Combining sales with video creates a powerful business tool. According to Magna, interactive shoppable videos drive 9x higher impact on purchase intent compared to standard videos, and this is the exact reason why brands should explore this option.

What Is A Shoppable Video?

A shoppable video is a form of a video or live stream that gives a customer a better idea of how the product can be used, what it looks like in real life, and, last but not least, allows viewers to purchase products right in the video.

Shoppable video ads contain embedded links to the company’s featured products. The unique characteristic of these ads is that the potential customer is given the opportunity to view the products from different angles instead of a single shot. If we speak about live shopping video format, it also allows customers to ask questions about the product and get insights from the host right away.

Using shoppable videos profits both parties: сustomers and sellers. For the first ones, it makes shopping an enjoyable experience instead of the hustle and bustle. For the sellers, it drastically improves the conversion rates.

Here at Be.Live we help brands create professional shoppable live streams that drive engagement and increase sales. With our live shopping solution, you’ll be able to:

• Add clickable shopping cards right to the stream;
• Show on-screen updates: comments, titles, and running lines;
• Engage your audience via active live chat.

How Does A Shoppable Video Work?

Shoppable videos look like typical videos or live streams until you take a closer look.

Customers’ Perspective 

As mentioned before, the shoppable content demonstrates products with direct active links embedded right in the player. It allows your customers to make purchases on the spot. 

There are a few video formats that allow buyers to engage with the content. First of all, it can be a pre-recorded video with clickable elements (see the screenshot below). 

IKEA’s Commerce Video.

The yellow button on the screen is active and allows customers to add this specific mattress to the cart. If a customer is not sure whether they want to purchase the item, they can continue to watch the video. 

There is also an option to host a shoppable live stream. A host interacts with an audience in real-time and does their best to engage viewers. Here is an example from Be.Live.

Viewers can click on the “Add To Cart” button right in the stream and add items to their shopping cart while watching a show.

A well-produced and scripted shoppable video should reach two goals:

1. Keep viewers watching a video so they can see all the advertised products;
2. Convert viewers into customers.

Let us emphasize that a shoppable video or live stream should make viewers instantly interested in the product. It has to be quick and straight to the point when showcasing the features and advantages of an item.

Business’ Perspective

By now, it’s absolutely clear what’s the customer experience, but what about brands’ behind-the-scene processes? For enabling a shoppable video option on your website or platform, you’ll need to use a third-party application. 

If you plan to convert your viewers with the pre-recorded videos only, you’ll need to install a player that will allow making in-video purchases. When it comes to shoppable live streams – you’ll need to set up both: a studio from where you’ll be able to stream and a player. It’s an easy process, so there is nothing to worry about.

Shoppable Video Examples

There are many ways to use a shoppable video as part of your marketing and sales strategies. Here are some examples that can inspire you to host your first shoppable video.

Live Stream Q&A

Katy Perry on her new collection’s launch using Amazon IVS.

Creating a live stream in the form of a Q&A could potentially attract new customers and interest the already-existing ones in your future launches.

You can answer your customers’ questions while going through the design and production process and reveal your sources of inspiration. This creates extra hype for the viewers and increases interaction, leading to great conversion rates.

Live Interview

Chinese and American influencers using Livestream commerce on Taobao.

Shoppable interviews are hosted mainly by big brands that can invite celebrities and well-known influencers. The main goal of these live videos is the same – sales. But having a casual talk about celebrities’ life and work drives engagement and helps to enrich the stream not only with advertised products but also with great content. 

Be.Live is a simple, flexible and intuitive live shopping solution that will help you create top-tier shoppable live streams with no hassle. Request a demo, and let’s skyrocket your sales together. 

Pre-Recorded Shoppable Video

Ted Baker’s Shoppable Video.

These kinds of shoppable videos are usually short, professional-looking, and time-consuming in terms of production. But it’s still a great tool that is used by many marketers these days.

H&M, IKEA, Zara, JanSport, and many others keep adding interactive videos to their websites to vary their customers’ experience and streamline sales. 

Collection Ads

You’ve probably seen these in your Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest feeds. This kind of video looks like usual social media posts. The only difference, it’s possible to tap on the video and move to the online storefront, where you’ll see product descriptions, prices, and, last but not least – the “Add to cart” option.

Trends Of Live Video Shopping

Different types of live video shopping trends have been rising in popularity worldwide during the past couple of years. Let’s take a look at the most popular of them!

One-To-Many

“One-to-many” live shopping format implies a host of a live stream broadcasting to many people simultaneously, just like in a typical live stream, except it is specifically to showcase the products and/or services.

The audience can vary in size, from smaller niche groups to thousands of people. It totally depends on your company’s size.

This kind of shoppable live stream can build a sense of community around the product or brand. It can also be helpful for the consumers to exchange opinions.

Active Live Chat

Having an active live chat during your live video shopping event can be a great way to attract more engagement from prospective buyers and increase conversion rates.  

Your host can encourage viewers to comment by asking them questions on different topics: starting from the location they watch a stream from and ending with their favorite color. The real-time conversation builds a personal connection between customers and brands.

One-To-One

This live shopping trend rose in popularity, especially after the beginning of the global pandemic when in-shop purchases became limited. Since online shopping was the primary way for people to buy what they needed, businesses started to look for ways to bridge a communication gap between them and their customers. 

One-to-one live shopping turned out to be a great option. It basically looks like a one-on-one call, where a store representative answers all the customers’ questions. It’s much more personalized and mimics the in-store experience.

This type of live video shopping is frequently used with more expensive or complex products. It can also be part of the customer service package for customers who need a more detailed product presentation or have technical questions that are not easily answered via a simple email. 

Of course, there are no specific rules as to when and how to use live streaming in eCommerce, and you can always mix both one-to-one and one-to-many types into your business model.

Summary

Shoppable videos are not an intrusive type of commercial that consumers are used to. It is a new, unusual, and effective way for brands to attract their audience’s attention. We totally recommend considering this option for companies seeking new ways to boost their online presence and reach new milestones in their business journey.

FAQ

What Is a Live Sale?

A live sale is a sale made online during a live stream that presents different products with specific links attached to them. Usually, only one product is displayed at a time. There is a specific timeframe of when the item can be shown, which encourages viewers to purchase it instantly during the live show.

How Do You Make a Shoppable Video?

There are different video shopping platforms where you can create your own shoppable video online or offline. For example, with Be.Live, you can easily create your own live shoppable video. All you need is to gather all the images of products you will be presenting and the links to the page where your customers will buy them from. Once you have all that, you can choose your destination in the Be.Live studio and go live. It’s that simple!

What Are Shoppable Video Ads?

Shoppable video ads are commonly used on social media (e.g., Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.) on the user’s feed or between the stories to attract more attention to the product and encourage users to make an instant purchase.