With more shoppers now likely to use online to buy everything from essentials to things to cheer them up, the role of video is set to rocket as retailers seek to be more engaging.
According to Ipsos MORI, 50% of Chinese and 31% of Italian consumers say they’re shopping online ‘more frequently’ to purchase products they’d usually buy in-store. Other countries such as Vietnam, India and Russia have also seen their populations turning to ecommerce more often to shop – with increase of use measured at 57%, 55% and 27% respectively.
To keep driving people to your site, over your competitors, brands and retailers are going to have to do more to engage consumers online.
Keeping engagement and brand awareness going is also going to be key, according to Sam Rigg, Poq’s content marketing manager. “It is very important that retailers continue to engage with customers on all channels,” she says.
“App-stories – akin to Instagram stories – are one way. Push messaging is also going to be essential.”
Not only is this necessary to keep shoppers informed right now, she says, but it is also vital to keep brand awareness for the return to normal trading in the coming months – and that means video.
From bringing products to life with video previews to building trust through video testimonials and reviews, video is becoming the new norm for visual storytelling,” says Amit Shachak, Head of Video, Cloudinary. “Video is also one of the most effective ways to replicate a hands-on experience and drive sales.”
However, while video offers an effective method of capturing and engaging buyers, the technical challenges it presents have created a high barrier to entry for many brands. Launching video content in today’s competitive and omnichannel marketplaces means complex technical challenges for those needing to manage and deliver videos in their web sites and mobile apps.
“It is an extremely varied medium and, until recently, required a number of inefficient processes to get to market,” says Shachak. “Managing all the intricacies, from optimal encoding, reframing, resizing, and enhancing often resulted in significant overhead from creative, marketing and technical teams.”
He continues: “However, as demand increases and technologies evolve, the barrier to entry for leveraging video content is diminishing. The ability to record and edit video content is now available at our fingertips, and advancements in AI [artificial intelligence] are providing options for brands to streamline video workflows through automation. You can now easily manage, optimize and deliver engaging video experiences to your customers everywhere, at scale.”
To learn how to implement and improve your video engagement, download InternetRetailing’s latest white paper Lights. Camera. Action here.
