The rapid shift to e-commerce, driven by the pandemic, has seen more people turning to online shopping for convenience. Online shopping lets customers browse, compare, and buy products effortlessly from their own homes or while on the move. This hassle-free approach to shopping saves time and offers a tailored experience suited to each individual’s needs.
But many studies show customers may like the convenience of online while still craving personal connections, an essential part of the traditional shopping experience. A study by Salesforce found that 73% of consumers prefer to shop online, but 69% of them also say that they miss the human connection of in-store shopping.
Connection has been the hallmark of successful brands throughout the history of modern marketing. So, what happens when that connection is broken?
For brands trying to bridge this gap, video commerce provides a more personalized and engaging way to connect with customers that most other methods are unable to do.
This article will explore three key ways in which customer connections through video can enhance the brand-customer relationship: humanizing digital interactions, providing immersive product demonstrations, and building customer communities. We will delve into how brands can effectively harness the power of video commerce to achieve unparalleled business growth and create lasting connections with today’s generations.
Humanizing Digital Interactions
In a world where digital transactions have become the norm, video commerce allows brands to add a human element to their online shopping experience.
Video also enables brands to convey their unique brand personality and values more effectively than static images or text. Through sight/sound/motion commerce storytelling, companies can showcase their brand identity and foster emotional connections with their customers. By appealing to consumers on an emotional level, brands can improve customer loyalty and increase the likelihood of repeat purchases.
Additionally, the use of live streaming for product launches, events, or Q&A sessions allows for real-time interaction between brands and customers. This not only humanizes the brand but also enables customers to have their questions answered immediately, offering an in-store experience in the comfort of their own homes.
Immersive Product Demonstrations
Video commerce offers brands the opportunity to provide immersive product demonstrations that showcase the features and benefits of their products. Through video commerce, customers can better understand how a product works, visualize how it would fit into their lives, and make more informed purchasing decisions.
Brands can utilize short shoppable videos and live stream shopping events to demonstrate their products in action, answer customer questions, and enable viewers to place orders in real-time. By allowing customers to see the product in use, brands can build trust and boost sales, as customers feel like they are “there” and will be more confident in their purchases.
Furthermore, video commerce can help customers learn how to use and maintain their products post-purchase, enhancing the overall shopping experience and providing another level of confidence that they are buying the right product. This added value improves customer satisfaction because, through video, some customers may realize that they aren’t a good fit for the product. While this may initially seem counterproductive, this approach decreases the cost of returns and increases the likelihood of positive reviews and recommendations—both of which can support business growth.
Building Customer Communities
Video commerce can also help brands build customer communities, creating a more interactive and engaging shopping experience. Brands can host live events, Q&A sessions, or product demonstrations, encouraging customers to share their videos and experiences with the retailer’s products. This fosters a sense of belonging and loyalty among customers, as they feel more connected to the brand and its community.
Why should brands care about communities? The Forbes article, How To Create Value With Brand Communities, lists five key points that clearly define the value:
- It is easier to interact with those who feel like a part of a community than with those who just casually buy.
- Feeling like part of a community increases trust and loyalty in your brand.
- Brands that build communities no longer just have consumers but also have true ambassadors and brand lovers.
- Brand lovers are often more inclined to share their love with friends and acquaintances.
- One of the best ways to develop or improve a product is to involve your community.
For these reasons and more, by actively engaging with their audience through video commerce, brands can inspire customer loyalty and brand love, ultimately driving long-term growth. Additionally, user-generated video content can serve as social proof, attracting new customers and boosting sales due to authentic, relatable, and trustworthy content.
Shoppable video ads on the open web also allow brands to reach potential customers and drive sales more effectively.
Creation Connection Drives the Bottom Line
Customer connections through video commerce have become an indispensable tool in the rapidly changing e-commerce landscape. By leveraging the power of video, brands can provide the personal touch and emotional connection that customers crave in their online shopping experiences. From product showcases and personalized recommendations to virtual consultations and community building, video experiences offer a holistic approach to connecting with customers on a deeper level.
Video commerce has the potential to revolutionize the way brands engage with their customers, ultimately driving unparalleled business growth. By incorporating it into their marketing strategies and utilizing innovative methods to connect with customers on their own sites, brands can bridge the gap between the online and in-store shopping experiences, ensuring that they not only survive but thrive in the ever-evolving world of e-commerce.
