Retailbiz
Black Friday is set to be the major online shopping event of 2020, with predictions that sales will increase by almost 20% compared to last year, as shoppers seek bargains ahead of the Christmas period.
Co-founder and joint CEO of interactive video technology pioneer, Vudoo, Nick Morgan has shared four tips for brands preparing for the sales period.
1. Revolutionise your brand’s digital customer experience
Invest in technology that improves customer engagement and the online shopping journey to cut through the noise.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has been the driving force for many retailers to fast-track their digital transformation strategy from a good-to-have to a must-have,” Morgan said.
“Consumer expectations are changing, and they are seeking experiences that are easy, fast and frictionless. With that said, brands need to go further by creating immersive and innovative experiences to drive consumer engagement and achieve cut-through in what is set to be a highly competitive period.”
For example, Nike’s NYC House of Innovation enables consumers to scan a product on a shelf or mannequin, download information about that product and instantly check out and pay for it, all on a mobile app.
Brands can recreate this journey in the e-commerce space by using shoppable interactive videos, whereby viewers can click on a product shown in the video, view the product details and instantly check out.
Sheridan created an interactive video series powered by Vudoo, which incorporated a variety of shoppable pins, allowing users to shop directly within the video. The interactive videos also included styling tips from world-class interior stylists which were simultaneously served to users within the video.
2. Use new and engaging video content formats to stand out
Email marketing is one of the most immediate and effective ways to promote events and sales offerings. Adding engaging video content can help you get noticed.
“Engaging videos can provide a compelling reason for consumers to sit up and take notice and interact with them. Video has the ability to skyrocket your engagement rates, boosting click-through by a whopping 65%,” Morgan said.
“Eye-catching interactive video provides even more opportunities to connect with consumers on a deeper level, allowing brands to enhance the consumer experience and increase the effectiveness of video content. Using interactive video, businesses can provide direct links to purchase within a video, or links to discover more about a brand’s products or services.”
3. Optimise correctly for mobile
During Black Friday last year, over one third of purchases were completed on mobile. Therefore, ensuring content and ad campaigns are optimised for mobile is increasingly important.
“Marketers continue to regard mobile as an extremely effective channel to achieve cut-through with their audiences, with digital video proving to be a format often used to drive website traffic growth, attract customers and increase sales,” Morgan said.
“Over two-thirds of digital video advertising spending worldwide is now delivered through a mobile device. It’s easy to see why – video is easy to consume and can get a brand’s point across quickly; essential when consumers need to make quick purchases.”
4. Utilise data to personalise sales offerings
The latest technology allows brands to gather rich insights on consumer behaviour that cannot be gained from an in-store sales interaction. Personalisation doesn’t just mean a blanket email marketing campaign sent to an entire subscriber list with a consumer’s name at the top.
“When it comes to Black Friday, data is your secret weapon, providing valuable insights into what your customers are interested in. Tracking shifts in consumer behaviour and trends allows you to better engage with your customers to deliver personalised information about relevant products and
sales discounts. In fact, 91% of consumers are more likely to shop with brands that provide offers that are specific and relevant to them,” Morgan said.
“You can personalise campaigns by creating targeted messaging and product offerings based on past order data, or by using browsing history to retarget them with items from similar product categories. You can also do this by using interactive shoppable videos to track and measure a viewer’s clicks and interaction.”