If you think that the short form videos are only good for views and some vanity metrics, frankly, you are missing out on the real money in today’s time. India’s social media users don’t just watch anymore. But they compare, click, cart and eventually make it a decision point without leaving the app. The jump from scroll to sale is now getting shorter and as a digital marketing expert, one needs to leverage this point?
With Instagram reels, YouTube shorts, Pinterest pin product, social commerce is shifting more to a frictionless buying tunnel from rather being just an entertainment. And the sweet spot lies where you can club the short form video with the shop integrations meet.
Why short from video works so well when it comes to selling in India?
Indians spend more than two hours daily on short video apps. So, basically you don’t chase attention, you build your content inside it. The attention is already over there.
The concept of impulse psychology is growing. Whenever one sees the fast content, it equals to faster desire and therefore even faster checkout. Influencers, creators and even the nano sellers can now act as pure recommendation engines, so there is no trust gap in this entire matrix. What is seen in reel becomes a social proof for buying.
The concept of one tap fulfillment is also rising, which means there are tagged products in platform checkout, COD integrated cards which can remove any leak from the buying funnel.
What kind of short form video actually converts?
What works is not cinematic ad films, but it is the content that feels native to the feed. It has to be quick, real and of course, personal.
- Hands on demos work brilliantly because consumers want to see usage, texture and want to understand the real time results and not just go with the packaging.
- Before and after clips and proof style videos help to build trust without requiring any big words or promises.
- There are micro tests such as home hacks, quick recipes, mix and match, outfit trials, and/or the product comparisons which can help to nudge the curiosity into actual buying intent. The creator POV videos such as ‘Here’s how I use this for my new Diwali look’ can feel like peer recommendations instead of a pushy brand sell.
- And of course the offer and good clips where there are price drops or time sensitive deals or festive special offers can shift a passive viewer into an active buyer.
In short, you have to talk like a friend on WhatsApp and not like a boardroom brand.
How to move from views to cards to orders?
- Do not wait till the caption to sell. The call out should be as simple as buying tag or tap the product inside the first 3 seconds. Attention span is the biggest currency here.
- Make the comment section like a sales desk. You can have some preempted FAQs like the sizes, COD options, return, shipping time, dupes etc. One of the best ideas is to reply with pinned comments for the responses that you think could be helpful for many.
- Collapse the funnel. Use in app shop. Do not go for external websites wherever it is possible. Sometimes this extra click can kill intent.
- Use scarcity ethically. Time bound deals might be found in the biggest shopping platforms all through the year. However, if you can use it more wisely, such as 100 units only or early bird Christmas offer, it can help to drive a more decisive behavior from your consumers.
- Retarget watches. Custom audiences of reel viewers can help to convert cheaper than cold traffic.
The shift to shop where you scroll is here and you should not miss it out
The concept that we mentioned here is not a future play. The D2C brands, the homegrown sellers, even the MSMEs are closing sales daily with the reels in the shorts without having a website of their own. The short form video is no longer a brand awareness playground. In India, it’s travelling storefront that packs attention, trust and where the checkout is possible with just a thumb click.
The brands which are learning to sell inside the scroll and not after it will be owning the next wave of e-commerce. So, if you want to design short form video funnels which can actually help you convert, reach us with a hi and we can help you map one for your category and plan your next pathway.
