Rich content: What it is and why it matters for your shoppers

Flixmedia’s cloud-based content syndication platform makes it easy for brands and retailers to deliver rich content to a global retailer network. We understand that high quality, branded Product Detail Pages (PDPs) are essential for improving the customer experience and ultimately increasing conversions. This is why we’ll be discussing the importance of rich content, the variety of ways in which it can be used, and how it can help you to increase conversions. We’ll also be sharing tips and tricks for creating effective rich media content that will make your products stand out from the competition.

What is rich media?

Before we begin, let’s start by defining what rich media is. Rich media is any type of digital content that goes beyond traditional text and images to engage and interact with users. It may include video, audio, GIF, animation or interactive elements. Rich media is often used in PDPs to provide shoppers with a fuller understanding of a product and encourage them to purchase it. At Flixmedia, we believe the richer the content, the richer the experience.

Rich media is the key to engaging shoppers and boosting sales

Before purchasing, shoppers need to find all the information, ideally in one place. Rich media enables brands to create intricate content, which truly engages shoppers and brings to life the hidden benefits of the product. This gives brands enormous creative freedom to showcase products in a compelling way while delivering a one-stop-shop of product information.

‍

Compelling visualisations and useful product information allow shoppers to take confidence in completing their purchase... something they are far more likely to do if brands provide rich media on the PDP. The numbers speak for themselves: a study HubSpot found 74% of marketers state video, imagery and/or graphics are top landing page elements that impacts conversions, and Forbes cites Amazon in asserting that enhanced marketing content can lead to a 3–10% increase in sales. In summary, rich content helps shoppers make better purchasing decisions, reduce the rate of returns, and make brands more competitive.

Creating an immersive experience for shoppers

In addition to rich content, Augmented Reality (AR) has been a game-changer in the retail landscape and is firmly established in the future of online shopping. The perfect complement to rich content, AR empowers shoppers by enabling them both to visualise and interact with 3D products on their smartphones and tablets. This provides a more immersive shopping experience, and helps shoppers make more informed purchasing decisions.

‍

‍

AR has taken off thanks to the ongoing democratisation of experience (AR is available natively via the browser on almost every smartphone), and the drastically reduced costs of AR/3D model creation. Brands are now more able to meet the expectations of a growing AR-ready audience. Indeed, projections indicate that by 2025 75% of the world’s population will be AR enthusiasts. So if you’re looking for a way to give your shoppers a truly cutting-edge experience, AR is the way to go!

Which formats of content work best, and which will be popular in the coming years?

Short-form videos are becoming increasingly popular because they are incredibly effective at engaging people. Seventy-three per cent of consumers say they prefer to learn about products and services through short-form videos. An astonishing 90% of marketers said they will increase or maintain their investment in short-form video next year, and 21% of marketers plan to leverage short-form video for the first time in 2023.

‍

‍

This tells us two things:

- Social media content creation is at the forefront of innovation and funding. YouTube shorts, Reels and TikTok are becoming the starting point for many brands’ marketing plans which, when stitched together with traditional product marketing, can also trickle down to the PDP.

- Shorter videos are more effective at getting through to potential customers, especially on mobile devices. The attention span of shoppers is becoming shorter: this year the average video play length, measured across 20 million videos streamed from Flixmedia’s platform, fell below 30 seconds (26.21s). What is also interesting is that this represents an average play rate of only 60% globally, meaning brands could make considerable production cost savings by trimming their product video length!

What formats of content will be popular in the coming years?

By the end of 2023 there will be 1.4 billion AR device users and recent studies have also revealed that 61% of shoppers prefer retailers with AR experiences. In the coming years its hugely engaging shopping experiences will likely lead to ever more brands and retailers adopting AR. We can expect to see deeper and more immersive experiences (which today are reserved for AR Apps) start to become available in the native AR players, in the form of multi-product placements or advanced wearable experiences.

If you’d like to learn more about how rich content can elevate your business and boost conversions, schedule a demo with one of our experts today.