Today’s shoppers are always looking for opinions they can trust. And largely, those insights come from their peers. Research by Bazaarvoice found that 74% of consumers trust shopper content more than brand-provided content on a product page.
With the right mix of content, including user generated content (UGC) shared by everyday shoppers as well as content shared by creators who partner with brands and have engaged social media followings, retailers can engage more shoppers while boosting sales, says Tiffany Holbrook, senior product marketing manager at Bazaarvoice.
“One of the big pain points retailers have when developing a social content strategy is they don’t have enough user-generated content to bring on their site,” she says. Creator content can serve as a “bridge” to improve onsite brand engagement by giving consumers an authentic social experience, says Holbrook, while at the same time inviting everyday shoppers to post their own social and visual content and participate in the conversation.
“Social shopping is here, so you better work hard to make your onsite experience fun and engaging—just like social,” says Holbrook. “Because that's what consumers are getting more accustomed to, and that’s what they’re expecting.”
When done right, social content can engage consumers, unlock sales and drive conversion. That’s what happened when Bazaarvoice worked with Petco and River Island on their social content strategy.
Tapping into the everyday influencer community: Petco
Petco was looking to raise awareness and boost sales for two of its in-house brands, WholeHearted pet food and treats, and Reddy pet gear. To encourage social posts and product reviews about the brands, Petco partnered with Bazaarvoice, which has an influencer community of 7.5 million engaged consumers, to create a sampling program. Called Spotted by Petco, the program puts products in the hands of loyal shoppers in exchange for honest reviews.
As expected, the influencers shared food and pet reviews. And the photos they posted were better than any paid advertisement: imagine fun photos of dogs wearing taco costumes and lounging in novelty beds. The campaign led to a 48% increase in revenue per visit for sampled products, a 28% increase in conversion and a 15% increase in the average order value. “The idea of getting not only reviews, but higher quality reviews with images for our own brand products was really enticing,” says Hannah Kredich, category specialist at Petco. “We were looking to boost conversions and visits, and we’ve now seen that happen across sampled products.”
Inspiring shoppers with influencer image galleries: River Island
Photos and videos are powerful tools when it comes to influencing shoppers’ purchasing decisions. London-based fashion brand River Island experienced that firsthand when partnering with Bazaarvoice to curate user-generated photos and videos from social channels and display them across the River Island home page, along with a full-page gallery and carousels on product pages. The shoppable images (known as Bazaarvoice Galleries), inspire other shoppers to discover new items and try new styling ideas. Thanks to the visuals, River Island saw a 148% lift in conversion, a 45% increase in average order value and a 200% increase in time spent on the site. “The technology has allowed us to create a unique piece of wish-list functionality that is relevant to the way customers shop,” said Gemma Scarfe, River Island’s head of e-commerce.
Consumers can be your brand’s greatest advocates. When customers interact with social content on a retail site or product page, it sparks inspiration and drives discovery of new products, resulting in a 380% increase in time on the site and up to a 15% increase in average order value, according to research by Bazaarvoice. That’s because shoppers feel more confident in a purchase when they can view content from other shoppers.
Of course, social and visual content don’t simply appear on their own. To generate content for a product or brand website, brands must develop a robust social content strategy, or partner with an enterprise such as Bazaarvoice, which has a network of 8.5 million influencers and 8 million creators and can help tailor the right content mix to meet a brand’s goals.
“Social content on site is extremely powerful, but it doesn't come magically,” says Holbrook. “You have to ensure you have the program in place to get enough social content both from everyday shoppers and creators. Only then can you deploy a social commerce strategy that meets customer needs while maximizing results for retailers.”
Want to learn how to get the right mix of creators and everyday shoppers in your social shopping strategy? Connect with Bazaarvoice, the leading UGC platform, for help in transforming your brand and marketing strategy with user-generated content. Download Bazaarvoice’s latest guide, The Retailer’s Guide to Social Commerce Success to get started today.
via https://www.aiupnow.com
, Khareem Sudlow
