Seven Types of Shoppable Video Content

One of the common questions brands ask when setting up Refer is what type of video should they try – and our recommendations is, the sky's the limit. While we acquire more data on the performance of individual video types, we encourage brands to try Refer with different video styles, lengths and distribution channels. Overall conversion can be assessed on individual video performance, and that can be used to inform further content tests, or to solidify which videos should be used at critical customer communication points.

It's important to remember that Refer can be used for:

• Any video that features one product specifically
• Videos that feature multiple products, shown to users at specific video timestamps
• Short or long videos
• Videos used once, or locked in to some key part in a sequence, like an abandoned cart SMS campaign

Given the above, for brands curious about expanding their video content library to include more shoppable videos – all of the following video types make sense as shoppable video content with Refer.

1. Video Advertisements: Standard video advertisements are the frequently short videos often featured in your social feeds. By adding interactive elements and clickable links within the videos, brands can redirect viewers to checkout more quickly. This allows consumers to make instant purchases, turning passive viewers into active customers.
2. Customer-Provided Testimonials: Testimonials play a crucial role in building trust and credibility for a brand. By transforming customer-provided testimonials into shoppable videos, brands can highlight real people endorsing their products.
3. Influencer or Ambassador Content: By collaborating with influencers or brand ambassadors, brands can create shoppable video content that combines authentic storytelling with a direct path to purchase. Refer additionally provides clear attribution on these sometimes murky to analyze influencer video funnels.
4. Product Demos: Product demonstration videos are excellent for showcasing the features, benefits, and functionality of a product. Refer works great for product demos – both for product demos of a single product at length, or a series of products that go well together (think curating a "look" or showcasing a bundle).
5. Educational or How-To Videos: Educational or how-to videos are valuable resources for teaching viewers various skills or providing useful information. Not just a demo, these videos teach something additional to the user, (E.g. A video: How to Knead Dough (featuring a Kitchenaid Mixer). Showcasing your product during a recipe or cooking technique can now lead to faster conversion.
6. Expert Interviews: Interviews with industry experts can help establish authority and thought leadership. By incorporating your products or comparing them against others with interactive elements in these videos, brands can showcase the products being discussed and provide viewers with an opportunity to purchase them.
7. Live Videos: Live videos offer an excellent platform for real-time engagement with the audience. By making live videos shoppable, brands can create an immersive shopping experience. Viewers can interact with hosts, ask questions, and make purchases simultaneously. While Refer is meant for asynchronous content, live video providers like Live can host this high-conversion content.

Refer is a perfect product to begin to experiment with all the various types of video content that might make sense for your product and brand, including those listed here and others. We recommend testing as many possible types based on your distribution channel, product storytelling, product price, product type and audience as you can, to find the best possible conversion that video can provide.