So you’ve been doing a little holiday shopping at work. Don’t lie, we’ve all done it – and what better day than today – it’s Cyber Monday! And this year we’ve got the viewership data to prove it! Online shopping and product research can be done virtually anywhere thanks to the advancements in smart phones and abundance of product related videos available on the web. In part two of our 5 part blog series, gen.video takes a look at some of the latest video related ecommerce trends leading into the busiest shopping season of the year.
With retailers placing emphasis on the ease of discovery of video content, it should be no surprise to see shoppers take to the ‘screen’ while shopping. From product reviews to how-to videos to gift giving ideas, retailers of all shapes and sizes look to provide a richer experience for shoppers looking to avoid the hectic lines of the traditional brick and mortar shops.
TREND #2
Video Consumption Growth
Short of going into a store and experience the product for yourself, video is the ultimate media/medium to ‘touch and feel’ a product online. And shopping behaviors are confirming that video is in demand and driving sales. When looking across the gen.video network the rate of growth year over year is impressive (roughly 40-50%) and if we project that same rate of growth for this holiday season, which is probably a very conservative prediction, we are looking at significant increase in demand for video.
But when is this taking place? Let’s face it, people like to find distractions at work and what better way to pass some time than shopping and watching videos online. Looking across the gen.video syndication network, it appears as if shoppers have been busy watching videos during the middle of the day. As we enter the anticipated holiday season, video consumption is seeing an uptick again around 9pm EST, presumably once the kids are put to bed.
In the days and weeks ahead, as 2015 comes to a wrap, gen.video will continue to monitor the trends we are seeing as the worlds of social and ecommerce collide. And at the epicenter of it all appears to be emotional, inspiring, authentic user generated content – Influencer Video!