As the nation has adjusted to being at home due to the pandemic, consumer’s interests continue to increasingly shift towards online shopping, with no signs of turning back. Combined with the fact that many Americans appear to be spending more time scrolling social feeds, it seems there is no better time to spark up a strategy surrounding shoppable social media.
Blending the world of ecommerce and social media content has been building for some time, but with the onset of shoppable posts, videos and Facebook shops, consumers are more aware than ever before on how and where to shop their favorite brands. So how can you share your products in a shoppable way? Lambert’s director of paid digital Katie Englishmen breaks it down for you below:
Tried & True – Shoppable posts
There are several creative and engaging ways to shop on social media. One of the more commonly utilized channels for online shopping include shoppable posts. Facebook and Instagram utilize this method by allowing for product tagging in organic posts.
In a recent livestream from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, it was announced that Facebook and Instagram Shops now see over 300 million visitors per month. It was also reported that there are more than 1.2 million monthly active Shops across the platforms, a significant amount considering that Facebook only launched its Shops options a year ago. Additionally, Shops will soon be expanding across WhatsApp and Marketplace, allowing for additional testing to broaden purchasing behavior within the app.
These metrics confirm what many already know – shoppable posts and social shopping will continue to trend up as consumers become more familiarized and trusting of the process.
Shoppable Videos
Snapchat was one of the early adopters of the shoppable post enhancement, launching their initiative for ecommerce in 2018 with collection ads and product catalogs. Collections are a form of shoppable content on Snapchat that allows brands to showcase a series of products, allowing for a tappable way to browse. Collection ads appear in stories and are an effective way to showcase many products. This format is similar to more recently launched shopping via Instagram Reels, where videos are taggable and consumers can browse any products featured within that video. This shoppable video feature added to Instagram’s ever-expanding portfolio of shoppable video ads, including access to Instagram Stories, Instagram Live, and IGTV.
Augmented Reality Sessions
Piggybacking off the success that augmented reality (AR) has seen via platforms like SnapChat and Instagram filters, it was only a matter of time before brands began to play with this technology as it relates to ecommerce. Augmented reality is achieved through the use of digital, visual elements that can be applied to the “real world.” Brands are getting clever and venturing outside of the typical face altering filters with new innovations to this tech. Wouldn’t you love to see how that piece of furniture might look in your living room? Or test out a new shade of lipstick? Well now consumers can do just that across several platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. As AR technology continues to evolve, it will improve and enhance social media experiences for consumers across a growing number of categories. We can’t wait to see how this trend continues to evolve.
Take a pic – but make it shoppable!
Combine the idea of augmented reality with online browsing behavior and a new trend is born in the form of “lens” shopping. The idea behind this trend is to allow the consumer to take a picture of any product with their mobile device, and then search for that specific item or similar items available for purchase. Media platforms such as Pinterest and Snapchat have already gotten on board with this trend. Pinterest’s Lens allows you to take a picture of a product and upload that to Pinterest to continue browsing. As Pinterest notes, “if you can see it, you can shop it.” Facebook is also working to roll out a similar “lens” shopping capability soon.
Livestream Shopping – QVC for Gen Z?
When it comes to leveraging new technology, TikTok continues to be one step ahead of the rest, so the rollout of their Livestream shopping via TikTok is no surprise. Think QVC but for GenZ! In December, Walmart partnered with TikTok to roll out a test of this new livestreaming shopping feature. Following along on the live video, consumers were able to view and purchase clothing, makeup, jewelry, etc. as it’s modeled live for them. Walmart saw 7x more views than anticipated along with a 25% growth in their TikTok following – proof points that their audience is active and engaged on TikTok. While this trend is still fairly new on the scene, it’s sure to become popular with brands who seek to experiment with livestreaming and storytelling as a way to connect with their audience.
Creator Content
The final connecting thread that can be looped through all these shoppable ecommerce content ideas is an influencer or content creator! Looping in creators to help elevate your content’s reach and engagement is essential for shoppable social. Influencers are key when it comes to selling your brand online, no matter what platform or content type you are promoting. Engaging influencers for your brand can also result in new content ideation and learnings. Check out our tips and tricks on how to plan and engage with influencers for your upcoming social media campaigns.
As the world of social shopping continues to expand, be sure you are taking into consideration what platforms and content type make sense for your brand. And remember, don’t feel like you have to test them all at once! It is often best to run some smaller “pilot” tests with content across one or two platforms and then branch out from there once you can gain clarity on what type of content is working and what’s not.
Most importantly, remember to create content that feels true to your brand’s vision and ethos. Authenticity is always on trend.
Looking for support as you enter the social shopping world? Contact us today.