When using video marketing strategies in the shopping aisle, brands must straddle a fine line between aiding the consumer and disrupting them. Short form, vertical video offers a way for brands to greet customers and direct them to their products in the store without disrupting their shopping trip. Meanwhile, live announcements made via social media can drive excitement for new product releases. The conversion potential of video goes even further in the shopping aisle, as it allows brands to reach consumers as they’re in a purchase mindset.
Brands don’t necessarily have to create video themselves to take advantage of it. A strategy common among challenger brands and legacy names alike involves encouraging consumers to share their own video content with brands. Such campaigns drive interaction and help brands discover their most powerful influencers. There are several video marketing ideas that brands can leverage in the shopping aisle to grab the attention of consumers. These three strategies are just a few examples of video marketing potential.
Video Marketing Idea #1: Embrace Vertical Video
The popularity of Snapchat is what drove the trend of vertical video, where consumers view content in portrait mode rather than landscape. Vertical video is a strong format for a straightforward reason. It leverages the way consumers physically use their phones, as smartphone users hold their phones vertically 94% of the time. This format is also ideal for many video styles, including:
- Rewarded video: Rewarded video is typically available through shopping apps like Shopkick, as well as mobile games. With it, consumers watch branded content and receive rewards points (or for Shopkick, kicks) or gaming loot. This form of video advertising is best displayed in a vertical format to not disrupt the consumer’s enjoyment of the app or game.
- Live content: Brands are enjoying the flexibility of live video options on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. With them, brands can share announcements and get consumers excited about new products with real-time updates.
- Short form content: Displaying short-form content, like small commercials and brief announcements, is more seamless in a vertical video format. Short form content is also less disruptive during the customer’s journey, making it an ideal option for in-store engagement.
Vertical video is more convenient for traveling consumers, which makes this style of video marketing ideal for sharing content with consumers as they shop. It drives a more intimate, engaged connection that creates consumer trust and encourages them to seek out a brand’s products.
Video Marketing Idea #2: Use an Explainer Format
Explainer videos are designed to take a large amount of information and condense it into a short, simple video. An example of this comes through in-store video greetings. Here, the consumer enters a participating retail location and receives a short video which welcomes them to the store and lets them know about products or events. This brief format can enhance existing marketing material, like displays ads.
Explainer videos allow a brand to advocate on behalf of their products. They can work industry-wide, but typically are best when taking a solution-based approach. As such, they play a critical role in the new product launch marketing plans which brands use to engage consumers in the shopping aisle.
Using a mobile app like Shopkick, a brand is given the opportunity to present a short video message to a consumer about their new product, how it’s useful to them, and where to purchase it. This quick informational promotion can direct the consumer to products in the store by leveraging in-the-moment advertising.
Video Marketing Idea #3: Generate Video Content From Influential Followers
This past summer, Unilever made the news when they announced they were pulling away from investing in influencers with large followings due to concerns over bot accounts and ad fraud. The issue Unilever faced was the lack of transparency. Influencers are often chosen based on their follower count, even when there’s fraudulent inflation in those numbers. Gaining true value from influencer marketing requires taking a targeted approach and gathering real data on engagement.
An in-store strategy may involve a popular influencer shopping at their local retailer, visiting a QSR, or using a product from a brand and sharing their results. However, a better way to manage influencer relationships is to track engagement at the content level. By following the specific video campaign, brands can better understand how an influencer impacts their target demographic.
Video marketing ideas for the shopping aisle should be designed around customer convenience.
As an example, a brand hires two Instagram influencers. One influencer has millions of followers; the other has significantly less. At first glance, the brand would likely assume that the influencer with millions of followers is the better option to build brand awareness and influence sales. However, the brand takes it a step further and reviews each influencer’s recent branded video post, and finds that the influencer with the large following has very few shares or relevant comments. Meanwhile, the influencer with a much smaller following has a more engaged audience. This tells the brand the influencer with a smaller following is a better investment, and will be able to grab the attention of their audience through video.
Video marketing ideas for the shopping aisle should be designed around customer convenience. Vertical video is the optimal way for traveling consumers to watch content. Using an explainer-based approach helps inform them of a product’s benefits. Finally, analyzing influencer generated videos helps a brand determine if the ROI is worth the cost of the partnership. Mobile video provides an excellent opportunity for brands to reach out to consumers in the shopping aisle and gain their attention in those critical moments before a purchase decision.
Shopkick partners connect with consumers through our innovative app designed around in-store engagement. For more information on how our app can further your video marketing efforts, contact us.
Image courtesy of Sergey Causelove
