Introducing Shoppable Video
Consumers are dedicating numerous hours weekly to engaging with video content—whether it’s social media posts from friends, creator-driven content on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, or even participating in video conferences on Zoom for work. Despite this, ecommerce still lacks substantial video content. The organic, AI-driven discovery experiences familiar from social media are largely absent from online shopping.
Shoppable video, or shoppable media, bridges this gap. It’s a straightforward tool that brings the interactive, engaging experience of social videos to any ecommerce site. Here are seven compelling reasons why brands should integrate shoppable video into their video marketing strategy.
Enhanced Engagement: Modern consumers have short attention spans, making detailed product descriptions or numerous user reviews less appealing. Videos provide a quick and comprehensive way to convey information, engaging shoppers more effectively than text or images alone.
Personal Connection: Founders and product experts can bring authenticity and passion to their brand through shoppable videos. This personal touch can draw shoppers in, fostering a deeper connection and enthusiasm for the product.
Repurposing Content: Brands often create video content for social channels and then move on. Shoppable video allows this content to be evergreen on a brand’s website, offering continuous value and aiding in purchase decisions.
Boosting Conversions: The primary goal of ecommerce videos is to build shopper confidence. By showing products from multiple angles, demonstrating their use, or inspiring usage ideas, videos can significantly increase conversion rates.
Increasing Website Engagement: While shoppers spend extensive time on social media, they spend much less on retailer websites. Shoppable video can help reclaim some of this time, encouraging shoppers to stay longer and explore more on the brand’s site.
Simplicity and Ease: Unlike the real-time demands of livestream shopping, shoppable videos are easy to produce. Brands can use existing content or create new videos with minimal investment, making the process accessible and scalable.
Supporting the Shopper Funnel: Shoppable videos aid in every stage of the shopper journey—from discovery to consideration and finally to conversion. They provide valuable insights and direct pathways to purchase, enhancing the overall shopping experience.
What is a Shoppable Video Platform?
A shoppable video platform allows users to record or upload videos and link featured products directly within the video. Typically, these are prerecorded and tagged, not streamed live. Various platforms offer unique features, such as embedding videos on sites, interactive widgets, and creating video collections on different themes.
Top Shoppable Video Platforms:
Live2.ai: Live2.ai specializes in enhancing brand engagement through innovative video commerce solutions. Their platform integrates interactive video shopping, social media integration, and advanced analytics to drive conversions and increase customer engagement. Live2.ai is a pioneering provider in the realm of video commerce, offering a suite of innovative solutions designed to transform how brands engage with their audiences online. Our core services include:
Shoppable Videos: Empower viewers to seamlessly shop products featured in video content, enhancing conversion rates through interactive purchasing capabilities.
Interactive Videos: Elevate viewer engagement with immersive, interactive video experiences that captivate and convert audiences effectively.
Interactive Stickers for Your Content: Enhance video content with interactive stickers that provide additional context, offers, or links to further information, enriching the viewer’s experience.
Dynamic Frames for Videos: Optimize video frames to spotlight key products or messages, ensuring impactful storytelling and heightened viewer retention.
Interactive Live Commerce: Host engaging live streaming events where viewers can interact in real-time, ask questions, and make purchases directly during the broadcast.
At Live2.ai, we empower brands to maximize their digital presence and drive sales through innovative video solutions that blend entertainment with seamless shopping experiences. Whether you’re looking to boost engagement, increase conversions, or build brand loyalty, our cutting-edge technologies are tailored to meet your video commerce needs.
Ghost: Ghost offers a fast and free interactive video platform. It allows users to upload existing video content, tag products within the videos, and embed them on websites using customizable display options like carousels or floating widgets. Ghost is known for its ease of use and flexibility in creating shoppable video experiences.
MikMak: MikMak focuses on shoppable media solutions tailored for consumer packaged goods and grocery brands. Their platform enables brands to add purchase links to popular retailers directly from video content, facilitating seamless online transactions and tracking conversions.
Verse: Verse specializes in creating interactive and immersive video experiences. They use clickable hotspots to enhance storytelling and product showcasing within videos, making it ideal for brands with extensive video content libraries looking to engage viewers and drive sales.
