Summary
READ ITThe ultimate guide for e-commerce videos in 2022
Last year, we wrote an extensive guide to 2021 trends for video in the e-commerce industry. The interest and feedback were overwhelming; so it’s only fair that we write a guide for 2022 as well! Brace yourselves for a deep dive into the most important video trends for 2022 and how to include them in your strategy.
1. Vertical Product or Services Videos
A. Overview
We have social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram to thank for this! Vertical videos are on the rise because they make the most of the screen space that we have available to us. They're perfect for when people are watching video content on their phones, as it takes up the whole screen and doesn't leave any black bars at the top and bottom.
In addition, recording videos is easy and fast. It requires less production while still getting your message across efficiently!
B. How to create a vertical video
It can’t be any easier than this: open up your phone’s camera and click record video! Here’s a few tips to record vertical videos:
- Duration: from 10 to 40 seconds
- Content: show a person and/or product
- Device: a mobile phone or a camera
- Sound: no need for a microphone if the device is situated less than 2m away
- Background: neutral tones, like navy blue or soft white
- Extra: we recommend subtitles (see captioning section further below)
C. Types of videos
You can basically create any type of vertical video - your imagination is the limit! Take the example of Jossel&Co’s on-site vertical video. It doesn’t occupy a lot of space, the flow is seamless, and the content of the video is short and welcoming.
D. Tools
You don’t really need a specific tool to record vertical videos - your phone’s video camera is the best companion! Just make sure your front camera’s quality is good enough. If not, use the back camera, as the quality is usually better than the selfie camera.
2. User-generated content videos
A. Overview
Along with the first online marketplace came the capacity for people to comment on the products they order. Thus, user-generated content (UGC) became one of the most reliable conversion boosters in the arsenal.
One would say its success is mathematical - the more positive reviews, the higher the likelihood of purchase. However, this isn’t only a numbers game. Qualitative UGC videos that review the products or company in depth weigh heavier than a superficial 10-second review.
As opposed to writing a review or commenting, customers can opt to record a video of themselves unboxing, testing, talking about, or presenting the product. While some can be faked, this type of content remains the most authentic and accurate form to shorten your purchase cycle.
B. How to create a user-generated video
Well, you don’t create them - your users do! Send an email, call, or contact your customers via social media after they've made an order or have written a positive review. Ask if they are willing to record a video where they talk about your product. Best case scenario, the customer might’ve already made a testimonial video on their personal account.
To make it even easier, you can send your customer a script to make their life easier. Here’s an example of what we do at Vidjet in order to inspire our customers.
Finally, ensure you have permission to use the content on your website or social media. Done!
C. Types of videos
Testimonial Videos: Customers talk about their experience with the product.
Take a look at this video from Sustainable Shine. They combine three different testimonials into one video they displayed on their frontpage. The three customers unbox the product, show visitors how to use it, and explain why they love the product as well.
Unboxing Videos: Customer opens and discusses the contents of a package they received
While these types of videos are very popular on Youtube, you can leverage their power by displaying them as product videos on your e-commerce site. We’re yet to find a good example of that, so why not be the first one to start this trend?
There are many video platforms that focus on UCG content, making it easy for brands to reuse it. Even if they are similar, it’s important to have elements of truth on your homepage. Once again, we want to stress the importance of copyright and having the approval of the video author.
We love this unboxing video from Oilee Skincare. The slow-motion opening of the box creates tension and the close-up of every product builds excitement!
Influencer Videos: This requires collaboration with famous people on social media
The influencer videos from Ambrosia Collective are our favorites. Most are famous social media bodybuilders and fitness lovers who film themselves tasting the product. The videos are engaging and authentic, and their on-site videos even include a coupon code to shorten the purchase phase!
D. Tools
The Testimonial.to tool presents a simple solution to collecting video and text testimonials. You create a landing page to share with your customers. After they share their testimonial, you have a dashboard to manage all your testimonials in one place. The best part about this tool is that it requires zero coding experience (similar to Vidjet 😉 ).
3. Interactive Marketing videos for e-commerce
A. Overview
Interactive ecommerce has been an emerging trend in the past couple of years. Following that, interactive videos provide the opportunity for customers to engage with the videos, rather than be passive viewers. Customers can ask questions, explore the product in more detail or directly buy it with a click! This type of content significantly increases engagement and conversion rates!
However, consider that it usually takes a significant amount of time to plan, prepare, record, build flow, and publish interactive videos. Ensure that you have enough resources and time to commit to it. Will it be worth all the effort?
B. How to create a user-generated video
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best way to create an interactive video depends on your business and its needs. However, here are a few general tips to help you get started:
Start by figuring out what you to achieve with the interactive video:
- Do you want customers to automatically receive answers to their questions, like a video chatbot?
- Do you want them to engage more with your website and product presentation?
- Do you want them to shop for the product after viewing the content, i.e shoppable videos?
- Or are you looking for customer feedback?
- Create the content for the videos: the question, the answers, the logic.
- Ensure you test everything before you launch!
C. Types of videos
There are three main types of interactive videos - hotspot, shoppable, and conversational (quiz).
Interactive video hotspots
They allow the viewer to click on different parts of the video to learn more about a specific topic. These can be used for engagement. Take the example of Kariega Safari Park. Their hotspots are meant to guide the viewer through an immersive journey.
