Which Can An Advertiser Include In A Trueview Video Ad To Increase Interactivity?

Content marketing is changing. As the practice becomes increasingly commonplace, consumers are looking for more interactive and engaging content from their favourite brands. Increasingly short attention spans means getting noticed and building a long-lasting relationship can no longer be done with uninspired advertising and time-consuming content. According to a report by DemandGen, 86% of buyers now prefer interactive, visual content that can be accessed on demand.

Expectations are moving to flashy and quick presentations of products through rich content, such as videos. But consumers don't just want to passively observe a video, they want to be able to interact with it. They want a seamless buying process and this is why shoppable media (shoppable video especially) is building momentum.

According to the IAB's most recent report, 40% of marketers are now using shoppable video, up from 25% in 2018. Their use has grown steadily over the past five years and this trend is set to continue.

What is a shoppable video?

Shoppable videos feature products and use embedded links to enable viewers to click and purchase those products instantly without leaving the video. They enable brands to replicate the experience of visiting their website without the consumer having to leave the social platform they're enjoying.

These interactive videos come in a variety of formats, but they always offer consumers a streamlined experience from ad to checkout.

In the past, videos featuring branded products could only use linked text in the description box or popups to direct viewers to where they could purchase the items. At which point, the consumer had to click away from the site they were viewing the video on and navigate to a separate purchasing site that required them to go through a lengthy purchase process. Not exactly the most user-friendly consumer path to purchase!

The key idea behind shoppable videos is to satisfy the immediate purchasing desire that content creates for the viewer – something traditional content formats aren't capable of doing. Shoppable videos fully integrate stories into the shopping process and products into the storytelling process.

Ultimately, shoppable videos remove the friction between marketing and purchasing. They create a seamless path to purchase that doesn't interrupt or detract from the consumer's content experience and enjoyment.

What are the benefits of a shoppable video?

There are several benefits associated with using shoppable videos to market products, some of the top being:

1. Simplified buying funnel

Content becomes instantly shoppable. I.e. if the buying funnel is simplified, the 'shopping queue' simply ceases to exist. All the consumer needs to do is click, add the product to their shopping cart, and keep watching the video.

2. Increased consumer engagement

9% of the marketers across the world say that videos have the best ROI, and shoppers who view a video in the pre-purchase stages are 1.81 times more likely to make a purchase than non-viewers.

Try integrating CTAs into how-tos, demos or shoppable recipes. You can turn many things into an advertisement for your product or service without disrupting the viewer's experience. Creating engaging shoppable video content will drive conversions, as 67% of consumers say they've made a purchase after watching a video.

3. Improved conversion rates

With just one click, viewers are given the option to buy your product and this means they are more likely to convert. There's no need to search Google, browse your site or look for a link in the video description. This streamlined consumer journey helps prevent viewers from losing interest before they complete a purchase.

4. Valuable performance insights

Most platforms providing shoppable videos also gather vital real-time performance data. One such platform is ChannelSight's Where to Buy solution.

A Where To Buy solution minimises the steps in the consumer journey and delivers a frictionless experience for the consumer from the brand site to the purchase point on the retailer website. The solution provides deep analytics which allows brands to figure out what elements of their campaign are performing best — content, creative, channel etc. You can also utilize this data to find potential customers and engage them with highly personalized offers.

"Shoppertainment" with shoppable videos

The rise of shoppable videos has also led to the creation of other innovative and interactive online shopping tools.

"Shoppertainment" is a term that has long been associated with in-store shopping. Retail brands like IKEA, TopShop and Disney have traditionally used entertaining experiences to entice customers through the doors of their physical retail stores. But now brands are taking this approach online by integrating eCommerce and video entertainment.

Big names are creating tutorials, how-tos, product demos, interactive Q&As, fashion shows, influencer videos and all sorts of other video entertainment for consumers to enjoy. Then, when someone spots a product they want to buy, they can do it without interrupting their viewing experience.

Building products into entertainment takes native advertising to the next level and allows brands to drive conversions in a new way.

Chinese eCommerce giants like Alibaba are leading the way in this area. But the west isn't too far behind. For example, members of the Amazon Brand Registry gain access to Amazon Live which allows them to create live streams within their marketplace store. NBCUniversal has even brought shoppertainment offline by adding mobile-friendly QR codes to some of its ads.

Platforms for shoppable videos

Regular videos are usually compatible with all sorts of online platforms. However, when it comes to shoppable videos, brands need to create them for release on specific sites. Here's a list of the available options.

Amazon Live

As mentioned above, brands can use Amazon Live to create interactive, live promotions for their marketplace store. These videos will then appear on product pages and the Amazon Live landing page. Brands can also pay to get their live streams in front of more shoppers.

Instagram

Brands have been able to tag products in their Instagram content since 2018. Today, it still remains one of the best shoppable video platforms for brands of every shape and size. Once your business is approved for Instagram Shopping, you can tag five products in each video and viewers can conveniently make a purchase without leaving the app.

TikTok

As the world's fastest growing social network, TikTok was quick to adopt shoppable videos. Consumers simply click on a video's product pin to add an item to their cart. Fenty Beauty founder Rihanna frequently uses them as part of her eCommerce social media strategy.

YouTube

YouTube has introduced a few different features which enable shoppable videos. These include TrueView cards which add shopping links within videos and CTA buttons which promote specific products. You can also link your Google Merchant Center inventory with your campaigns to make the process quick and simple.

Buywith

If your brand uses influencer marketing, this platform will take your campaigns to the next level. Buywith allows influencers to share their screen with followers in real-time as they shop online. Its analytics feature also allows you to understand the impact it has on your store's conversions.

