It can be difficult for digital retailers to stand out on the 'Net, as the competition within email inboxes, social newsfeeds and search engine result pages is fierce.
One of the most effective ways to create a lasting impression for digital shoppers is by incorporating video into your brand's marketing strategy. In doing so, retailers have the opportunity to showcase their products, engage their shoppers and increase their brand's visibility. The biggest challenge of video, however, is deciding on a goal and a strategy that works for your band. Adding videos to product pages, for example, can be a good way to close sales and increase conversions, while social video is better for raising awareness and growing an audience base.
To gain inspiration for your ecommerce store's video marketing initiatives, read below to discover five strategies currently being used by popular brands on the Web:
Strategy: Product Page Video
Including video on product pages can encourage indecisive customers to make a purchasing decision. This is because viewing a product online is much different than viewing it in person at a brick-and-mortar store. That said, product page videos like those offered by White House Black Market, give shoppers a better idea of how items appear outside of a computer screen.
Strategy: Social Video
There are various social networks where brands can share videos nowadays, including still-emerging social networks like Instagram and Pinterest. Leveraging videos on these networks can help a brand grow its audience, increase its reach and promote its products. Marc Jacobs, for instance, created a short and simple video that not only endorses the company's products as fabulous Valentine's gifts, but also promotes free two-day shipping just in time for the holiday.
Strategy: On Site Video
When you have an active niche market, like the makeup industry does, showcasing videos on your website is a good way to improve engagement metrics like time on site. Urban Decay is an example of a brand using the power of video to connect with its loyal fan base. The company's site not only features an entire section dedicated to videos, but it also offers a variety of video types for its shoppers to choose from, such as new product videos and video demonstrations.
Strategy: Blog Video
In general, blogging is a great way to improve a brand's visibility in the search results, but incorporating video into its blog, like American Eagle does, is even better. This is because Google ranks video content higher, as it tends to be more engaging for end-users. Plus, mixing up the type of content featured on a blog makes it more interesting for visitors to come back.
Strategy: Send them to YouTube
Websites can promote videos even if the brand's content is not hosted there. Take Urban Outfitters as an example. The popular apparel brand hosts the majority of its video content on the company's YouTube page, yet it also uses its landing page to promote select videos. It is important to note that YouTube is actually the second biggest search engine on the 'Net (behind Google), so maintaining content on the popular video platform can definitely help a brand improve its visibility and SERP ranking.