Vertical video for retailers

One of the biggest problems that retailers face is how to market their products. On the one hand, the marketing needs to be concise and eye-catching enough to capture the viewer's attention. On the other, it needs to be informative enough so that the customer will know why they are choosing that retailer over the competitors. The difficulty lies in finding the right balance, especially if one relies on traditional marketing content. However, this balance can be easier to find if you rely on more modern marketing content like vertical videos. So, for this article, we will focus on the use of vertical video for retailers and how they can make the most of it.

Different uses of vertical video for retailers

Vertical videos by design, leave a lot of room for creativity and innovation. Therefore, we will only cover some of the many iterations of vertical videos in retail. These have shown to be the most effective for a fairly broad range of retailers. But, these are by no means the only ways in which retailers can use vertical videos. Once you do start engaging with vertical storytelling, know that StorifyMe is here to help you every step of the way. Now, without further ado, let's take a look at some examples.

Showcasing products in vertical video

To start, let's cover the most obvious way in which retailers use vertical videos and product displays. Namely, due to their orientation, vertical video is ideal for product showcases. This is because it mimics the natural way consumers hold their phones and view content (vertically). By not having to flip their phone to properly view the video, the viewer won't get jerked away from the rest of their experience. This makes the product showcases relatively unintrusive and easy to enjoy.

While there are essentially endless ways in which you can showcase a product with a vertical video, we recommend that you do the following. At least until you develop a unique style of your own.

• Highlight key features - Use close-up shots to emphasize product details (e.g., fabric texture, stitching, or ingredients).
• Demonstrate use cases - Show the product in action (e.g., a model wearing clothing, someone using a kitchen gadget, or a beauty product being applied).
• Make it interactive - Add text overlays, animations, or arrows to draw attention to specific features.
• Make video shoppable - Either include clickable product tags (on platforms like Instagram or TikTok) or incorporate elements that allow users to purchase directly from the video.

Promoting coupons and discounts

As most retailers know, coupons and discounts are powerful incentives for driving sales. They are also quite effective in re-engaging prior shoppers and having them come back for more. Well, vertical video can make these promotions more engaging and actionable. The key is to use bold, eye-catching text to announce the discount (e.g., “30% OFF TODAY ONLY!”).

Another thing that retailers have long realized is that offering a discount won't do much on its own. The trick is to put a time limit on it. This gives your customers the FOMO and motivates them to make use of the discount while it is active. Of course, the time limit shouldn't be too short, as not all customers will see the offer at the right time.

Highlighting sustainability efforts

An ongoing retail trend that is likely to remain popular for the foreseeable future is sustainability. And how could it not, considering the state of our planet and the appalling business practices of large corporations? Consumers increasingly value sustainability, and vertical video is a great way to communicate a brand’s eco-friendly practices.

Here it's important to understand that being sustainable cannot be a marketing ploy. If your customers get the impression that you are only claiming to be sustainable in order to score popularity points, you will soon lose credibility. Instead, you need to wholeheartedly commit to sustainability and show why it matters to you.

One way to use vertical videos in this regard is to share the journey of a product, from sourcing sustainable materials to ethical manufacturing processes. This should also include behind-the-scenes footage of sustainable practices, such as recycling programs or renewable energy use. Even a short behind-the-scenes video goes a long way in telling your audience that you are not just talk, but actually committed to sustainability. If you are partnered up with environmental organizations, make sure to highlight your work. Highlight eco-certifications or partnerships with environmental organizations. You can also use QR codes to link to detailed information about the product’s sustainability (e.g., carbon footprint, materials used, or fair trade practices). That QR code can even be put on a product tag.

Using QR codes to tell product history

While on the subject of QR codes, it is important to recognize them as an added layer of marketing interactivity between the real world and the virtual world. The fact that you can easily place them on or near your product, and then link the QR code to a vertical video opens up a lot of options.

Firstly, you can use QR codes to link to videos or pages that tell the story of how the product was made, including its origin, craftsmanship, or journey to the shelf. You can also provide detailed information about ingredients, sourcing, or materials that can be useful for food, beauty, or fashion products.

Another option is to have customers create vertical videos of their own where they give their impression of the product. You can then link QR codes to the user-generated content or reviews and highlight the product’s quality and popularity.

Increasing CTR with vertical video

A common use of vertical videos is to increase the click-through rate of marketing content. While you'd assume that vertical videos are just as effective as standard content in customer engagement, you'd be wrong. Analytics show that vertical videos can increase the CTR by 35%. As such, those retailers that have trouble with CTR should really look towards incorporating vertical videos in their marketing campaigns.

