B2C Commerce's Video Evolution: Taking Pages from the B2B Playbook

In today's swiftly evolving world, consumer brands are at a crossroads. They know they must adapt to survive this market evolution, but the gap is less about why and more about how. The old adage Content is King is proving to be the game-changer, and B2C commerce brands must turn to B2B playbooks on how to do this right. Millennials and Gen Z now wield the bulk of the buying power. They're not just customers; they're informed, digitally native stakeholders who seek more from the brands they endorse. They expect brands to resonate with their values and engage them in areas they hold dear. Conventional advertising methods and promotions simply aren’t as effective as they once were — the same old sales, promotions, and TV commercials just won’t cut it moving forward. B2C marketers are learning what B2B marketers already know: that content is needed to move the needle.The most successful consumer brands are those that have already acknowledged this shift and adapted accordingly, with 86% of B2C marketers saying that content marketing is now a key strategy for their business. The pandemic was a watershed moment in the world of e-commerce, pushing online retail a decade ahead in a mere span of months. Even brands that primarily operate through physical outlets must accept that a staggering majority of their customers' awareness, consideration, and purchasing decisions are influenced by online content. The medium of this digital age? Video. It's no longer just a feature on social media platforms; it has become the primary storytelling tool, especially on websites.

The B2B Content Blueprint: A New Playbook for B2C Commerce Marketers

Historically, content has been the cornerstone of B2B marketing due to the fact that their sales typically involve hefty price tags, extended contracts, and require extensive due diligence. Nurturing potential buyers with content at every stage of their purchasing journey is a refined art B2B brands have mastered. B2C marketing must borrow from the tried-and-tested strategies of B2B content marketers. The rise of commerce media underscores the indispensability of content. It's not just about selling a product anymore. It's about offering an experience, a journey. Modern consumers want to be informed, engaged, and reassured. They need more than just a well-known brand name and a coupon. They are used to researching every purchase, and they crave comprehensive insights to make their decisions. With this shift in consumer behavior, brands must step up, elevate their content game, and deliver a shopping experience that's rich, immersive, and, above all, authentic. For example, Product Detail Pages (PDPs) can no longer be treated as digital catalog entries — B2B brands treat their PDPs as 24/7 product ambassadors and salespeople. While imagery and concise descriptions were once sufficient, consumers now desire richer, multi-dimensional content experiences. Videos, user reviews, and detailed insights form the trinity of effective product presentation. Even the way brands utilize SEO is changing. Organic search is not merely a channel; it's a powerful doorway. Ten years ago, just driving up organic visitation was a major win, but today, if you aren’t able to serve up the most engaging and relevant content to these visitors, they’ll quickly bounce out — often to one of your competitors’ sites. The potential value of a user who reaches a brand via organic search is incalculable, and brands can unlock this potential value through content.

The Immersive Content Hub with Video: The Key to Growing B2C Commerce

For decades, marketers have used video’s sight, sound, and motion for powerful storytelling. B2B brands have historically championed their digital strategies with video demonstrations articulating product functionality and merits, and B2C brands must adopt this strategy. Modern consumers crave video content that lets them visualize products in action, decipher their features, and imagine their place in daily life, all before hitting the 'buy' button.Visit an average consumer-focused website, you're greeted with what can best be described as a digital catalog. But if you explore the average B2B website, it transforms into an immersive content hub. Here, video plays a pivotal role, turning static content into dynamic experiences. Any visitor, at any stage of the purchase path, can self-select their journey with valuable, video-enriched content that bridges the gap between the brand and the buyer. Whether ushered in by an ad, discovered through a social post, prodded by an email, or arriving via an organic search, this hub—with its blend of text and video—is always ready to serve. By integrating video, companies can foster a profound connection with consumers, making casual browsers staunch advocates. Such loyalty springs from understanding and trust, and video intensifies these bonds like no other medium.Going beyond mere engagement, a video-centric, immersive content hub leads to real business outcomes. By presenting products through immersive video content, B2C brands empower consumers with a holistic understanding, prompting more informed purchasing decisions. This clarity can amplify average order value as consumers buoyed by confidence add more to their carts. Moreover, a vivid understanding of their purchases, thanks to video content, means consumers are less prone to post-purchase regrets, curtailing product returns.

