Even though interactive video is somewhat of a newcomer in the history of video marketing, the market is ripe for adopting it as the go-to strategy for increased engagement and sales.
In e-commerce businesses, where conversion is the ultimate measure of success, interactive video can play a pivotal role in helping people make a decision and hit the “Buy Now” button quicker.
Unlike a linear video, clickable elements in an interactive video can condense the sales funnel. It can give customers an opportunity to learn product details within the video and decide to buy it in the same moment. No wonder interactive videos have a 44% longer viewing time and a 10 times higher click-through rate than regular videos.
From driving sales and engagement to building trust among your customers, there are many ways that you can use interactive videos in your e-commerce business strategy.
Let’s discuss a few of these methods to inspire your next video campaign. Get ready to be inspired!
Table of Contents
Ways to Engage Your Audience With Interactive Videos
Ways to Make Videos Interactive
Ways to Distribute Interactive Videos
1. Shoppable Video
One of the most common ways e-commerce businesses can use interactive video is by making shoppable videos to display their products. Buyers can watch the video and take action when they want to learn more or make a purchase. This can lead to more sales since buyers can bypass irrelevant sections of the funnel and make a purchase quickly.
Example:
This lifestyle interactive video made with COTU, our interactive video platform, is showcasing sporting goods and apparel. Expandable cards appear non-intrusively as different products show up in the video. Viewers can click on the cards to learn more about the products or click on the button to go directly to the product page.
Use It for Any Industry: An outdoor clothing brand could showcase its products in an adventure-themed video, like camping in Yosemite!
2. Product Demos
An interactive product demo is a great way to showcase your product without directly selling it to your audience. Product demos can be instrumental in B2B sales since 43% of B2B customers want a rep-free buying experience and prefer digital assistance.
Interactive product demos can also allow viewers to really examine the different features of a product, which helps with decision-making. At the same time, clickable links can instantly take interested viewers to the product page to learn more or make a purchase.
Example:
From the very beginning, this video captures the thrill and excitement of riding a mountain bike on a rugged trail. Close-up shots of different parts of the bike allow viewers to see the product up close. Soon, a product drawer appears at one corner of the video. Interested viewers can click on this drawer to expand the card and get pricing details while a button leads them to the product page for purchase.
Use It for Any Industry: A beauty supply store could use a similar video to demonstrate how to apply fake lashes or create nail art. At the same time, they can add product info and links to product pages on expandable cards.
3. Trust Building
One aspect of growing any business is building trust with your audience. You can do so with videos that clearly showcase brand values or how well products hold up in real life. You can even create behind-the-scenes content to show your dedication to the audience since transparency is vital to trust building.
Example:
This video takes a storytelling approach. The narrative revolves around values of hard work, consistency, and the desire to achieve a goal rather than particular product features or brand praises. The products are showcased subtly, and though the camera may zoom onto them, they are not given any space in the narration.
This kind of video can benefit immensely from interactive product cards. You can use expandable cards or drawers for each product as it appears in the video to give interested viewers the opportunity to learn more about the products.
Additionally, an end-screen product carousel could be an excellent way to give consumers another chance to interact with the products they like.
Use It for Any Industry: A sports apparel store can use this video idea to demonstrate the durability of their protective gear, tying it to a real-life story.
4. Personalization Through Data
Interactive videos can be great tools for gathering customer data. With an interactive video, you can monitor clicks on different elements in the video. This data can then be used to create more personalized content for retargeting campaigns. You can also use user interaction data to make individualized product recommendations to customers in future campaigns.
Example:
With COTU’s state-of-the-art analytics, brands can know exactly which products got the most clicks, engaged the most consumers, or garnered the most click-throughs in a video. You can also A/B test video performance for different versions of a video to really understand what your customers prefer. For example, you can compare video metrics for different voiceovers, product positioning, the timing of the product cards in a video, and different copies of expandable cards and CTAs.
Use It for Any Industry: An electronics store could use performance insights to improve content personalization and make a better investment in future products.