Other shoppable video platforms worth knowing about include NTWRK, Spin and Popshop Live.

Shoppable Video Examples

You can approach shoppable videos in many different ways. Their content will depend on your goals, your budget and your brand's persona. Options will vary from industry to industry too.

Here are some of the best shoppable video examples to inspire you, whatever products you're selling!

Ted Baker

Back in 2016, Ted Baker enlisted the help of Guy Ritchie to produce two story-driven shoppable videos. The first was a three minute spy thriller entitled Mission Impeccable. Each character wore a clickable item of clothing.

Since its early adoption of shoppable videos, the brand has continued to create more. In its stylish film of shoppable Christmas gifts, you can click your screen to see a product's title, description and price. From there, you can choose 'Shop now' to complete your purchase or close the pop-up to continue watching the video.

What can we learn from this video?

Don't link every item. The models are dressed from head to toe in Ted Baker, but not every item is labelled. The viewer's attention is directed to handbags, gloves and other gift items.
Take it slow. You need to provide viewers with plenty of time to click on your products, so make sure to lengthen any shots with a featured product.
Add text. This can guide users through the experience and add extra context to your videos.
Use complementary products. Take the opportunity to showcase items that work well together to encourage multiple purchases. Or, if you run a one-product store, consider partnering with another brand.

WayFair

It's not only fashion brands that are taking advantage of shoppable video ads. Wayfair, which sells furniture and home goods, has been using YouTube's TrueView cards to add shopping links to its campaigns.

It created how-to content offering advice on DIY and decorating to engage its target audience. Though these ads were presented to people who were waiting to watch another video, 74% of them watched at least half the ad.

What can we learn from this video?

Make valuable content. Videos that are helpful and informative will receive more engagement. A similar campaign of shoppable videos ads by make-up brand Sephora also received significant engagement. Its content featured tutorials and how-tos.
Draw attention to your CTA. Wayfair used an on-brand shade of purple to draw the viewer's eye to its 'Click to Shop' button.

United Colors of Benetton

United Color of Benetton's Shoppable Video — Screenshot from YouTube [Source]

Big brands, like Benetton, use interactive videos to direct people straight from the catwalk to its product pages.

After showing off its 2020 spring/summer collection at Milan Fashion Week, Benetton used footage from the runway and the red carpet to create an extremely entertaining and on-brand shoppable video.

Viewers could click the hotspots that appeared on some models to view individual pieces. Or they could select the 'Shop the video' button in the bottom right corner to browse the entire collection.

What can we learn from this video?

You can do more than drive sales. The video featured a second CTA button in the top left corner of the screen which encouraged viewers to subscribe to Benetton's newsletter.
Events can inspire videos. You can use real-world events to create excitement and drive sales online. The impact of seeing famous faces among Benetton's runway show audience couldn't be recreated with a highly produced video.

Miracle Eye

In recent years, Instagram has introduced a variety of shoppable media. By clicking on tags in newsfeed posts or product stickers in Instagram stories, users can make a purchase directly within Instagram.

But businesses that don't have Instagram Shopping set up can simply use the swipe up feature in its stories. Miracle Eye, which is an LA-based store that sells handmade clothes and vintage items, uses a 'See more' CTA button on its story videos to encourage people to click or swipe through to its website.

What can we learn from this video?

You don't always require big budgets. Miracle Eye's video shows us that you don't need huge amounts of time or money to make shoppable videos. All you need is a camera, some products and a tool to tag your video with.
Think outside the box. This video was shot on an LA street with a pair of rollerblades. It's not highly produced, but it's fun and on-brand. Would props, color-matching captions or emojis appeal to your audience?
Create a steady journey. When viewers click through from your video to a product, try to create a consistent experience. If your aesthetic completely changes, they may turn away.

Creating a shoppable video

Creating successful shoppable videos isn't just about repurposing existing video and making it interactive. Nor is it all about big budgets and creating all-singing, all-dancing spectacles. Good strategy and strong concepts are key when taking advantage of shoppable video.

Setting up video ads with shopping capabilities requires collaboration between eCommerce and brand teams. Your brand story must be told in the video and backed up by the embedded links that perform the function of getting people to the product purchase page. One element does not have to be sacrificed for the other.

Here are 6 best practices for making an interactive shoppable video:

Let the audience know they can interact. Include a slate at the beginning of the video stating 'this video is interactive', use voiceover/narration, or have a presenter talk directly to your audience.
Have a shoppable link within the first few shots. If the audience knows a video is interactive, give them the opportunity to do so in the first few seconds. Add in ChannelSight's "Where To Buy" solution to help consumers move swiftly down the funnel. The solution provides a frictionless path to purchase for anyone that is in that consideration phase of the funnel to the point of conversion at the retailer site, bypassing competitor distractions.
Let shots run a little longer. At the points where you want viewers to interact, let the shots run a little longer. Three seconds or more should do it.
Focus on a few items. Don't overcrowd a shot. Focus on 2-3 items to avoid overloading the audience with too many options.
Get the best interaction rates. The best interaction rates come from objects that are in full-frame, not abstracted or too close up.
Be creative. Feel free to try new ways of calling your audience to interact and engage.

Conclusion

Consumers are looking for more interactive and engaging content from their favourite brands. Brands are looking for ways to reduce the friction between marketing and purchasing. Shoppable videos can achieve both.

It helps to forge an emotional link between the customer and a brand's products, which helps to increase consumer engagement. And, most importantly, it shortens the consumer decision making and path to purchase process, which helps increase conversions. So, when will you make a shoppable video the star of your marketing strategy?

Want to learn more about the benefits of shoppable videos? Get in touch with our team today.