Adventr.io: Adventr.io allows brands to create highly interactive video experiences by adding clickable links and branching options within videos. It’s designed for brands looking to engage their audience with personalized and engaging content that drives deeper interactions and conversions.
Firework: Firework offers short-form shoppable video solutions that integrate live stream shopping features. Their platform provides templates and AI-generated formatting for creating engaging video content that encourages direct purchases and enhances brand visibility.
Novel: Novel replicates the popular TikTok-like video experience with shoppable capabilities. It focuses on creator-driven content and simplifies the process of showcasing products within interactive videos, making it easier for viewers to explore and purchase featured items.
Kahani: Kahani enables brands to create shoppable video content similar to Instagram Stories. It allows multiple screens per video, facilitating engaging storytelling and product discovery experiences that drive conversions directly from the video content.
StorifyMe: StorifyMe offers interactive video placement across various platforms, including websites, apps, and Google Stories. It features personalized storytelling capabilities and integrates with CRM systems, making it suitable for brands aiming to enhance engagement and sales through dynamic video content.
Clicktivated: Clicktivated specializes in creating interactive video experiences with clickable hotspots. Brands can add links to specific products or content within videos, driving viewers to take immediate actions such as making purchases or exploring more detailed information.
KERV: Shoppable video is just one component of KERV’s comprehensive interactive video suite, which includes ‘pixel-level object identification’ via their proprietary AI. Brands can enhance highlighted objects with a ‘glow’ effect and seamlessly direct shoppers to other product pages. KERV stands out with its capability to link connected TVs, set-top boxes, and broadcast TV content to mobile devices via QR codes, enabling cross-platform interactive campaigns.
Advertising and distribution are central to KERV’s platform. They not only offer tools for creating interactive videos but also facilitate direct distribution through their VPAID platform.
KERV is particularly suited for: Creating sponsored or paid shoppable videos
VideoWise: VideoWise focuses on leveraging user-generated content (UGC) for creating shoppable video campaigns. It integrates with popular social media platforms and offers tools for discovering, moderating, and embedding UGC into shoppable video content to drive authentic engagement and conversions.
Social Chat: Social Chat offers both one-to-many and one-to-one live shopping experiences alongside shoppable video uploads. It caters to brands looking to combine live interaction with video commerce, enhancing customer engagement and driving sales directly from video content.
Smartzer: Smartzer specializes in repurposing promotional video content with interactive elements. Their platform features clickable hotspots and in-video checkout options, making it easy for brands to convert viewers into customers through engaging and informative video experiences.
Tolstoy: Tolstoy focuses on creating interactive quizzes and branching logic experiences within videos. It guides viewers through personalized content journeys based on their preferences, making it suitable for brands looking to enhance engagement and guide customers towards making informed purchase decisions.
Storyly: Here are key insights about the Storyly platform: It prioritizes mobile functionality with full-screen ‘stories,’ akin to platforms like Instagram. A primary application involves embedding these stories within apps to promote new features, products, or instructional guides for users. Notably, finance and airlines are highlighted as prominent users of their platform.
Additionally, Storyly supports shoppable content with in-video checkout options. Beyond app integration, stories can also be embedded directly into websites. Another standout feature is Storyly’s integration with Google AdMob/AdManager, enabling brands and content sites to collaborate with vendors for running paid stories on their websites, effectively establishing micro retail media networks.
Instasell: Instasell combines live stream shopping with on-demand short shoppable videos. It provides affordable solutions for brands looking to enter the video commerce space, offering features that simplify the creation and distribution of interactive video content to engage audiences and drive sales.
giosg: giosg integrates shoppable video as part of its live video chat platform, focusing on customer support and interactive video experiences. It caters to various industries with customizable templates and advanced targeting options, enhancing engagement and facilitating direct interactions with customers through video content.
Shoppable Video on Social Media
While platforms like Instagram and TikTok have explored shoppable media, their capabilities are still limited. Amazon Live remains a notable success, leveraging influencer-driven live shopping events. Current social platform integrations typically involve single product links, requiring navigation away from the social experience for conversion.
Getting Started with Shoppable Video
To begin with shoppable video, consider the following:
- Assess your existing video content and production capabilities.
- Determine the style and format of shoppable videos that suit your brand.
- Identify content that would most benefit your customers.
- Plan where to place and share shoppable video content.
- Ensure compatibility with your ecommerce platform.
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