies and adapting material to achieve the most engagement and conversions possible.

So, here is a convenient list of the top 10 video interactivity tools for 2021.

1. SHOPPABLE VIDEO TOOLS - SMARTZER

Smartzer's tool shows brands how to make interactive video. It can turn new and existing video content into shoppable material. A interactive overlay is placed over content for brands to tag videos via images, text, product API's, URLs, product feeds or manually. When complete, a viewer will be able to click these tags to learn more, explore the video, customise items, 'buy now', 'book a test drive' or more via calls-to-action. The quick and easy software can increase engagement rates by 40% and increase conversions by 400%. Smartzer also provides a format to create shoppable live streams. Smartzer has helped brands like Missoni, Sephora, Valentino and BMW create interaction videos for campaigns.

2. LIVESTREAM, INTERACTIVE SHOPPING - BAMBUSER

Bambuser shows brands how to make interactive video via shoppable livestreams. These streams can be imbedded into brand e-commerce. Users can upload their product links and stream to the site via the app. Video interactivity is supported as customers can ask questions to the host via a chat room and shop products displayed from the carousel. Live shopping brings the benefits of in-person shopping online and helps build customer trust and loyalty. Bambuser's stream offerings include one-to-many or one-to-one videos. This is a great option for businesses looking to bring live shopping directly to their websites and build video interactivity into their content marketing strategy.

3. CHAT BOTS - HERO

The chat bot industry is set to be worth $1.34 billion by 2024. Customers love the way that the technology allows them to connect with brands and gain instant answers to questions. Hero helps to connect brands with customers via their app so that they can make confident and informed purchases.

Customers can text and organise calls with store assistants. This gives a human feel to computer driven bots. Customers can schedule store visits, 1-1 calls, creating a personal channel to connect brands and engage consumers. Hero has worked with ecommerce sites like Size?, Nike, Harvey Nichols, Chloe, Nike and more.

4. VIRTUAL REALITY - VRCRAFTWORKS

VRCraftworks offers viewers an immersive experience like no other. The virtual reality technology can be applied to online ads like the Royal Caribbean Cruises example above, or it can be applied brand tradeshows. The high-tech company has a range of packages from gamification, training and simulation to story telling. Royal Caribbean Cruises partnership with VRCraftworks created promotional sales tool to help up-sale to existing customers. Each menu 'orb' can be clicked on to visit a 360 degree holiday destination. This successfully transports the viewer to Greece while remaining in the comfort of their own home.

5. BRANCHING - WIREWAX

Branching allows you to add clickable decision points in your video that can jump or loop the viewer to another timestamp in your video, allowing them to craft a viewing experience that’s most relevant to them. It’s one of the easiest ways to boost engagement with your viewers and get real-time feedback on their preferences and choices. WIREWAX uses hotspot technology to allow brands input choices for viewers. Time triggers allow brands to set up loops, pause points, skips and more. The viewer can personalise their own experience in the ad, generating a bespoke, one of a kind experience that stays with them. See above for Football Manager's example. Branching videos like the one above can generate a 51% interaction rate with reduced user drop-off as viewers watch for over 71 seconds at a time. This means that the brand becomes more memorable and conversions become more likely.

6. QUIZZES AND POLLS - VIZIA

Vizia used to be an e-learning platform. Now, they have extended their platform to cater for businesses and brands for free! Using Vizia interface brands can insert multiple choice quizzes, polls, short answer questions into their videos and then embed them anywhere across blogging platforms, site builders, e-commerce and more. These quizzes are easily measurable and give a clear insight into the mind of the viewer. End of quiz CTA's encourage higher conversion rates. Videos can be easily shared across social media to achieve virality turning passive viewers into active participants.

7. INTERACTIVE SHOWROOMS - LE NEW BLACK

Le New Black helps brands to digitalise their wholesale. Through their sales order app for iPad, sales reps are able to capture orders online and offline, scan barcodes, add and sync styles and prices. Brands can showcase and sell collections 24/7 with a 360 degree, virtual, B2B, online showroom. Retailers can conveniently browse linesheets, place orders, reorders and book appointments. Taking inspiration from the 2020 Fashion week responses to COVID, Le New Black seeks to replicate the benefits of browsing collections in person, online through shoppable video. If you are looking to sell B2B virtually, Le New Black is a great solution to any challenge caused by the pandemic.

8. INTERACTIVE IMAGES - SPOTT

Spott shows brands how to make interactive videos and images. Although this example isn't explicitly to do with video interactivity, it does show how you can give your images a dynamic facelift. Let your visitors ‘shop the look’ by tagging your products in images. Spott's product recognition software lets brands easily tag images. The product database automatically imports products and keeps offers and prices up to date. Easily embed your interactive images on your website in a couple of clicks. Turn your website into an interactive experience and increase its SEO performance thanks to the interactive metadata.

