Trend #2: The Best Social Videos Are Diverse and Authentic
Retailers are looking to incorporate even more video content into their marketing and advertising strategies in 2022. At Shoptalk, Andreessen Horowitz General Partner Connie Chan referred to this phenomenon as “Shoptainment,” the overlap of videos on social media made to entertain and an opportunity to make a purchase.
The key questions Shoptalk retailers asked revolved around the content and distribution of these videos; who should be recording them? What’s the optimal length for a social media video? On what channels will they have the most impact?
While the answers to these questions vary depending on industry and audience, one element remains constant; videos with an authentic, user-generated content (UGC) feel tend to resonate best with audiences and instill the most purchasing confidence in consumers. Successful brands using video like Delta Airlines on TikTok make the most out of a video-centric marketing strategy by diversifying the types of videos shared by the brand and the avenues they’re shared on.
Embracing brand-produced video content alongside influencer, customer, and employee-generated content sets modern brands up for similar success as well as a coveted high volume of video content.
Trend #3: The Relatable Micro-Influencer Beats Out Celebs
Wednesday’s deep dive with Elysa Walk, Chief Business Officer of Burton Snowboards, Lisa Lesman, VP Global Marketing of Coach, and Rich Fulop, Founder & CEO of Brooklinen belarus mobile database was titled “Using Influencers Effectively.” This panel discussed the shift to embrace smaller-scale creators like nano influencers and brand ambassadors that typically provide engaged niche communities and authentic content compared to high-profile influencers.
Gen Z expects transparency, empathy, and diversity from brands; brands should represent the broad spectrum of individuals that exist in the real world through their marketing, while proudly reflecting brand values and humanizing their online presence. 82% of Gen Z’ers say they trust a company more if it uses images of real customers in its advertising
Creators with narrower focuses and smaller, more engaged audiences are one way to approach this expectation. They’re skilled at creating content that resonates authentically with their specific audiences. UGC is another method; sourcing and sharing media from your existing customer base show brand affinity while contextualizing your product in the lives of real people.
Lots of talk from brands about user-generated content, which I’m happy to hear. That term got dropped for a while, but it’s such an important loyalty and market research tool #shoptalk2022
While retailers should continue to drive engagement and community on social media, these takeaways from Shoptalk show that a step beyond traditional retail marketing strategies may differentiate your brand from the competition. One thing is clear – retailers seeking out ways to scalably innovate with community-driven commerce will emerge prominently in the hearts and minds of consumers for years to come.