Founder & MD of Smartt.Studio.
Ah, e-commerce: the virtual wonderland where we can shop without ever having to leave the comfort of our couches. It’s truly a beautiful thing, isn’t it? But let’s not forget how far we’ve come since the early days of online shopping.
Remember the ’90s when people had to wait three weeks for their package to arrive—and it may not even have been what they ordered? But now, they can order something on Monday and have it delivered by Wednesday, and they’ll get a notification when the driver is nearby so they can jump out of bed and greet them at the door. However, as the founder of a visual content company that specializes in e-commerce—as well as a company whose technology platform provides services for brand to support their e-commerce business—I’ve seen several innovations change the experience for both consumers and brands. Let’s explore them and the best practices brands should use to take advantage of them.
Social Shopping
Before diving into how to create engaging photos and videos for social shopping, it’s essential to understand the concept of social shopping. Social shopping is the process of making online purchases through social media platforms. Consumers can discover and purchase products directly from social media posts. Here’s how brands can succeed with social shopping:
1. Know Your Audience
One of the key components of creating engaging photos and videos for social shopping is knowing your audience. Conduct market research to determine who your target audience is, what they like and what they’re looking for. Once you understand your audience’s needs, you can tailor your content to appeal to them.
2. Incorporate Influencers
Influencers have become a powerful force in the world of social media marketing. Collaborating with influencers can increase brand awareness and credibility and lead to more sales. Consider working with them to create authentic and engaging content that resonates with your audience.
3. Highlight Product Features
Social shopping is all about showcasing your products in the best possible light. Highlight your product features in your photos and videos to give your audience a clear idea of what they’re getting. Be sure to include all the necessary information, such as product size, color and price.
4. Use High-Quality Visuals
In today’s visual-first world, high-quality visuals are a must. Use high-resolution images and videos that showcase your product in the best possible light. Avoid blurry or pixelated visuals that can detract from the overall shopping experience.
5. Add Product Demos
Adding product demos to your social shopping content can help customers visualize how your product works. You can provide demonstrations using videos, GIFs or even livestreams. Showing your product in action can increase customer confidence.
6. Use Text Overlays
Text overlays can be a useful tool for creating social shopping content. Adding text to your visuals can help highlight key product features, pricing or promotions. They also help customers understand the benefits of your product quickly.
7. Optimize For Mobile
Mobile optimization is essential for social shopping because many social media users access their accounts from their mobile devices. Make sure your visuals and text are easily readable on a smaller screen and that your shopping links are optimized for mobile checkout.
8. Make It Shareable
Social media is all about sharing, so make sure your social shopping content is shareable. Include share buttons on your posts and encourage your audience to share your content with their friends and followers.
8. Utilize User-Generated Content (UGC)
UGC is a great way to show off products in a more authentic way. Brands can encourage customers to share photos or videos of them using the products. This not only provides social proof but also creates a sense of community and connection between the brand and the customers.
Augmented Reality
Have you ever wondered what a piece of furniture would look like in your living room, but you didn’t want to commit to buying it? Well, now shoppers can use augmented reality to see exactly how that sofa would fit in their space. To create engaging AR content for social shopping, focus on capturing product details, consider lighting, showcase unique features, utilize 3D models, and thoroughly test the content across devices and platforms.
Social shopping and AR tools offer brands exciting new opportunities to create unique and engaging experiences for their customers. This shift in presentation represents a significant opportunity for brands to get creative with their online product displays to ultimately drive more sales.
Mitigating The Downsides Of Social Shopping And AR Tools
While social shopping and AR tools offer many benefits, there are also potential downsides that brands must consider. From a creative and branding standpoint, it’s important to ensure that product photos and videos are completely accurate to minimize the risk of returns and dissatisfied customers.
Brands should also create clear and detailed product information and offer easy returns and exchanges to help mitigate any negative impacts of these tools. By being transparent and customer-focused, brands can build trust and loyalty with their audience.
Subscription Services
Do you ever get tired of running out of your favorite products and having to reorder them every few weeks? Subscription services are the answer to your prayers. Now you can set up a subscription for everything from razors to snacks, and they’ll automatically be delivered to you on a regular basis.
How Subscription-Based Brands Can Differentiate Themselves With Compelling Content
To succeed in the highly competitive subscription space, brands should differentiate themselves through compelling and effective content. One way to do this is by sharing exclusive content that provides additional value to subscribers, such as tutorials, behind-the-scenes access, or exclusive merchandise.
Brands can also focus on creating engaging and personalized content that speaks directly to their target audience by leveraging data and analytics to understand customer preferences and interests.
Conclusion: What Brands And Creatives Can Do To Stay Relevant
As social shopping and AR technology continue to grow in popularity, brands and creatives should stay on top of developing trends to remain relevant. This means creating compelling and visually appealing content that speaks to their target audience and aligns with their brand values.
By staying agile and adapting to changing consumer behaviors and preferences, brands can thrive in the ever-evolving world of social commerce.
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