Now, of course, not all vertical videos yield the same CTR. To make an effective video you ought to first focus on creating a strong opening hook. The goal is to capture the viewer's attention in the first 2-3 seconds with a bold visual or statement. This ensures that they will absorb the message you have within your video. The next step is to convince them to engage with it. To do that you need to have clear CTAs. Use direct calls to action like “Scan the QR Code,” “Swipe Up to Shop,” or “Tap to Claim Your Discount.” It is easy to understand that a person is far more willing to click on something if they know what they are clicking.

A common mistake retailers make is to assume that the viewers will always listen to their videos. Thus they don't make their videos with silent mode in mind. This not only neglects people with hearing problems but also ignores the fact that a big chunk of your audience will likely scroll through their online content in silent mode. So use captions, text overlays, and visuals to convey the message. Lastly, understand the platform you are posting your videos on. After all, your video shouldn't stand out from the rest of the content that the viewer is enjoying. So whether it is your website or a third-party platform, make sure that your video is in line with the rest of the content.

Common mistakes to avoid

What we've written so far should give you a decent enough idea of how to make use of vertical videos. But, while vertical videos offer significant opportunities for retailers to engage customers, they can also be misused or executed poorly. This leads to missed opportunities, frustrated audiences, and even brand damage. So, to avoid that from happening, we will list some of the common mistakes retailers make and how you can avoid them.

Poor quality production

While a vertical video may perform better than written content, it is also more difficult to make. Coming up with an idea, filming, editing... This all takes time and effort. So, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that a lot of retailers chose to cheap out on vertical video creation. This is, simply put, wrong. While a vertical video doesn't have to be expensive, it certainly shouldn't be cheap or lazy. Nor should their implementation.

For instance, blurry or pixelated videos can make a brand appear unprofessional and deter customers. If a video is poorly lit videos or has unclear audio it will frustrate viewers and reduce the effectiveness of the message. And we all hate to see videos that feel like hard sells without adding value (e.g., entertainment, education, or inspiration. A vertical video can do wonders for an aspiring retailer, but only if the retailer takes the video design seriously.

Lack of clear CTA

We've already mentioned that having a clear CTA is important. And while this may seem obvious to some of our readers, it is by no means a common practice. At least not common enough. Every now and again we will run into a decent vertical video that has to clear CTA. Such a video, although interesting and engaging, won't yield the CTR or the engagement benefits that it could. On the other hand, we also see videos that include too many CTAs or links. This, as another extreme, can confuse viewers and dilute the message. Your video should have a clear goal, and your CTA should serve that goal.

Overusing text and graphics

The great thing about vertical videos is that you can include pretty much anything in them. Animations, visuals, text, graphics... Anything that comes to mind. Well, some creators go a bit overboard and add too many elements, especially when it comes to text and graphics. This makes your vertical videos difficult to read and visually overwhelming.

Misusing QR codes

QR codes are another example of something that is easy to use, and surprisingly easy to misuse. A common mistake people make is poor placement. QR codes that are too small, poorly placed, or difficult to scan can frustrate users and reduce interaction. Secondly, you've run into QR codes without context or explanation (e.g., “Scan for More Info”) can confuse viewers and lower scan rates. And the most egregious are the QR codes that lead to outdated or non-functional pages. This pretty much guaranteed that the customers won't scan any of your QR codes henseforth.

Ignoring mobile optimization

The driving reason behind the widespread use of vertical video for retailers is that they are mobile-friendly. After all, when we use our phones we tend to hold the screen in a vertical position. Therefore, you can imagine how annoying it is when you run into a video that is not optimized for mobile.

A common example is cropping horizontal videos into vertical formats. This is mostly done as a way to repurpose older content that wasn't originally made for mobile. While a good idea in theory, this implementation will result in awkward compositions, cut-off subjects, or wasted screen space.
Another common mistake is when a video takes too long to load or buffer. Keep in mind that we expect instant gratification when viewing mobile content. Therefore, if a video takes too long to load, it will lead to viewers abandoning the content.

Overposting or spamming

Once you get a hang of it, it might seem tempting to only rely on vertical videos for your content. While adding them is a good idea, spamming or overposting them would be a mistake. Firstly, if you post too many vertical videos in a short period can overwhelm followers and lead to unfollows or reduced engagement. Secondly, while you might feel inspired now, you will lose the inspiration eventually. And since your audience has grown accustomed to your high-volume posting, you will have to put something. This often leads to reusing the same content without variation which can bore audiences and reduce interest over time.

Final thoughts

To quickly recap, vertical videos are a powerful tool for retailers. However, their misuse can easily lead to wasted resources, frustrated customers, and missed opportunities. If avoiding common pitfalls and focus on quality, storytelling, and audience engagement, you can harness the full potential of vertical video to drive sales and improve overall customer engagement.