In 1984 only 8% of US households had access to the internet. Now, 2.65 billion people in the world use social media. Undoubtedly, this is set to increase as 90% of the entire world’s data was created in the last two years. These astonishing facts confirm that the only way is up for the future of video content marketing technology.
Introducing interactive video
These are videos that promote interactivity. The videos include “hotspots” that perform an action when they are clicked on. The video may then display information about the product you have clicked on or direct you to a window where you can purchase the item. This video interactivity drives engagement and entices the customer increasing the chances of completing the sale.
The first examples of interactive video
Depending on the type of video, the first instances of interactivity vary. From film to music video to advert each type has a different date. All the way back in 1961, the first example of interactive film was exhibited by William Castle in his film ‘Mr. Sardonicus’. Here, the audience voted in a poll prior to the film to dictate the characters fate. Perhaps a less technological method but interactive nevertheless.
Technologically speaking, one of the first examples of interactive video commerce can be witnessed by Canadian fashion retailer SSENSE.com. By partnering with Diplo, Iggy Azalea and FKi they created the first ever shoppable music video for their song “I Think She Ready” in 2012. The interactive video utilised ‘hotspot’ technology, so if you really wanted to buy Iggy Azalea’s unmissable, neon pink blazer you could click the item in the video and be directed to the product page. The video featured pieces from designers Givenchy, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Rick Owens and Preen making the video a prime example of pioneering video content marketing.
The evolution of video content marketing
Since SSENSE and Azalea’s venture into video interactivity, even more brands are harnessing the technology provided by companies like Smartzer in ecommerce sites and advertising. Rapid tech advancements mean that everyone, regardless of skill, can create immersive, interactive video experiences to attract customers to their brand. Here are some of the ways brands have employed video content marketing and interactive video:
Volkswagen interactive video campaign with Smartzer (2019)
Volkswagen used Smartzer’s platform to create an interactive video to advertise the new Golf R. Their customers could easily explore the car’s features to find out more and book test drives without being redirected. The interactive video was linked to Instagram Stories and In-Feed Ads.
SPP “Earth 2045” with M&C Saatchi Stockholm (2015)
Here M&C Saatchi partnered with Swedish pension company SPP to deliver a thought provoking advertising campaign depicting the need for sustainable investment. By dragging left and right the customisable ad shows two versions of the future, either an ecologically advanced utopia or a derelict dystopia overwhelmed by human activity. The video campaign suggests that while the viewer can change the outcome of the ad, they can make changes within their lives to help build a sustainable future.
“Focus on the con” for the film “Focus” by Warner Bros (2015)
Warner Bros used interactive video technology to promote the film, “Focus”. The mobile friendly ad takes the consumer through a series of interactive scenarios to see if they have what it takes to be a con artist.
“Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” Netflix (2018)
The interactive, “decide your destiny” film successfully incorporated video interactivity to deliver five main endings for the viewer. Although, even writer, Charlie Brooker could not agree on how many variants of these endings there actually were. The viewer clicks on the options shown on screen using their mobile device or smart TV, ultimately deciding whether the protagonist succeeds or fails, lives or dies.
The benefits of video content marketing
According to Optinmonster, video marketers get 66% more qualified leads per year (2019). They also concluded that video marketers achieve a 54% increase in brand awareness. Additionally, 93% of marketers say they’ve landed a new customer thanks to a video on social media. This is largely due to the following reasons:
Single click product discovery and shopping. Consumers are able to shop and to discover more information about items featured in brand videos by simply clicking on them. This is particularly beneficial for the increased mobile users where easy and seamless navigation is essential.
Gamification of the online shopping experience driving engagement. Shoppable and interactive videos provide a new fun way to experience their content, brands see higher engagement and a new revenue channel across their digital platforms.
Convert a video into a revenue channel. By adding the interactive layer to their content, brands are able to convert a video that has traditionally been a top of the funnel asset to create awareness, into a format that allows for consumers to enter the purchase funnel.
