- Mar 8, 2021
Smartzer and Inskin have joined forces to take video content marketing to the next level and help brands stand out in a rapidly evolving online world.
Here's everything you need to know about Smartzer, Inskin and their collaboration.....
Introducing Smartzer: the basics
Smartzer's software allows brands to incorporate video interactivity into their video content marketing strategies. Brands can encourage viewer engagement by creating clickable hotspots on their content by tagging an interactive overlay. Viewers will be able to view extra product information, be taken to ecommerce sites, add to basket, sign up to a mailing list and more by clicking or hovering over these hotspots. This information can be added as imagery, text, via URL's, Product API, Product Feed or manually. As a result, the ad becomes an immersive and exciting experience for the viewer, informing them early on in the purchase funnel. These interaction videos shorten the path to purchase and encourage higher click-through-rates increasing conversions by 400%. Smartzer has helped brands like Paco Rabanne, BMW, Missoni and Adidas create impressive interaction videos for campaigns.
Introducing Inskin: the basics
Inskin is a high-impact digital advertising and paid media company with over 200 publishers, delivering campaigns to more than 1,000 premium websites globally. The format, Shoppable Skins, capitalises on the consumer's natural scrolling behaviours by cycling through products as the user consumes content. By integrating product API's, brands can create ads that support a seamless checkout and transactions within the skin. Viewers can also browse through a product gallery and purchase products displayed. Inskin allows brands to create interactive ad experiences that use existing brand content. Inskin's seamless, high-impact campaigns drive 15 x more attention than standard, static image campaigns.
Smartzer X Inskin
The combination of the two platforms creates a subtle and in-offensive ad viewing experience. Interaction videos are memorable and immersive, allowing the consumer to view products, find out information and make a purchase without being redirected from the app or their place in their feed.
The result: Volkswagen Golf video content marketing
Here is the result of Smartzer and Inskin's partnership. Below, the viewer can see how banner ads promote the Volkswagen Golf by surrounding a theoretical website page.
The consumers original scrolling experience remains uninterrupted. However, the interactive banner ad encourages engagement through "discover more" and "click on the video to explore" call-to-actions. The dynamic ad is eye catching and enticing and the interactive element creates a fun, exciting way to find out more information about the product.
Summary
The partnership between Smartzer and Inskin resulted in seamless ad formats that are easy to interact with and un-interruptive on website feeds. Views are turned into qualified traffic via tagged product info and clickable links. The ads support "in skin" transactions within the ads, meaning that conversions can be generated by viewers without the need to leave their current webpage.
The format combines easy product access with fun and exciting interactivity to revolutionise the way brands advertise.
- Mar 4, 2021
Interaction videos are videos that support user involvement. They usually have clickable hotspots that can show a viewer information about a product, allow them to explore areas of the video in more detail, answer questions, personalise the video or make a purchase. The immersive technology increases engagement and can boost viewing time by a whopping 47%.
By using interactive video platforms across social media, brands can attract new and existing customers to their ecommerce sites. In fact, interactive streaming commerce has proven to increase conversion rates by 400%.
As the biggest social media platform in the world, Facebook has over 2,740 million users worldwide. So, brands are using interactive video platforms to stand out on the site and reach as many customers as possible.
Here are some of the ways brands are using interactive video on Facebook...
Taylors of Harrogate: Personalised Quizzes to Tailor Products
The quiz appeared as a clickable link in a campaign video. When users clicked the link in the video they could take a quiz to find out their favourite coffee flavour. After the results, users could purchase the recommended product and join the company's email newsletter. Interaction video quizzes are a great way to offer a bespoke viewer experience. Tailoring products to the viewers needs will build customer trust and encourage conversions.
BMW X WAVEMAKER X SMARTZER: Interactive Facebook Ad Campaign
For the new 4 Series Coupé, BMW teamed up with interactive video platforms, Wavemaker and Smartzer. They created a clickable, explorable video that would focus in on parts of the car and show details. The call-to-actions encouraged viewers to "learn more" or "book a test drive". This ad was shown across Facebook and Instagram feeds. By using interactive streaming commerce, video engagement was over 33% and click through rate was over 23%.
Sephora: personalised, dynamic ads
The Facebook and Instagram ads used information from Sephora's website and mobile app to connect new and know customers with relevant products from the product catalogue. The photos populated ads in a carousel format which viewers could swipe through. An "add to basket" call-to-action encouraged viewers to head to Sephora's ecommerce site. Through Facebooks in-house interactive video platform, any brand can create content as bright and exciting as Sephora's.
