In the fast-paced space of social media and digital marketing stands two exciting and emerging trends – short-form video and social commerce. Apps such as TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts have changed the way brands create content and send messages to their audience. Enter the era of social commerce that’s facilitating one step further. Not only can brands sharpen fans’ engagement, but they can sell through the very same platforms.
These are more than just the latest buzzwords — they’re changing marketing as we speak. Brands that want to remain relevant in our current mobile-first world, and reach modern consumers’ attention, need to adapt to these changes.
Short-Form Video: What It Is & Why It Works
The Rise of Short-Form Video
Short-form video can be defined as videos that are at most 60 seconds in duration. The format was popularized by platforms like TikTok, but both Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts have quickly adopted it. Short-form videos are appealing because they are fast, entertaining, and consumable — something that the new age consumer loves (with shorter attention spans also being a contributing factor).
Why It Works for Brands
- Conciseness & Impact: Short videos are concise and impactful, perfect in this fast-paced social media world. The completion rate and engagement for 30 second ads can be higher than those running lengthier formats, as they are consumed at a relatively high rate.
- Viral Potential: Short-form videos are easily shareable and often have the potential to go viral. All it takes is to approach creativity right, and one video can hit millions of viewers in next to no time.
- Highly Addictive: Users are hooked into short form, fun content that doesn’t take too much time to complete. Brands can use this form to entertain, teach or deliver news in a more entertaining and memorable way.
Social Commerce: When Selling Positions Itself Inside the Sociosphere
What is Social Commerce?
Social commerce is the act of integrating e-commerce into social media platforms. Instead of sending users off platform to complete a purchase, social commerce lets them shop directly on their go-to social apps, like Instagram, TikTok or Facebook.
From shoppable posts to live-stream shopping events, brands can now preserve the end-to-end purchase experience without their followers ever having to leave the platform.
Why We’re So Good at Ignoring the Big Problems in Plain Sight
- Shopping at your Fingertips: Thanks to social commerce, buying is made easier. Users are able to find products, be inspired and make a purchase all in one place without moving between apps or websites.
- Social Proof: Manufacturers, retailers and distributors can all capitalise on the perfect medium for user-generated content, reviews and influencer collaborations in order to build trust and confidence in their products.
- Influencer & UGC Integration: Influencers are so powerful in social commerce. Influencers show off products, the upshot usually a boost in sales and exposure. It’s much more authentic for consumers to feel that they are a part of the influencer experience through use of product and get encouraged to make purchases.
Why Brands Should Benefit from Short-Form Video & Social Commerce
Increased Engagement & Reach
Growth of both short-form video and social commerce create new opportunities for brands to meet customers where they are. Short-form videos lead to user engagement, and combined with shopping features they can form a direct path from engagement to transaction.
Short-form videos have the potential to go viral, giving brands the ability to amplify their reach beyond existing followers. Social commerce facilitates brands meeting consumers where they are most active (on social) and therefore the probability of a sale.
Boosted Sales and Conversions
Short-form videos are an effective way of displaying products and showing how valuable they could be for your users, encouraging them to make a purchase. Coupled with social commerce, users can purchase directly after watching a video with only a few clicks.
Brands can see both higher CTRs and better conversion rates when they discover users on social commerce at the upper funnel, when they’re most interested. Video can demonstrate products in action, emphasize benefits and urgency for instant action.
Stronger Brand Connections
Brands can now reach their consumers at an individual level in short-form video and social commerce. That’s because when you show off your products in an organic, entertaining and sympathetic context, brands can create a more genuine and real connections with their followers.
Short-form video is a way for brands to expose their personality, be it humor and creativity or educational content. Social commerce increases trust by including user-generated content and testimonials, as well as influencer recommendations.
How Short-Form Video & Social Commerce Can Help You Sell
Short-form Video Marketing Success Pointers
- Keep It Fun & Creative: Short-form video is all about being creative. Have fun and entertain your audience with humor, creativity, and storytelling.
- Call to Action: Include a Clear Call to Action: Regardless of what you are posting on social media, there should always be an obvious call to action — whether that’s telling people to purchase your product, give you a follow, or engage with your post.
- Use Trends & Challenges: There are many viral trends and challenges circulating on TikTok and Instagram Reels. Brands can leverage these trends to increase visibility and attract a broader audience.
Maximize Social Commerce Opportunities
- Shoppable Posts: Turn on shopping for Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok and tag your post or video with the products so that users can easily make purchases in-app.
- Host Live Shopping Events: Live streams are becoming an integral part of social commerce. Go live to sell products in real time while interacting with your audience.
- Partner With Influencers: When you work with influencers, you make use of their followers and gain an element of authenticity for your marketing. Influencers can showcase your products and prompt sales on social media.
Challenges and Considerations
Balancing Creativity with Sales Goals
As much as short-form videos and social commerce are powerful promotional tools, content and promotion must however be balanced. It can alienate an audience if there is too much selling; but failing to ask does not create conversions.
Staying Authentic
Increasingly, consumers are pickier and more capable of sniffing out the fake hype. In order to win in short-form video and social commerce, brands must stay authentic, gain trust and interact meaningfully with their audience.
Conclusion: Why Short-Form Video and Social Commerce Are Key for the Future of Marketing
Short-form video and social commerce are upending the marketing landscape, giving brands new ways to compel audiences. These tendencies enable better engagement, more sales and deeper brand associations. As social media networks evolve, brands that engage in short-form video and embrace social commerce will succeed in a landscape where the only constant is change.
But if you aren’t already involving short-form video or social commerce in your audience engagement strategies, you should start now. And, these are not trends that will disappear — they’ll only get stronger.
