Have you ever watched a video and seen a product being used that you loved?
Whether it was an interesting set decoration or a piece of clothing, there have certainly been times that you’ve seen something in a marketing video and immediately wished you could learn what it is and buy it for yourself.
Shoppable videos are taking that desire and turning it into reality.
By using embedded links inside videos, brands are able to connect directly to their audiences and increase engagement, all while getting a valuable boost in sales and exposure.
A shoppable video is able to change the way you market specific retail products to consumers.
In this article, we’ll talk all about what a shoppable video is and the benefits it can bring to your retail brand. Keep reading to learn more about it!
What is a Shoppable Video?
A shoppable video is a marketing video that features retail products available for consumption with the use of embedded links within the video.
Viewers can click on those links as they watch the video, which will redirect them to where they can purchase the items without ever leaving the video page.
Rather than having products linked in the description, which forces viewers to leave the video page and potentially miss out on marketing messages, a shoppable video creates an interactive experience that mimics in-store shopping without ever having to leave a social or video platform.
Rather than creating a confusing experience of opening different links and windows and being redirected all around, shoppable videos simplify the entire buying experience.
The different platforms that you build a shoppable video on will have different formats for purchasing products, but many feature a pop-up that allows a viewer to browse, select, and check out products in a streamlined experience.
When closing the pop-up window, the customer is still on the same site with the same video playing.
Here’s an example of how it works:
How is Shoppable Video Shaping the Future of Retail?
Shoppable video is changing the way that retail marketing is done.
Rather than forcing customers to search for links on their own and then redirecting them to different websites, you can create an in-app or in-platform shopping experience that doesn’t disrupt the customer’s enjoyment.
Shoppable video allows brands to create a digital “window-shopping” experience that resonates with audiences.
Viewers can watch entertaining videos and see exactly what products are available for sale, make a purchase, and go back to their viewing in just a few clicks.
As the world becomes more fast-paced and digital, shoppable video is becoming an essential component of successful video marketing.
Benefits of a Shoppable Video
Shoppable video is becoming very popular among retailers who want to help their customers enjoy a better shopping experience. There are many different benefits that a shoppable video can bring to your brand, including:
Simplify the Customer Journey
By creating a simple system of see, click, and buy, retailers can simplify the customer journey and cut out the complicated time and marketing effort that goes into converting a customer through the buying journey.
Increase Customer Engagement
It’s no secret that video marketing is incredibly valuable in terms of ROI for retailers. Shoppable video takes it one step further and drastically increases the levels of customer engagement that a brand can get.
Improve Your Conversion Rates
Rather than jumping through hoops and visiting different sites to make a purchase, the buying process is streamlined. That also means that conversions improve as customers only need to click one or two buttons rather than go through several different touchpoints.
Gain Valuable Insight into Performance
The platforms that are used to create shoppable videos also gather important data insights into the buying behaviors, demographics, and analytics of your customers. You can then use that data to further develop your video marketing and shoppable video strategies.
Get a Boost in Sales
By making the buying process easier and decreasing the number of actions a customer needs to take in order to make a purchase, you’ll see an immediate boost in sales after shoppable video strategies are implemented.
Create Brand Loyalty
Users and viewers get a better experience when they can see a product they like and immediately purchase that item. By having a non-disruptive process in place, customers will enjoy shopping with your brand more and have more brand loyalty to your business.
Learn to Retarget Customers
Gathering data on your customers through video can help you learn who they are and why they potentially left and didn’t make a purchase with your company. You can then use that data to create retargeting strategies that recapture the attention of previous viewers.
Build a Better Customer Experience
The overall goal of your retail marketing strategies is to make the experience for your customers as great as possible to encourage purchases and return business. Shoppable video is going a long way to helping create a better experiences that all customers can enjoy.
Major Platforms for Shoppable Video
There are many different platforms that have enabled shoppable video capabilities.
These platforms understand the value that a shoppable video can bring to the brands on the application, and work to make the process of creating shoppable videos easy for both sellers and consumers.
Some of the major platforms for shoppable video are:
- TikTok
- Youtube
- Amazon Live
- HapYak
- Bambuser
- Buywith
Best Practices for Shoppable Video
Now that you understand the importance of shoppable video and can see how it’s changing the game of retail marketing, let’s talk about some of the best practices you should implement in your own shoppable video strategies.
1. Encourage Interaction from Your Audience
A shoppable video only works if your audiences understand that it is an interactive video experience.
To encourage interaction from your viewers, you need to make it clear that the video is interactive.
A slide or shot that explains the interactive capabilities, a narration explaining the links, or a clear video description or caption can help you increase the level of interaction you have in your shoppable video.
2. Have a Shoppable Link Within the First Few Shots
You don’t want to wait too long to start having your links show up in the shoppable video.
If you wait too long in the video to display your links, you risk losing the interest of your viewers and having them move on to other videos on the platform.
Adding the first link within the first few shots of the video will help you encourage interaction and develop a smooth process to purchase.
3. Let Shots Linger Longer than Other Videos
While many marketing videos rely on quick shots and fast pacing, you might want to consider slowing things down in your shoppable videos.
When you slow down the pacing of the shots and let them linger, customers can get a better look at the products you are selling and you give them more time to find and click the link.
4. Publish Videos on Social Media
Social media is the number one place where shoppable videos are making an impact on brands.
By publishing your content on all of your social media platforms, not just on your Instagram or TikTok profiles, you can increase the number of conversions and clicks you get across your networks.
5. Focus In on a Few Products
While you’ll likely want to highlight a few different products in your video, you don’t want to stuff your entire product catalog in there.
Too many options can confuse and frustrate viewers, so creating more short videos with a few products is a better idea than making a long video with all of your products.
6. Be Creative and Have Fun
Because a customer is likely to come across your shoppable video on social media, you want to ensure that the video is entertaining and fun.
Videos that are more creative have higher views, rates of engagement, and clicks. They are also more fun to make, which resonates with audiences and creates more interaction.
5 Best Shoppable Video Brand Examples
Here are a few of the brands that are making a real difference in the world of shoppable video.
Each of these brands has found ways to create content that beautifully displays their products while also keeping their brand voice and message relevant to viewers.
The shoppable campaigns are no longer active, but you can get a good idea of what they looked like with the frames and videos below.
#1. Wayfair
Wayfair is an example of a non-clothing retailer that uses shoppable video to sell home furnishings and decor through how-to and DIY video content.
#2. Kate Spade
Kate Spade has used shoppable video to allow customers to add items to their cart throughout the video and then taking them to the checkout once the video ends.
#3. Ted Baker
Ted Baker is a company that uses carefully crafted and high-production videos to endorse its products. They also use models and influencers to create more interest in their wearable products.
#4. Puma
Puma is one of the first examples of successful brand shoppable video marketing and has been using the technology since 2015 to sell shoes and sports products.
#5. Burberry
Burberry is another high-end clothing brand that has used shoppable video to add items to a cart and also give more detailed information on products in their videos.
Wrap Up
The world of retail shopping is changing with the advent of shoppable videos.
These videos help brands create better customer experiences while increasing their revenue and engagement. And creating a shoppable video is becoming easier and easier for brands as more platforms allow for embedded links in videos.
As a retailer, you know that there are ebbs and flows of business surrounding the different major shopping seasons and holidays.
Shoppable video can help you create better marketing strategies during those times of the year.
To learn more about how you create your shopping season with marketing strategies, check out our resource on how to own your shopping season all year long.
