It’s no secret that video is one of the most engaging and most effective content formats out there.
Due to its interactive nature, it keeps users engaged, which provides many benefits for every business using it.
To be precise, one sector that can get great use out of videos is e-commerce, which is why in the following guide we’re going to cover:
- 4 reasons why video is effective for e-commerce
- The 3 best video types for e-commerce
- 5 tips for engaging e-commerce videos
As well as many more insightful pieces of information.
Without further ado, let’s get started.
4 vital reasons why video is a must for e-commerce brands.
Reason #1: Videos convert
Imagine scrolling through your social media feed and stumbling across a static image and a video, both promoting the same product.
Which one would catch your attention first?
Chances are that the video would keep you more engaged and eager to see what it has to offer, which is why so many e-commerce brands opt for videos as a marketing tool.
Plus, they have more time and flexibility to showcase what they have to offer.
Actually, according to research, 80% of video marketers claim that video has directly increased sales!
Reason #2: They’re shareable
Another reason why videos are—or should be—a must-use tool for e-commerce brands is the fact that they’re a shareable form of content.
This means that if you do a good job when creating your video and include all elements that will give it virality, there are high chances that viewers will share the video online; thus helping it achieve exponential growth.
According to the same research as before, people are twice as likely to share video content with their friends than any other type of content.
Reason #3: They’re mobile-friendly
With retail m-commerce (mobile-commerce) sales hitting a staggering $359 billion in 2021, it’s quite clear how powerful mobile is for consumers and brands.
However, although creating high-quality and engaging content is usually a top priority, one element that’s often overlooked is whether it’s friendly for mobile users.
Video content typically doesn’t have this issue since it’s a form of content that most mobile users consume and many mobile apps are specifically built around it.
This is exactly why e-commerce brands who emphasize their content strategy, should implement videos in their social media posts and landing pages, as well as paid ads.
Reason #4: They help build trust
One of the best benefits that videos generate is the fact that they build trust.
Why’s that?
To begin with, video is a great way to put a face and voice on your brand and allows people to create a connection with you as an e-commerce business.
It feels more transparent than a written piece of content and gives viewers the chance to establish relationships with brands that would otherwise appear as faceless.
Video content such as this includes live streams, reviews, tutorials, and many other types of content that e-commerce brands could find useful.
Let’s have a closer look at these types of video content.
The 3 Best Video Types for E-commerce
Although we could mention many video types that drive great results, we feel like the following are ideal for e-commerce.
Type #1: Reviews and testimonials
A key point that many brands need to consider before creating content is thinking like a consumer.
People want to be sure that what they’re thinking about purchasing is worth its money; after all, reviews are one of the biggest challenges e-commerce brands face.
A great way to achieve this is through reviews and tutorials which provide social proof, especially when the product is being reviewed by a well-known and trusted person.
In the example below, you can see how well-known content creator, Marques Brownlee, provides a video review for the iPhone 13.
Considering his wide audience, a good review will be a great benefit for the product since it will make it trustworthy in the audience’s eyes.
Type #2: Product tutorials
Another video marketing strategy that e-commerce brands can use to increase sales is product tutorials.
Through step-by-step video guides on how a product can be used, viewers get a great idea of what the product is all about.
This gives them the chance to see it in action before even purchasing it themselves, which is ideal for e-commerce companies.
Plus, combining tutorials with influencers is a great way to establish social proof in a similar way to what we saw earlier.
Type #3: Live streams
Live streaming gives companies the chance to showcase new products in real-time, instead of recording content and uploading it later.
That way, users consume content on the brand’s time and not their own, meaning that you only engage with people who are excited about your product and find it useful.
Plus, real-time engagement allows you to spark conversations and offer live support and Q&A sessions; all of which should be a part of your live streaming plans.
Apple is actually great at demonstrating new products in real-time, both online and via physical events.
Author’s Tip: Combine live events with custom merchandise of your brand.
Should you opt for live streaming, the plethora of live streaming platforms out there will have you covered.
5 Tips to Create Engaging E-commerce Videos that Convert
We mentioned earlier that videos tend to increase conversions at a higher rate than other forms of content.
However, this requires some effort on your part and to implement some key elements that’ll make the difference.
Let’s have a look at some tips that you’ll likely find useful.
Tip #1: Map out the customer journey
Being aware of the exact steps a user takes to reach a specific point can be a great benefit for businesses.
This is important for many reasons but mapping out the customer journey allows brands to know where to place a video, in order for it to be in the right stage of that journey.
For instance, in order for a landing page to be as optimized as possible, it wouldn’t make sense to place a video in a spot that users don’t visit.
The clearer the customer journey is, the better the results of a video will be!
Tip #2: Match videos to their platform
As you already know, each platform has its own requirements when it comes to:
- Content
- Technical requirements
This means that TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, for instance, should have different content when it comes to their style.
Plus, each platform supports different video dimensions, maximum resolution, file types, and other technical aspects.
Author’s Tip: Should you opt for live streaming or webinars as your go-to video content, make sure to be aware of the technical requirements needed for them.
All of the above is crucial to know before even creating a video, so matching videos to their platform is an important step of the process.
Tip #3: Retarget viewers
A common mistake brands make when it comes to video marketing is uploading a video and then never bothering with it again.
Ideally, after a video has been viewed by a user, brands should take full advantage of it and place the video in front of them again through retargeting ads.
After all, according to research, website visitors who are retargeted are more likely to convert by 43%.
Impressive, right?
Which is a great indication that brands need to consistently be experimenting and testing their content, even after it’s been uploaded.
Tip #4: Tell a story
It’s no secret that people love stories.
And what better way to tell a story than through a high-quality interactive video?
Video storytelling guides viewers through engaging and exciting stories about a brand or product; it sparks emotion and allows them to establish a relationship with the brand.
In short, telling a story through video is a great way to drive engagement and is possibly one of the best video marketing tricks.
Tip #5: Utilize UGC
Our last tip is all about user-generated content or UGC as it’s widely known.
This is one of the best ways to create authentic content that establishes trust, and it involves uploading posts that are made by a relevant and authoritative content creator.
Although posts can come in all shapes and sizes, user-generated videos are possibly the most influential sort of UGC available.
After all, people prefer visual content rather than just text, especially when it’s combined with a trusted content creator; makes sense, right?
This is a tactic that e-commerce brands can combine perfectly with one of the video types we mentioned earlier, whether that’s a review or a tutorial.
Let’s wrap things up.
Wrapping Up
So there you have it!
That was our full guide to using video to increase e-commerce sales.
We covered the reasons why video is an effective tool for e-commerce brands, the best video types for them to use, as well as some tips to make a video as engaging as possible.
If you’re a newbie when it comes to video marketing, you don’t have to try it all at once.
Simply get started, experiment with tactics and video types, choose a trusted video hosting platform, implement our tips, and the results might surprise you!