- Dec 15, 2021
Currently only one in 10 US consumers have purchased from a live stream, this is set to jump to one in four within six years predicts Accenture.
There's a new consumer in town and brands should pay attention.
Before, brands have relied on major ad campaigns and bricks and mortar stores to drive revenue. Nowadays, with an increasingly social media savvy consumer, brands are having to refocus their content marketing efforts online.
There is no denying that the pandemic has created a brand new customer who is hungry for a seamless, personalised and above all entertaining way to shop. Fashion and beauty enthusiasts are jumping online to discover the hottest styles from the latest drops, to share countless tutorials and reviews and looking towards influencers to make purchase decisions. This is not only via social, new data indicates that after Amazon, customers are making the most online purchases via a retailers site or app (Gartner, 2021) .
Consumers are looking for the ultimate onsite experience to drive confident purchases. Could the answer lie within the social eCommerce?
eCommerce sites have become the most crucial part of the purchase eCosystem
Beauty companies themselves are investing heavily in the integration of social commerce within their eCommerce strategies. Many brands have spent over 50 per cent of their digital budgets on short videos, shoppable technology and live stream shopping content this year, says Audrey Depraeter-Montacel, global beauty lead at Accenture.
“Big corporations such as L’Oreal, Shiseido and Estee Lauder Companies are all investing heavily in content production hubs because social commerce is driven by content. You need to produce a lot of short videos across different channels and you need to renew it quickly.” High quality content can drive conversion of up to 40 per cent, she adds.
Live stream shopping has helped to provide a solution for the renewable demand on eCommerce. Streams can be set up on a routine basis and do not require the production costs of creating large scale, edited video campaigns. Content is created instantly in real time and can even be streamed from a mobile phone. Viewers just watch and click to shop directly from the stream.
But why does social commerce have such a resounding impact on consumers?
The beauty of this shoppable format is that brands can get as creative and as sociable with their viewers as they want. Brands can connect with viewers by giving exclusive behind the scenes access to the latest drops, style guides, designer stories, exclusive discounts and even influencers via Q and A's in the comments.
This highly personal and customer focussed approach creates a community of consumers who can confidently put their trust into the brand. Daniel Martin, global director of artistry and education at Tatcha explains “Today, many brands use the word ‘community’ to describe what is, in reality, customers. Community is not about a purchase or an add to cart. Community is about a common purpose, belief, or goal. If you start with the community, the commerce will come organically.”
Experts say that trustworthiness, authenticity and interactivity are the trends that will drive modern social media and as a result, social commerce. Noor Agha, the founder and chief executive of Flip says “There’s nothing honest on the internet anymore, and it’s impossible to know what is a good or bad product”. Live stream shopping boasts authenticity. When you are streaming your product in real-time, there really is no where to hide. Consumers can see a 360 view of what they want to buy, clicking to bring up more information and adding items straight to their bag. The core value is that this brings the benefits of in-person shopping online to drive an informed, confident purchase.
Sure, brands can engage with customers on social media, but this is still limited. Social eCommerce breaks down the barrier between buyer and seller by creating a personal and friendly environment. The process is no longer just a transaction, but a relationship.
- Nov 24, 2021
Today, it can be hard to keep up with technological advancements, but it has been hard to mistake the rise in shoppable formats within video content marketing this year alone.
At the start of the year, most of the world was still under some sort of restriction as a result of the global pandemic. Shops were shut, bars and clubs closed and international travel was prevented across many countries. As a result, brands and businesses have been forced to adapt to new ways of communication and online selling in order to make any sort of profit.
One of the newest trends to emerge has been live stream shopping and shoppable video. This social commerce style of shopping creates a more engaging, personable and friendly experience.
Shoppable video has provided a welcome break for shoppers who are bored of the endless stream of un-interactive marketing material online. More and more brands are seeing the benefits of being able to provide direct links to buy within their social content and e-commerce pages. Video interactivity has been proven to draw in a viewer and reduce user drop off to convince a sale and drive informed traffic.
Just check out JD Sport's star studded campaign, just in time for holiday shopping:
With live shopping, hosts appear on social media and e-commerce sites to discuss their favourite products with a large online audience. The beauty of live stream shopping is the rawness and authenticity of the content. There is nothing more honest than appearing in-real-time to viewers to display unfiltered products. The honesty of live streaming allows the customer to feel confident and reassured to buy and by incorporating influencer hosts, brands can drive even stronger revenue.
Live stream shopping has supported many brands this year, with global tech giant, Samsung, delivering a series of exclusive, discount events:
Interactive video platforms like Smartzer have been a key driving force to the rise in shoppable video popularity.
The solution provides a seamless and simplistic way for brands to add up to date product information to dynamic marketing video content and create live stream events that draw huge audiences and leave viewers amazed. This cross platform solution allows brands to monitor video and event analytics across social media and e-commerce. Businesses can see everything from click through rate, engagement rate and right down to individual product popularity. This provides a strong ROI and allows for easy measuring of KPI's.
Now, as the year draws to a close, huge social media corporations are following suit with their own in-house formats.
Twitter has announced the launch of their live stream shopping feature, set to debut at the end of November 2021 with Walmart as their first streamer.
While watching a Live Shopping stream on Twitter, people can take several actions that make the shopping experience on Twitter seamless, such as:
Check out the Shoppable Banner and Shop Tab on the Live event’s page.
Toggle back and forth between the Latest Tab and the Shop Tab throughout the live stream, allowing them to be a part of the conversation as they check out products.
