Introduction:

We are all looking for ways to increase engagement and turn that engagement into sales. Therefore, we have compiled this article to discuss the significance of having shoppable content.

^[1]What is Shoppable content

Shoppable content allows consumers to click on a product featured in an image, video, lookbook, online product catalogue, etc. The click can add the item to a cart or bring the consumer to an online checkout to purchase immediately. This reduces the number of clicks between seeing the product and purchase, mainly when used in social media and online video. By providing a direct link from content to cart, retailers are driving more traffic and higher conversions. (Styla)

Benefits to Brands

• Shorter Customer Journey – giving browsers the option to shop instantly streamlines the path to purchase. This reduces barriers to purchase and offers a simplified, shorter purchasing and checkout process.
• Improved Customer Experience – saving the buyer time and making the buying process simpler enhances their experience. A fast and frictionless checkout process offering preferred payment options is essential to reducing cart abandonment and increasing conversion rates. (Rapyd)
• Tap Into Consumers with Intent – Nearly 45% of the world’s population is on social media. (Oberlo) If someone is looking at content, and especially if they have actively searched for it, they are far more likely to purchase someone who is fed an ad on the margins of a web page.
• More Measurable – Conversions and sales that can be attributed to content are much easier to track. Retailers can calculate conversions and monitor click-throughs to products to see where modifications are required to improve ROI.

^[2]Why Is Shoppable Content Important For eCommerce?

Billions of people globally browse social media platforms, and most of them do it to get inspired, find new products, explore styles, etc., through content. 87% of people say social media helps them decide what to buy.

Today, over 130 million Instagram users tap on shoppable posts to learn more about products every month.

This shoppable post-marketing enables brands to boost conversions, build social proof through inspiration, inspire purchases, increase eCommerce conversion rate, and much more.

Not just that, brands can also leverage these shoppable posts marketing on their eCommerce site/online store as shoppable posts on different marketing channels like social media, social ads, emails, in-store displays, etc. These shoppable posts shorten the buying journey providing instant gratification to the shoppers.

5 ^[3]Types of Shoppable Content That Drive Sales

Shoppable content is a hit.

This new technology gave shoppers something they wanted: the ability to shop directly from social media. It makes total sense: if a customer sees something they like, they might want to buy that product.

If you’d like to create shoppable content for your business, you might want to know your options. Chances are you’ve seen shoppable product images, but there are more content types to consider.

Advantages of Shoppable Content for Brands

Because so many people search for products and inspiration on social media, shoppable content became a vital marketing tactic.

Unlike the traditional counterpart, shoppable content:

• It makes it easier to add products to the cart
• Allows to sell multiple related products, e.g. clothing
• It doesn’t interrupt the viewing or reading experience
• Enables merchants to measure conversions easier
• Shortens consumer journey and speed up product discovery

Traditional content has many benefits, too, but shoppable content is better for driving traffic to your store. The reason is the ability to buy instantly and provide a personalized experience for customers—which also helps with omnichannel marketing strategies.

So, what are your options for making shoppable content?

Many people think that shoppable content is mostly images like Instagram posts, but you can also shop from many other content types.

^[4]Shorter sales funnel

With shoppable videos, social posts and ads, you help buyers get what they want when they want it. No hiccups or delays in extending the sales funnel.

Better customer experience

Millennials and Gen Z already use social media to search for products. So why not meet them where they are?

By creating content that is not only discoverable but shoppable, you minimize the disruptions that lead to an abandoned shopping cart. In other words, an enhanced customer experience.

Increased brand loyalty

The best way to build trust and loyalty today? Storytelling.

Shoppable content is an opportunity to showcase real stories about real people who’ve used your product. The goal is to show off your product’s value while educating potential customers.

Improved conversion rates

Being in the right place at the right time is what marketing and advertising are all about. With targeted and personalized shoppable ads, you can increase the odds of a conversion.

But how do you make the most of your shoppable content campaigns? There are three essential techniques brands can use to get better ROI:

• Hyper-targeting by partnering with small but niche influencers
• Investing in engaging shoppable content (e.g., Stories vs. static ads)
• Choosing affordable items to showcase

Tommy Hilfiger and a few others are capitalizing on live streaming shopping events (especially since the pandemic). The brand partnered with celebrities and social influencers, including model Elias Riadi. During the event, viewers could add items to their carts for checkout.

Conclusion:

Any place where you can monetize your website is a good thing. We hope that this article has been helpful.

Article compilation by hughesagency.ca

Article reference links:

1. https://www.rapyd.net/blog/examples-of-shoppable-content-from-brands/ ↑
2. https://taggbox.com/blog/shoppable-content/ ↑
3. https://www.datafeedwatch.com/blog/shoppable-content-that-drive-sales ↑
4. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/shoppable-content/ ↑