Be Inspired by B2B Live Demos: B2C Live Video Commerce

Just as the B2B landscape underwent a transformative shift, embracing platforms like Zoom, WebEx, and Google Meet for meetings and product demonstrations, the B2C realm is now on the brink of a similar transition. The days of static product images and descriptions are evolving. Brands, recognizing the power of real-time engagement, are keen on integrating live video demonstrations directly within their online shopping platforms. This even goes beyond the B2B use case, as B2C on-site video can help to recreate the tactile experience of in-store shopping in the digital realm, giving consumers an interactive and immersive product experience.But integrating live video into e-commerce platforms isn't just about showcasing products; it's about offering an immersive content hub that provides a seamless and enriched shopping journey. By hosting these sessions within their websites rather than redirecting customers to external platforms, brands can maintain greater control over the user experience. This holistic approach allows for better regulation of the shopping atmosphere, from visual aesthetics to user interface. Moreover, by keeping customers within their digital domain, brands can gather more insightful data on consumer behavior, preferences, and engagement. This not only ensures a superior shopping experience for the consumer but also provides brands with invaluable insights to continually refine their digital strategies. The first-party data generated by engaging consumers on the brand’s site almost pays for itself when compared to rising third-party data costs.

Chatbots Are No Longer for B2B Brands — Video Chat Adds the Human Touch to Shopping

B2B enterprises, for years, have harnessed the power of tools like Zendesk to enhance and streamline their customer service processes. These tools not only tackled fundamental tasks but also introduced a systemized approach to addressing issues, ensuring no customer concern went unnoticed. Following this trend, B2C brands started integrating chatbots into their digital platforms. These AI-driven bots, capable of handling a myriad of customer queries— from lost packages to inquiries about store timings— are revolutionizing the online shopping experience. The instantaneous response and 24/7 availability provide consumers with immediate solutions, mirroring the promptness of an in-store helpdesk.While chatbots excel at answering text-based and customer service queries, brands are exploring more interactive ways to bring the in-store experience online. Video chats, a relatively new entrant in the B2C space, provide shoppers with a direct line to sales representatives or customer service agents. This video connectivity breathes life into the digital interface, making shoppers feel as though they're interacting with a physical representative, blurring the lines between online and offline shopping.One of the standout features being integrated into the modern shopping experience is co-browsing. Advanced bots and platforms now offer this capability, allowing representatives to virtually walk alongside customers as they navigate through the website. Shoppers get the sensation of having a personal shopping assistant right by their side, guiding them, offering insights, and even making product recommendations. This blend of automation and personalization not only makes the online shopping experience more intuitive but also recreates the ambiance and personal touch of brick-and-mortar stores, making customers feel valued and understood.

Firework Can Facilitate Your B2C Commerce Strategy

Websites, which once served as static showcases, must now evolve into dynamic arenas where video hubs, live demos, and chatbots are not just added features but foundational engagement elements. The innate power of video content lies in its ability to make the intangible tangible, weaving a visceral connection between brands and their consumers. As the industry pendulum swings towards this multimedia imperative, brands seeking an adept partner need not look further. As the #1 video commerce platform, Firework is attuned to the nuances of this paradigm shift, ensuring that brands aren't just afloat but are sailing ahead in these changing tides. With Firework's comprehensive video commerce platform, brands can seamlessly integrate video content across all touchpoints, ensuring an immersive and cohesive consumer experience. When the goal is to stay ahead of the curve and craft memorable brand stories, Firework emerges as the partner every brand needs. Together, with vision and innovation, we set the stage for the future of digital commerce.Book a demo to transform your site, or already a client? Reach out to your CSM to go live today!