Would You Like To Know What Exactly Your Customers Want?
5. Expandable Product Cards
Expandable product cards are clickable card overlays that can display more information about the products or topics featured in the video. These can be used in an e-commerce shoppable video to display prominent product features and prices so that viewers have enough information to make a buying decision while watching.
Example:
This recipe video from COTU offers a very convenient experience for viewers. The expandable cards allow users to choose the information they want to know more about. The cards appear on the side without covering the entire screen or disrupting the viewing experience.
Use It for Any Industry: A jewelry store could use a similar concept to showcase its pieces, allowing viewers to buy a matching set or learn more about its materials.
6. Clickable Links
Adding links and buttons is another practical way to make your video interactive. This is one of the most common ways to make shoppable videos interactive. An e-commerce business can add “Shop Now” CTAs in product videos to direct viewers to product pages and increase conversions.
Example:
COTU kept this interactive video simple, using direct links to lead viewers to the product pages. The simple interactions and the product placements in different real-life situations make it easier for the viewers to see how the product will look or work after they buy it.
The products appear in groups so buyers can purchase a complete set of products. On the end screen, viewers can see all the products featured in the video and get another chance to shop for them.
Use It for Any Industry: A jewelry store can use a similar concept to showcase jewelry sets for different real-life situations: at an event, in an office, at a wedding, or at home with the kids.
7. Advertisements
Interactive video advertisements are highly successful at capturing viewers’ attention. They are versatile, and you can use them to display product features, market brands, announce new products, promote special sales, and more. In fact, about 80% of consumers feel more confident in their buying decision after watching a video.
Example:
This COTU explainer covers what COTU can do for its customers, i.e., the companies that want to provide their customers with a superior purchase experience. COTU bridges the gap between video and e-commerce by facilitating the purchase directly from the video. An interactive version of this advert will be even more compelling since viewers would be able to try out the interactivity in the ad itself.
Use It for Any Industry: A SAAS company can create a similar advertisement for their product to showcase its features and use interactive cards to direct their viewers to a free trial or demo.
8. Website Pages
You can embed interactive videos directly on your homepage or product pages. They can effectively convey your message to your website visitors or guide them to the next steps according to what they want. On product pages, interactive videos can display key product features or a complete look with complementary products allowing you to upsell directly from the video.
Example:
The video on COTU’s homepage does a fantastic job of demonstrating what its video commerce tool could do. In a couple of seconds, the video on COTU’s homepage is successful in giving the visitors a pretty good idea about different ways COTU’s interactive cards can showcase products and share more information about them in a non-intrusive way.
Use It for Any Industry: A SAAS company can use short video clips to show a skeptical audience what they could achieve by using their tool.
9. Social Media
Social media is a great way to interact directly with your customers and showcase your latest products. You can share your unique interactive video URL with your followers or let the viewers scan a QR code to watch the interactive video.
Example:
We often share our interactive videos with our followers on Instagram to give them an overview of the exciting possibilities COTU brings to their video marketing campaigns. You can drop us a DM, request a demo or visit our blog to learn more about COTU.
Use It for Any Industry: A home goods store could share its interactive videos to show off a few of its newest products to its followers on social.
10. Email
Personalized emails are an excellent tool for engaging your customers. For example, you can send personalized interactive video links through email. Within these videos, you can offer viewers a sneak peek into your new exclusive products or give special discounts for your subscribers or repeat customers.
Example:
The Balmista personalized “Thank You” video is a delightful and engaging experience for the customer. They could make it more interesting by adding interactive elements to this video. They could use expandable cards to give loyal customers discount codes or include clickable links to give them a sneak peek into an upcoming collection (that’s not available to regular customers yet).
Use It for Any Industry: A pet supply store could create a similar video to wish their customers well on their furry friends’ birthdays and make personalized product recommendations.
Interactive videos are gaining popularity rapidly, offering incredible opportunities for e-commerce businesses to drive engagement and boost sales. If you’re ready to explore creating interactive videos for your company, contact our team of experts for more personalized assistance.