Updated: Jun 1, 2021
Introducing livestream: the latest trend for video ecommerce
For a lot of 2020 and 2021, brands have had to rethink selling strategies in the face of a 'storeless' economy.
Now, brands are starting to realise the potential of livestream for making big digital sales after noticing the popularity of shop live technology in China. It was quoted that in 2019, China’s live-stream shopping market was worth 451.3 billion yuan [$66 billion], and is expected to show even more growth. This doubled to almost 1.2 trillion yuan ($170 billion) in 2020. For the rest of the world and particularly the US, this is expected to take off. By 2023 the market is set to be worth $25 million in the US alone.
Customers are loving live shop experiences because they provide an exciting, real-time shopping experience without leaving home. Hosts upload products they want to display to a player before streaming live. Product popups then display alongside the stream for customers to purchase direct. Viewers can communicate with hosts in a chat bar, connecting them to their favourite brands and creating a community feel.
Virtual shopping events are made possible by exciting new apps.
As a result of this new shopping craze, there are now several apps that can help your brand create a live shop.
Smartzer: The accessible app helps large and small businesses to create shoppable livestream and on-demand video. Viewers can shop directly from the stream and make last minute purchases even after it has finished. Repurpose your stream as on-demand content on ecommerce landing pages for anyone who has managed to miss your virtual shopping events.
ShopShops: Livestream portal app that works with a combination of in-house staff, curated influencers and certified experts. Based in Asia and growing in the US, the app has 800 people running ShopShops in 60 cities. The average customer spends 44 hours a year on the app!
Popshop Live: An app aimed towards independent retailers and ecommerce businesses. Streams are accessible to shop live from the app. As a prospective seller you will need to fill in an application that will be reviewed.
Bambuser: Bambuser is an app used by brands to stream to multiple customers at once or for one-on-one virtual shopping events. The app lets brands set up personalised consultations with customers to create a bespoke, one of a kind experience.
Hosts are fuelling the live shop mania and are in high demand.
With virtual shopping events kicking off, brands are looking to partner with top influencers to get themselves noticed. After all, a poll among Millennial subscribers found that 4 in 10 believe their favourite influencer understands them better than their friends! This means that hosts can be used to brands advantage to build brand loyalty and customer trust.
Big personalities are constantly being recruited to generate hype for streams, turning them into exclusive events. Chinese influencer Viya Huang, hosted a livestream shopping event with Kim Kardashian on Taobao and sold 15,000 bottles of perfume in minutes.
However, not everyone needs to be a celebrity to host a livestream. Customers still like to see the face behind the brand, even if it's a store associate! Alex Ayaub, a beauty content creator with just a few thousand followers hosts a weekly Newness show. After a year of streaming on the platform, Ayaub makes hundreds of dollars a month from fan tips and brand deals.
For more information about creating shoppable livestream visit smartzer.com
Updated: Jun 1, 2021
Over the past year our lives have been consumed by the internet.
In socially distanced times, we have moved online to connect with our family, friends, colleagues and our favourite brands!
In 2020, there were 256 million digital buyers in the US and it's predicted that there will be nearly 280 million by 2024. This rapid increase means that not only will brands have to adapt their online strategies, but they will have to start adapting now.
So, how has content and video content marketing changed as a result of this huge increase and how will things change?
Most digital customers are looking towards social media for product discovery and purchase.
With bricks and mortar stores closed, customers have had to seek inspiration online. Social media has the capacity to reach millions of people extremely quickly. For example, a video on TikTok could last 60 seconds and go viral in minutes. Brands are realising the impact of creating product posts and sharing them widely. Product tags and direct links to ecommerce mean that consumers are taken from a post directly to a product page to make a purchase. As a result, conversion rates are boosted by the power of social media.
Video interactivity is becoming more and more valued, particularly through livestream shopping experiences.
Livestream shopping has provided customers with an exciting way to connect in real-time. By partnering with influencers and interactive video platforms, brands are strengthening brand loyalty and encouraging viewers to make impulse buys. In China, livestream shopping has been around for years. Globally, this is picking up speed right now. Video interactivity is supported via chatrooms and purchasable product popups. The host has the capacity to make the experience even more personal by providing behind the scenes content and presenting a human side to the brand.
Consumers expect digitally interactive and shoppable video experiences.
Consumers are getting used to seeing interactive video content marketing online. Interactive videos result in 3x-4x greater viewer engagement and conversion than traditional video, making the format extremely valuable. As a result, interactive video platforms like Smartzer are becoming increasingly popular with brands. Businesses can add an interactive overlay to their videos which they can tag with product information. Consumers can shop directly from videos, answer questions, polls or input data to get a personalised, bespoke video. Branching videos gamify experiences to engage viewers with decide your destiny content. This unique form of digital content entices viewers, moving them quickly down the purchase funnel to achieve conversions.
For more information on how to make interactive video visit smartzer.com
Updated: Oct 5, 2021
Video ecommerce is rapidly evolving. Now, it is not enough to only use static imagery and text for marketing and promotional content.
Video is the most informative and engaging type of content. However, interactive shoppable video takes it up a level. Not only is it engaging, but it informs and converts customers. This means that video ecommerce becomes monetised and brands can boost sales significantly.
Plus, every view, click and click-through can be measured within the video, making content extremely valuable for adapting marketing strategy.
In a digital age, it is extremely important to optimise app experiences for customers...
Poq Studios has also been helping brands to drive app commerce. The platform helps to create seamless shopping experiences that are dynamic, interactive, personalised and smooth. Poq allows brands to set up their own communication channels with users, style their app to suit brand style and incorporate interactivity to make shopping on the app fun to hold user attention.
Interactive video platforms like Smartzer help brands to easily create material that is engaging, immersive, educational and clickable. Brands use the player to add an interactive overlay to their videos, they can add hot spots with product information and popups with links to PDP, ecommerce, sign up pages, 'add-to-cart' functionality and more. Smartzer lets brands implement videos on ecommerce landing pages, VPAID ads, as Facebook or Instagram posts and stories. Now, Smartzer's shoppable videos can be included in brand ecommerce apps for IOS and Android.
With consumers spending more and more time on their mobile phones scrolling the internet, it is important to target users on apps. The seamless shopping experiences engages viewers as soon as they open the app. Ideally, consumers can browse entire collections easily, perhaps through one shoppable video. Adding products to their bag with just one click.
This can be extremely successful for the following reasons:
It shortens the path to purchase: Shoppable videos provide a lot of information in one format. Viewers can find out details on products in seconds and add to basket directly from the video. This means that viewers are driven quickly down the purchase funnel and make impulse buys.
It targets qualified traffic: Users visiting an app will be heading over to either purchase or browse products. This means that they are already considering buying from the brand. Interactive video engages informed visitors and convinces them to make the purchase.
It builds customer trust and educates: Video ecommerce provides a clear and honest view of a product. 94% of video marketers say video has helped increase user understanding of their product or service. This gives viewers the extra confidence they need to buy online.
Smartzer worked with SHEIN to deliver a shoppable video on their app ecommerce landing page:
Users could find out product information on a variety of looks and shop directly from the campaign.
For more information on how to create your shoppable campaign for IOS/Android visit smartzer.com