According to the UN Conference on Trade and Development, the global e-commerce industry saw a huge growth through COVID-19. The sector is now worth $26.7 trillion because of its growth of 16% to 19% through 2020. These numbers reveal that an investment in online activities is not just wise but also indispensable for any business seeking to grow and get ahead in today’s constantly evolving competitive market.
One of the key aspects of growing a business online is social media. It is a huge, versatile space within which both established brands and small businesses can engage their customers personally. It has also transformed into a place where brands can directly drive sales for their goods.
What Is Shoppable Content?
Shoppable content lets consumers click on a product in an online catalog, album, video, and the like, which leads them to a page where they can check out or add the product to their cart for immediate purchase.
The use of this in digital marketing shortens the steps a customer must take to make a purchase. This practice reduces the decisions a person makes to convert interest into sales.
Why Should My Business Invest in Shoppable Content?
Make the shopping process simpler by incorporating shoppable content into your marketing strategies. Here are the reasons why your company needs to adopt shoppable content.
1. It challenges you to speed up logistics processes.
Customers today want immediate results. In fact, 90% of consumers expect quick responses to their concerns and inquiries. Slow response times mean loss of sales and trust in your brand.
To take full advantage of the possibilities shoppable content is opening up, a business needs to adopt more efficient practices across every step—not just in online customer interactions. This is especially important in your logistics processes so that you can get customers’ products to their doorsteps much faster.
Streamline your logistics operations through the use of fleet inventory management software that keeps your deliveries moving and allows you to respond promptly should repairs or changes in fleet parts be necessary at any point, thus reducing downtime.
2. It gives customers a better experience.
Customers want convenience even as they visit your online pages, from your website to your social media accounts. Make better use of the various customer touchpoints that come with browsing on the internet through shoppable content.
Instagram, for example, is one of the most widely used social media platforms, with approximately one billion active users today. Meet your customers where they are by promoting products through eye-catching Instagram Stories through your own page and posts by influencers and other users. This way, you soft-sell ads, and they appear more personal.
3. It helps you reach your market more easily.
When your products are visible on your social media pages, interested parties have an easier time finding you online to make a purchase. Help your audience find you by using targeted ads and hashtags.
Targeted ads allow you to have your promotional materials appear on people’s feeds from specific locations, within a specific age range, and even of certain sexes. On the other hand, hashtags connect you to individuals following certain topics, directing already interested parties to your products.
4. It gives you insight into customer preferences.
To develop a strong product line that encourages brand loyalty, you first need to know which products customers prefer and what they like about them. Shoppable content helps you collect this valuable information.
Social media channels have insights that tell you how many people have interacted with your posts and which products have generated the most clicks. This is not only helpful in determining your bestsellers. It is also a great way to see what marketing materials work best with your audiences on various platforms. It can show you what narratives are most effective, which you can use to tailor online content next time.
5. It gets you ahead of the competition.
Finally, if you want your business and your products to be a step ahead of competitors, you need to be quick on the uptake. Shoppable content gives you the opportunity to respond immediately to what customers demand of brands. This lets you devise the best and most efficient ways to market your products in the future.
Make sure to look at the marketing strategies of your direct competitors to examine what they are doing well and how you are performing compared to them. When you have a solid grasp of who you are competing against, you are best positioned to create content that differentiates your brand and your products.