Valuable performance and creative insights. Brands have access to detailed interaction data, building a better understanding of how their customers engage with their content across different online channels.
By observing the undeniable benefits of interactive video, it is understandable that video marketing is here to stay.
Updated: Feb 15, 2021
With 93% of marketers using video and businesses publishing on average 18 videos each month, video has never had a bigger focus in marketing strategies. There is also a fast-growing trend of making videos interactive and shoppable by adding clickable hotspots to videos.
“Tech giants and social media companies have been heavily investing in making their platforms more shopping-friendly. Last year, Amazon launched Amazon Live, where hosts talk about and demonstrate products sold on Amazon. Google’s R&D launched Shoploop, and Facebook has made shopping more prominent on Facebook proper, WhatsApp and Instagram.” CNBC
When a viewer is watching the interactive video they can click on the hotspots to instantly see more information and to shop. This provides the viewer with a fun way to engage with video and easily access more information. It also helps brands to convert more customers and access interaction data to better understand video performance.
1. Sharing the interactive videos on an ecommerce site
Including interactive and shoppable videos on an ecommerce website is a highly effective way of making your website stand out. Video commerce enables customers to instantly discover items from videos, which helps with site navigation as well as increasing overall engagement and sales. Especially on mobile devices where navigation across various product and category pages can be difficult, it is crucial to make product discovery and shopping as easy as possible.
If the interactive video features shoppable products, the video can be seamlessly connected with the ecommerce website shopping cart allowing for a single click checkout process.
2. Sharing interactive videos through email newsletter / CRM
Interactive videos can be used to amplify client communication via email newsletters and other CRM tools. Interactive and shoppable video experiences can be launched directly from a newsletter, creating a more immersive experience for customers. The interactive videos also help drive users to more specific pages on your website, which in turn can increase conversion rates by sending more qualified traffic. Including interactive videos in newsletters is very simple and adds a new depth to this content marketing strategy.
This format can also be used to share exclusive content in interactive video format to a select group of customers.
3. Sharing interactive videos via social media
Photo: Smartzer & MINI Interactive Facebook & Instagram Campaign
Social media channels have been at the forefront of providing shoppable formats. Instagram began using shoppable images before introducing live shopping formats, tuning into TV shopping channels like QVC HSN.
In addition to using the platform's native tools, brands can also share external interactive video experiences through stories, posts, and ads. This is particularly helpful for advertisers and influencers who don’t have their own product catalogues and promote products from multiple other brands and retailers.
- Jan 28, 2021
Due to the current COVID-19 crisis, for most businesses, online sales have been the lead source of revenue for the past months. To try and help, Smartzer offered up free access to the Smartzer platform to small businesses in need to help drive additional sales through digital channels.
As part of the initiative Smartzer started to collaborate with HANX.
About HANX:
Founded in 2017 by best friends, Dr. Sarah Welsh and Farah Kabir, HANX make sexual wellness products designed with people’s wellbeing in mind. Their latex condoms are vegan, ultra-thin, and clean scented and HANX lubricant is long-lasting, natural, and is compatible with condoms and sex toys. Even better, they’re free of unnecessary chemicals, so they’re kinder to your body and the planet.
The team at HANX & their Performance Marketing Team @ Regital had been using Social Media campaigns to help drive sales via their e-commerce site over the past couple of years and were looking for new ways of picking up sales over a particularly unpredictable period. To aid their efforts over lock-down in the UK, the team at Smartzer and HANX got together and ideated around how the technology could be best used to support their campaigns on Facebook and Instagram. After reviewing the available materials the Smartzer MINI Page came up trumps as a useful way of enhancing results by reducing bounce rates and offering users a fully custom mini landing page to browse each item in the collection.
Having run the campaign over a few months the team has been thrilled to report an increase in conversions on the product pages featured. Following the campaign, the teams are looking to further utilise Smartzer technology for interactive video in particular, once the appropriate content becomes available.
Until then, it has been a pleasure working with HANX and Regital on this project and we are excited to see what is still to come!