In the dynamic and competitive world of the beauty industry, brands must constantly find innovative methods to engage consumers, and one of the core marketing approaches that beauty brands use today is through short-form video. They’ve adeptly harnessed the power of this format, especially on popular social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where attention spans are short, but engagement is high. From product launches and consumer reviews to tutorial videos and influencer collaborations, beauty ecommerce brands use short-form videos to offer audiences a visually compelling, easy-to-digest, and immersive insight into their offerings.
However, while almost every beauty brand prioritizes short-form video on social media, it’s surprising that they haven’t been able to integrate this same video-first strategy within their own e-commerce ecosystems.
Today, the savviest beauty brands are using video commerce to fill this gap, facilitating an immersive and interactive shopping experience that blends these realms effortlessly. Video commerce utilizes live and shoppable video content on a brand’s website to create an immersive experience for consumers. It enables brands to heighten emotional engagement while streamlining the decision-making process for the shopper.
And the need for a more innovative online strategy is becoming critical. The gap between offline and online shopping in the beauty category is narrowing. The future of this category is online—or at least as important as brick & mortar. For example, in the last 12 months, while 71% of beauty shoppers purchased in-store, 62% purchased on a brand website, and 30% on a brand app. As beauty consumers continue to shift online and adopt an omnichannel approach, video commerce is becoming an increasingly pivotal influencer on the shopping journey.
There are two key video formats to leverage with video commerce: livestream selling and short-form, shoppable videos.
- Livestream selling is a unique, highly engaging video format highly anticipated by consumers and is poised to significantly impact the industry.
- Shoppable short-form video can be used effectively at different stages of the customer journey on your website to boost sales and provide a seamless shopping experience.
When utilized effectively and collectively on a beauty brand’s online store, livestream selling and shoppable short videos can create a powerful synergy, transforming the face of beauty ecommerce. They form the backbone of an efficient and potent beauty video commerce strategy, set to redefine the shopping experience in this constantly evolving industry.
Leveraging Livestream Video for Beauty
58% of consumers say they would shop through livestream video, illustrating its immense potential in the beauty ecommerce landscape. There’s just nothing like it, and this format of video commerce is instrumental in crafting immediate and authentic connections with consumers worldwide, making the shopping experience more interactive and personalized. Thus, integrating livestream video into a brand’s online presence can be a game-changer in enhancing customer engagement and boosting sales.
Livestream video allows brands to engage directly with their customers, demonstrating products and answering queries in real-time. There are numerous creative methods to execute this, ranging from product demonstrations or tutorials to Q&A sessions. Brands can even host “Get Ready with Me” live events or utilize influencer content to compare products, offering a comprehensive view of their offerings. The creative possibilities of livestream video are endless.
In terms of integration, beauty brands are featuring livestream videos on the homepage as an effective way to grab immediate attention via a live experience previously only available in-store. Livestreaming also pairs perfectly with a social media video strategy, as only 4% of transactions happen on social media versus 96% on a brand’s website. Simulcasting, or broadcasting livestreams across various social media platforms, can be instrumental in driving shoppers to the site where they are more likely to make purchases.
And livestreams don’t have to be ephemeral! These videos can continue to drive value for months or years after the stream as an evergreen content library that offsets and amortizes the initial livestream investment. Brands can feature an archive of all past livestreams, making it easy for consumers to access and review these videos at their convenience.
Shoppable Short Videos: Redefining Shopping Experience
Short-form video has become the primary media format for today’s consumers, both for entertainment and for purchase research and discovery. According to research, viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to just 10% when reading it. This stunning discrepancy underscores the power of video as a medium for effective communication and why it needs to be a key format in every beauty brand’s media portfolio.
Shoppable short videos take the short-form video format to the next level by enabling viewers to buy products directly from the video. Interactive elements such as clickable links, hotspots, and product cards with details allow viewers to browse and purchase products, reduce friction and facilitate a smooth shopping experience. Shoppable videos are more immersive, engaging, and conversion-friendly, which increases the likelihood of converting these visitors into customers.
And, most importantly—they work! According to internal reporting, Firework video commerce has seen a 3.5x increase in watch time compared to TikTok for beauty companies, with a 3-5x higher click-through rate.
These videos not only promote beauty products but also educate consumers about different product applications, sometimes driving impulse purchases. By weaving compelling narratives, these videos effectively bridge the gap between product awareness and purchase conversion. As a crucial component of a successful beauty video commerce strategy, shoppable short videos are revolutionizing how consumers shop for beauty products, proving themselves to be more than just a fleeting trend.
Implementing a Successful Beauty Video Commerce Strategy with Livestream and Shoppable Videos
So, how can beauty ecommerce brands harness this strategy effectively? The following are a few foundational ways beauty brands are executive video commerce on their sites:
Consistent livestream selling establishes real-time connections with consumers. This allows relationship building, instant query resolution, and live product demonstrations. But it can’t be a one-and-done approach. Livestream video should be a continual program to be effective. Firework’s livestream solution can be an ideal choice for brands looking to regularly engage consumers through this channel.
Keep your visitors engaged with interactive videos. In today’s digital age, 61% of people expect brands to tailor experiences based on their preferences, indicating a growing desire for personalized, immersive brand experiences. Interactive video allows consumers to “choose their own journey” and engages them in a guided conversation which creates an individualized path tailored to their unique preferences. For beauty brands, this means potential customers could explore benefits they’re particularly interested in, like skin creams tailored for specific skin issues.
Not just short videos, shoppable short videos. Shoppable short videos can be used for marketing products, educating consumers, or stimulating impulse purchases. They provide an avenue to reach a wider audience and facilitate easier product purchasing. This format can also increase engagement through interactive quizzes and other unique functionalities.
Integrate video commerce across the website. Feature both formats — livestreams and shoppable short videos — on your homepage, category pages, and product detail pages. This strategy not only widens your audience reach but also directs traffic to your website, contributing to increased brand visibility and sales at each stage of the buying experience.
- On the homepage, spotlight hero or newly launched products using a Storyblock format. Incorporate shoppable short videos within this layout to provide an interactive and engaging shopping experience. Additionally, use a carousel structure at the bottom of the page for a guided shopping experience. This should involve brief, shoppable videos that give a virtual tour of the brand’s offerings.
- On category pages, implement a Carousel + Grid format. This should feature shoppable short videos for each product or category to stimulate shopping emotions. The videos should creatively showcase the products and provide style inspiration to encourage purchases.
- On product detail pages (PDPs), shoppable short videos should be utilized in a floating or carousel format. The videos can serve multiple purposes. They can educate customers about the product, show before vs. after results of using the product, and include customer reviews. These videos will not only provide comprehensive product details but also make the shopping experience more immersive and interactive.
Embrace the Future with a Strategic Beauty Video Commerce Approach using Firework
The beauty industry has unequivocally embraced social media and short-form video as pivotal marketing tools. The exciting next step lies in fully integrating video commerce into their ecommerce platforms, heralding a new era in customer interaction and engagement.
This burgeoning trend of video commerce presents a wealth of opportunities, primed to redefine how beauty ecommerce brands connect with and enthrall consumers. As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, we are on the cusp of witnessing even more innovative and captivating ways for beauty brands to deploy video to reach their target audiences.
Now is the time to future-proof your brand by optimizing your beauty video commerce strategy and leveraging valuable first-party data from video engagement to further refine your business.
Reach out to Firework to schedule a demo and discover how you can elevate your beauty business with the power of video commerce. For our existing clients, your CSM is ready to help you take your business live today.
Are you ready to seize the future of beauty ecommerce? Request your free trial today.