- Mar 4, 2021
Everything you need to know about the future of video content marketing!
What is Shoppable Video?
A shoppable video is an interactive format that contains clickable products and links to brands ecommerce. The viewer can then learn more about products or make a purchase. Some formats allow viewers to purchase directly from the video. This moves the consumer from discovery to purchase in seconds.
Types of Shoppable Video
Clickable Video
This type of video is typically seen across social media. It is designed for delivering information quickly and encouraging conversions. Videos are typically in short form with a few products shown. Interactivity is supported through product carousels or call-to-actions. These videos can also be integrated into ecommerce sites with the option to add product feeds and pricing details. The clickable overlay may allow the viewer to add products to a cart or make a direct purchase. 35% of brands using clickable, shoppable video have seen an increase in conversion rates.
Deep Content Video
These interaction videos feature chapter menus, questions and polls and resource links. They are focussed on providing information and analysing viewer preferences. So, deep content videos can typically be catered to the viewers tastes.
Immersive Video
These are focussed on immersing the viewer in a video experience. This could be via a choose your own adventure narrative or a 360 degree video scenario. For example, a consumer might be able to click around a 360 degree shoppable show room or investigate the interior of a car. They are likely to include a call-to-action so consumers can 'shop now' or 'book a test drive'.
Livestream shopping
Livestream shopping videos allow viewers to join virtual, real-time video events and purchase the products being shown. Interactive video platform, Smartzer, helps brands to go live by allowing them to integrate their player into the Demandware API and pull up to date product information into the editor to be showcased alongside the live stream. Viewers can then select products shown in a carousel to add to their basket and purchase without leaving the stream. Often in livestreams, viewers can chat with brands, providing a personal and community feel to shoppable video. Livestreamed commerce is expected to account for a fifth of all e-commerce sales in China in 2021.
Key Considerations
So you want to use shoppable video? Here are some of the key things to consider before choosing the perfect type for your content.
Audience
Firstly, brands need to think about their audience and how they will want to receive the shoppable video. Does the content need to be informative, entertaining or both? To be able to appeal to the correct audience, brands need to consider who would be looking for their product and how they would want to come across it.
Strategy
Could existing strategies be implemented into shoppable video formats? This could save marketers a lot of time and money. However, it is important to consider the size and length of the content for campaign optimisation and whether consumers will respond to it. Coming up with ad specifications and choosing the right shoppable format from a CPM and audience perspective is important to maximise impact.
Creative
Is it possible to make existing content shoppable? Recycling existing media into interaction videos can also be a time and money saver. Content should be carefully designed and laid out according to chosen platforms. Carefully chosen, tailored designs will engage more consumers and encourage conversions.
Social media platforms are doing their bit to support shoppable video...
Instagram and Facebook have introduced Marketplace and Livestream. Even TikTok is catching up, supporting a variety of shoppable video formats such as interactive in feed ads, livestreams and more. YouTube and Amazon also feature in-house live shopping experiences for consumers. As a result, the pressure is on for brands to seize the opportunities offered by interaction videos.
Here are some examples of how brands have used shoppable video..
MINI COUNTRYMAN X SMARTZER: INTERACTIVE FACEBOOK ADS
The Smartzer custom interactive overlay was used to combine existing MINI Countryman Campaign assets, creating a standalone interactive experience that effortlessly blended with the onsite and Social environments. The interactive player was then placed as a call-to-action URL within the Facebook ads manager on a range of different ad sets and campaigns. Alongside a smart media plan orchestrated by the team at Wavemaker UK the ads were run across the Facebook ad network, for audiences to find and engage with. While interacting with the video, users were able to discover the range of different new features on the car and click-through to the MINI Countryman landing page.
WALMART X TIKTOK: HOLIDAY SHOPALONG
In December 2020, Walmart and TikTok joined forces to create a shoppable livestream. Overcoming obstacles put in place by the global pandemic, influencers demonstrated their favourite Walmart fashion pieces. Viewers could buy the products by clicking pop up pins and adding them to their cart. A mobile check out would appear at the end of the stream for viewers to complete purchases. The livestream shopping experience created excitement among fans and generated a sense of urgency that encouraged viewers to buy products instantly. The real-time stream replicated the benefits of in-person events online to a community of fashion fans.