Continue to watch the live stream on the merchant’s website within an in-app browser, so they don’t miss a thing while making a purchase.
Pinterest launched their live stream shopping feature in November 2021 with Pinterest TV.
The live stream features a sequence of 30 minute shoppable programs hosted by creators on Pinterest. Recordings of these shows can be accessed after the airdate to give viewers a second chance to learn and buy.
Pinterest live streams will cover a variety of subjects including fashion, food, beauty and home. Viewers can learn key information about products including price, composition, discounts and sizing all while asking the host questions. Not only this, but hosts of streams were able to boost their following on Pinterest following these shows.
Updated: Nov 10, 2021
In the marketing and eComm world, there is an undeniable buzz of excitement towards streaming commerce formats, both on-demand and real-time.
78% of people watch online videos every week, and 55% view online videos every day. In fact, that 54% of consumers want to see more video content this year (Social Media Week)
63% of social media marketers believe that live video will become more important in the coming year (Sprout Social)
43% of businesses plan on using interactive video in the coming year (Social Media Week)
These game changing stats outline the lean towards video formats and the ever-growing appetite for more inclusive, immersive online shopping experiences.
Streaming commerce has presented brands with the perfect solution for bridging the online-offline divide. Clickable, shoppable formats use video hotspot technology to draw in a viewer and hold their attention. The viewer can engage and interact by tapping to view product information and direct links to buy or add the item to their cart. The beauty of shoppable video is that it includes the customer as an active participant in the content, giving them the opportunity to personalise their experience.
Live stream formats connect brands to customers in real-time, offering a social shopping event that drives impulse buys through the roof.
Shoppable on-demand content stands out against a sea of flat, standard online content and grips the viewers attention to push them quickly down the purchase funnel.
A variety of industries can capitalise off of these two game changing shoppable video technologies to boost revenue and prove a strong ROI on marketing material.
The Beauty Industry
Shoppable video offers beauty brands with the perfect solution to demonstrate their products as clearly as possible. Video gives the viewer a 360 degree view of a cosmetic product as they are able to note a variety of shades and tones as well as the look on a model.
Beauty brands could use shoppable video software to offer their customers a unique and memorable shopping experience. They not only entertain, but inform the viewer giving them the confidence to buy:
Shoppable live stream tutorials allow the viewer to tune into a product demonstration in real-time. They can ask questions, choose colours and buy directly from the stream.
Shop the look on-demand video allows a viewer to click to buy all the products featured in a models makeup look. This reduces the amount of time spent hunting for specific products, something that can be a challenge with makeup
NARS mastered on-demand shoppable video to create an interactive customer experience:
The Fashion Industry
Interactive video platforms have proved themselves to be a saviour for the fashion industry over the course of the pandemic and beyond. Video offers the perfect opportunity for fashion brands to show off products in detail. Customers can see the texture of fabrics, the flow and structure of styles as well as colour and size options. Shoppable video for the fashion industry has helped customers shop from the comfort of their homes through:
Live stream shopping styling videos that let customers buy discounted products/unreleased products straight from the stream
Shoppable collection videos that allow the viewer to purchase the seasons hottest products
Shoppable runway shows that enable viewers to have a front row seat to shop the latest pieces
Shoppable ads market products to targeted customers and offer a direct way to purchase.
Jacquemus allowed viewers to pre-order luxury products via an entirely shoppable runway show.
The Automotive Industry
Although it is unlikely that someone will buy a car directly from a video they see online, interactive video provides car shoppers with a direct, engaging way to discover.
Shoppable explorative videos tagged with information hotspots provide viewers with an interesting way to learn about the features of the car.
Live stream product demos show off the features of the vehicle in real-time, giving a clear and honest demonstration of the product
Explorative video ads using interactivity can drive more informed traffic to a car retailer's Ecommerce
MINI used a shoppable ad format on social media to allow customers to explore the new MINI Countryman.
The Electrical and Technology Industry
Electrical brands can use live stream shopping and interactive video formats to engage and educate customers about the latest models and technologies of the moment. By using state of the art shoppable video platforms, electrical brands can demonstrate their innovative products via a rapidly developing and revolutionary format.
Live stream events to sell products with special discounts in order to show off functionality in realtime
Shoppable videos to tell the viewer more about a product via clickable hotspots that feature add to cart ability or links to product display pages
Samsung used Smartzer's live stream shopping technology to deliver a series of shoppable, real-time events.
The Holiday and Travel Industry:
Holiday and travel brands can use shoppable video content to take viewers on a journey. The customer clicks to find out information about a destination, such as landmarks, climate, restaurants, shops, bars, hotels, activities and more.
Explorative shoppable videos that allow viewers to click to reveal details about a holiday
Live streams from exclusive destinations show off your holiday destination in real time, perhaps with opportunities for viewers to purchase exclusive packages
Amazing Thailand used interactive video for a tourism advert. Viewers could click areas to discover attractions and activities.
The Food and Drink Industry
Even the food and drink industry could see serious conversion rates through shoppable, interactive technologies. The easy method of online shopping removes the chore from food shopping and introduces a fun and simplified way to buy groceries.
Shoppable tutorials on-demand and live stream can direct your viewers to their ideal food products or cooking utensils. Shoppable tutorials combine entertainment and learning with click to shop technology that speeds up and diversifies the weekly shop.
Arnotts cooking club used interactive video to create an entirely shoppable cooking tutorial featuring celebrity chef, Donal Skehan.