9. INTERACTIVE EVENTS - TWITCH

The Amazon owned gaming platform has extended its reach to interactive events. Here, brands can live stream their shows to thousands of viewers, interacting with them via a chat room and allowing them to shop by uploading product links. Twitch has started to partner with luxury fashion brands to take fashion shows live to audiences in the face of the global pandemic. The unique online experience provides a community feel to online events, bringing together fans and brands virtually. Brands are also starting to take their products live via Amazon Live. Here, gamers, beauty and fashion brands and more are selling items to the masses.

10. INTERACTIVE AND SHOPPABLE RECIPES - NORTHFORK

Northfork allows food and culinary brands to create shoppable recipes by providing all the ingredients alongside the tutorial in a shoppable carousel. This makes food shopping easy, entertaining and engaging for customers. The quick add to cart call to actions encourage consumers to buy instantly increasing conversion by 20%.

Summary

Each interactive video platform has specific product offerings to help you to create a variety of interactive material. Before choosing, make sure you have considered exactly what video you want to create and where you want you consumers to see and interact with it. If you set out a clear plan and strategy, you can create an exciting, immersive interactive experience to drive engagement and conversion.

INTRODUCING SHOPPABLE COOKING VIDEOS

You may have heard of shoppable video, currently the most talked about technology between marketers. However, have you heard of applying it to cookery shows?

55% of people watch videos everyday and 78% of people watch them every week. So, it isn't a shock that gradually, more and more culinary brands are taking advantage of interactive video platforms to incorporate shoppable video into their cooking tutorials. By monetising content and creating an immersive interactive experience, brands can increase engagement and conversion.

Your intro to shoppable video:

If you are new to the concept of shoppable video, here's a quick run down.

Shoppable video is interactive content that can be used across e-commerce or social media platforms. Brands tag videos with product information to encourage video interactivity. Viewers can see varieties of the product, click to find out reviews, pricing, contact info, product details and even add them to a basket to purchase straight from the video. This drives direct and instant sales. Interactive video platform, Smartzer, lets brands tag videos via a clickable overlay using URL's, images, text, product feeds, product API's or by inputting info manually. These videos are entirely trackable, producing powerful metrics that brands can measure and monitor to adapt their strategies.

Shoppable videos take advantage of customer interest, engaging thoroughly to generate rapid conversions.

Livestream videos can also be made shoppable. Brands upload links of products they wish to showcase before the stream then imbed the stream link onto the streaming platform for viewers to join. The excitement of real-time shoppable tutorials encourages quick and direct purchases. In China, Viya Huang partnered with Kim Kardashian on a Taobao shoppable livestream and managed to sell 15,000 bottles of perfume in minutes. Crazy.

How can culinary brands incorporate video interactivity?

It's easy to use an interactive video platform to make new or existing videos shoppable. By adding links to cooking utensils or food products used in the video, brands can give viewers direct access to purchasing items. This makes cooking tutorials even more dynamic and immersive!

Here are some incredible examples of shoppable cooking shows!

Arnotts Cooking Club X Smartzer

In this video chef, Donal Skehan, shows the audience how to make spicy harissa lamb meatballs with crispy flatbreads. Arnotts used Smartzer's interactive video platform to make the tutorial shoppable on their e-commerce site. Viewers can buy all the products that Skehan uses by clicking on the hotspots to show a group popup featuring all of the products in the video frame. The 'add to bag' call-to-action encourages consumers to purchase straight from the tutorial. This engaging, immersive and memorable video generated a 71% engagement rate and a 14% CTR.

Find the shoppable tutorial here!

Walmart X Buzzfeed's Tasty App X Northfork

Walkmart and Buzzfeed partnered with Northfork's interactive video platform to create shoppable cooking tutorials in the US. On the Tasty app there are 4,000 cooking videos that you can shop directly from thanks to video interactivity. By clicking on products shown in a shoppable carousel, users can be directed to the Walmart e-commerce to order products for home delivery or for store click and collect. Finding the perfect recipe AND ingredients has never been easier!

Not only this, Walmart has also introduced shoppable livestream cooking shows. The Walmart Cookshop videos include a special starring actress Sofia Vergara and her son, along with new episodes of "Veggie Boost with Jamie Oliver," and "Over the Top with Patti Labelle" and more! The videos let viewers order recipe ingredients and featured products for pick-up or delivery from Walmart. The shows generated a click through rate of 8.7% compared to the industry standard 2%.

Culinary and food brands are slow to pick up the latest shoppable trend in video content marketing. But, from looking at the successes of these two examples it is clear that tag videos can help foodies to discover, engage with and buy products quickly and easily.

By being able to see products in action, customers are more immersed in the content, remembering the brand and buying with confidence. Brands should jump on this trend asap to avoid being left behind!