Shoppable videos
The new video trend! Theyreduce the number of purchase steps by integrating shoppable features, i.e shop now call to action, within the video. These can be displayed both on social media and on-site, by using the right tools. A beautiful example is Mango’s Shifting Skies campaign. Users can interact with the video by clicking on the clothes that the models are wearing. A fashionista’s dream come true!
Conversational (quiz) videos
They require the viewer to answer questions while watching the video. These can be used for feedback. Take for example Nguyen’s Coffee’s welcome video. The shop founder welcomes visitors with a quick explanation of what the shop represents, then offers options to continue the conversation. If you engage with the video until the end, you will most likely find the best product for you, based on a few simple answers about your tastes.
D. Tools
Camtasia
To add video hotspots, you need a video editing software. Camtasia’s software may seem intimidating at first, but once you get used to all the amazing features, you won’t want to look back. Adding hotspots to your video requires adding certain details and exporting the video with everything included afterwards.
VideoAsk
With VideoAsk, sky's the limit! Their conversational videos are top of the market. You create video campaigns that your users can either answer via a quiz or with their own recorded videos. The conditional logic is easy to follow and they have plenty of examples to get inspiration from.
Firework
This tool has the perfect shoppable video features for you. You can edit quickly edit your content, products to your conceptual or promotional videos, and review relevant data. Our favorite part? Firework promotes publishing your videos on-site, rather than social media.
4. Create Personalized video Content
A. Overview
Another great way to use video in your ecommerce business is by creating personalized videos for your customers. These videos are a great way to show off your products and create a personal connection with your viewers.
Our favorite form of personalization in ecommerce is humanized videos. Instead of displaying highly edited computer generated videos, you can use people to promote the brand via videos.
Finally, remember that an essential part of personalization is knowing your audience.
B. How to create a user-generated video
Creating personalized videos depends on what you hope to achieve with them. Regardless, we recommend recording yourself or another member of your team showcasing your products or talking about one of the aspects outlined in the Types of videos section. Finally, ensure you display the content according to where the visitor is in the buyer’s journey.
C. Types of videos
Welcome videos - to be displayed on your shop’s homepage, for new visitors
One of our favorite welcome videos comes from Paul’s Hand Turned Creations. When the video pops-up, Paul’s wife welcomes visitors to the shop and encourages them to contact her with any questions, as well as sign up to their email list. Friendly, and efficient!
Informative videos - to be displayed on your shop’s “about us” page
The Lightning Outlet provides a great example of an informative video on their returns page. The manager or returns gives a detailed explanation of who handles these queries and how the entire process works.
Thank you videos - to be displayed once a customer’s made a purchase
Boule de Neige’s thank you video is packed with the right energy for customers to return. The two founders congratulate the customer for their purchase and offer their thanks. They also encourage following on Instagram, since many of their shop’s updates are there. A successful way to express your brand and gratitude in one go!
D. Tools
Vidjet is your go-to app for personalized and humanized videos. The video pop-up tool is the only one on the market that specializes in e-commerce on-site videos. It’s easy to use, there’s a variety of e-commerce use cases for your campaigns,, and you can even collect emails with your videos! It’s also the easiest way to publish several videos on several pages, triggering them in relation to visitors’ actions.
Special mentions for creating ecommerce videos in 2022
Soundless optimization
We can thank social media once again for this! When it comes to video, sound is an important part of the experience. However, not all viewers want or need sound for video content. That's why it's important to optimize your videos for silent playback. This means adding text captions or subtitles to your video so that viewers can understand the content without having to turn on the sound.
Captioning
Captioning videos can also help you reach a wider audience, as around 85% of video is watched without sound. In addition, adding captions can improve your SEO ranking, as search engines like Google give preference to videos that have closed captions.
Mink Hair does a great job of both soundless optimization and good captioning practice. This on-site video testimonial is automatically muted when it pops-up, and the subtitles are evidenced with a playful font.
Sustainable ecommerce
This doesn’t necessarily concern the video aspect of ecommerce, rather your entire shop. If you aren’t considering sustainable practices for your online shop, then you definitely should. Audiences are more concerned about where the products they consume come from. So, using on-site videos to reflect your sustainable practices from your shop is an authentic and trustworthy way.
This welcome video from Mummix shows how their orders are packaged - with no plastic, using recyclable materials. Since the shop preaches sustainable and vegan products, a video that proves their dedication to the cause goes a long way in both customer acquisition and retention.
Website optimization
When it comes to video, website optimization is just as important as video content itself. You need to make sure that your site is configured to handle video traffic and that the video files are properly optimized so they load quickly and look good on all devices.
PageSpeed Insights, from Google, is a great tool to analyze the loading speed of web pages. We also recommend the Google Lighthouse extension to measure the quality of your web pages.
You should also use effective call-to-action buttons and other elements to increase conversion rates from your videos. Use a tool like Vidjet, that does slow down your website when you display the videos.
In the ever-changing world of online shopping, it’s important to stay ahead of the curve and use all the tools at your disposal. Video is quickly becoming one of the most important weapons in an ecommerce retailer’s arsenal, so make sure you take advantage of it!
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Thumbnail photo by Brando Makes Branding on Unsplash
Main photo by 愚木混株 cdd20 on Unsplash
