Over the past decade, shopping has changed for the better. Social commerce with features like shopping content is about a thousand times more enjoyable than stuffy department stores, so we expect shopping content to continue to grow in popularity.
By 2026, e-commerce as a whole is projected to account for about a quarter of the world’s total retail sales. So, if you don’t create shopping content on social media platforms, we’re here to tell you that you should.
In this article, we’ll tell you what shopping content is, why retailers and shoppers love it, and why you do too. We will then show you some examples of IRLs and highlight our recommended content buying tools.
Ready? Let’s go to!
What is purchased content?
Purchasable content is any digital content that you can click on to make a purchase. Popular shopping content types include social media posts, videos, blogs, and ads.
Some shopping content allows you to make purchases without leaving the platform on which it is hosted. It’s called social shopping. Instagram and TikTok are among the most popular social shopping platforms. However, sometimes, by clicking on a piece of content available for purchase, you leave the platform to make an off-site purchase: on the website or in the online store.
5 Benefits of Shopping Content
There are many reasons to love buyable content. The main benefit is that it helps you monetize your social media, website or blog by making it easy for readers to buy your products or the products you recommend.
Purchased content can also save your audience time and nerves. For brands looking to improve their customer experience and build a solid supporter base, shopping content is a smart tactic. Give people what they want, make it easy to get, and they will love you for it!
Here are a few reasons why you should use shopping content.
1. Close sales quickly
Purchased content has a shorter sales cycle and simplifies the customer journey than traditional e-commerce tactics. You can give customers what they want, when they want it.
The longer and more difficult the path from discovery to conversion, the more likely you are to lose your sale. So keeping it short and simple is a surefire way to increase sales.
In addition, apps designed for content that can be purchased practically do all the work for you. For example, the Instagram Store tab is for brands and products to be discovered by the target audience.
2. Target Consumers in View Mode
When people browse platforms like Instagram, they are usually in an open, receptive frame of mind.
In addition, many people are happy to advertise on these platforms. In an Instagram survey, almost 50% of people said they shop on the platform on a weekly basis.
3. Get detailed data
With purchasable messages, you have the added benefit of getting data from the platform where your message was posted. For example, if you have an Instagram post with a buy option, you can see how that post looks next to your regular posts in terms of reach and engagement.
Want to learn more about your audience and social media performance? Check out Hootsuite. With Hootsuite, you can get a 360-degree overview of your results across all social networks from one place.
4. Better Content = Better Conversion Rates
In many ways, content is the king of the ecommerce world. The better the image of your product, the more tempting to buy it.
This is partly because you can show the ideal life that consumers could live if they bought your product. Of course, one surefire way to do this is to use beautiful images and stylish videos. Pair it with a song that inspires the vibe you want and boom! conversion gold.
5. Gather Social Proof
If you use social media shopping content, you have the option to use the Influencer, Partner or Brand Representative program to showcase your products. When people see real people using and recommending a product, they trust it much more.
Plus, social media shopping content has the added benefit of a comment section. Encourage users to leave comments so others can see that your product is legal.
Learn more about using social media for affiliate marketing.
Shopping Content Examples
Now that you’re convinced that shopping content should be the cornerstone of your social commerce strategy, it’s time to figure out how to create shopping content. Here are some examples of shopping content that other brands have done.
Instagram shopping content: Asos
On Instagram, the ASOS brand has taken advantage of the product tagging feature in many of their posts. This smart marketing strategy not only drives sales – I also help Instagram users see how products look in style and in use.
While the in-app checkout feature is only available for certain sellers in the US, you can still allow users to view your Instagram shopping content.
Source: Asos on Instagram
Here’s how you can dramatically improve your Instagram shopping tactics.
Facebook Shopping Content: Lululemon
Lululemon has taken advantage of Facebook Stores by allowing you to view their products within the app.
However, with Lulu’s Facebook store, you need to leave the platform to checkout. But you can see directly on Facebook if there are products in the size and color you need.
Source: Lululemon on Facebook
Here’s how to set up your own Facebook store.
Purchasable video content: Aerie
Fashion brand Aerie used YouTube shopping video content to boost spring sales. Compared to last year, the return on investment increased by 25%. And they had nine times more conversions than their previous tactic.
Source: Google Advertising and Commerce Blog.
Shopping Items: Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer has an editorial style blog where they write articles integrated with purchasable content.
This has the added benefit of keyword integration. Marks & Spencer publishes SEO content along with their shopping content, making it easy for their products to be found on search engines like Google.
Source: Marks and Spencer Style Blog.
Pinterest shopping content: Levi’s
One of the great things about Pinterest is that people often use it for product discovery and inspiration. For fashion brands like Levi’s, Pinterest provides an opportunity to showcase your products in use by an audience that is actively looking to buy.
Source: Levi’s on Pinterest.
Take a look at all the great Pinterest shopping features you can access.
8 Shopping Content Creation Tools
What separates good business from great business? Foldable toolbox. Here are 8 content buying tools we know, love and trust.
1. Houtsuit
Yes, it’s obvious that we love Hootsuite, but for good reason. You can use Hootsuite to schedule and publish purchasable Instagram posts, saving you time and hassle.
In addition, every Hootsuite plan includes access to Hootsuite analytics and Best Time to Post to help you track and improve your strategy.
Learn how to add products to your Instagram posts using Hootsuite.
2. Brandwatch
Brandwatch gives you data to help you better understand what your audience is looking for. When you know your audience’s interests, you can better tailor your shopping content to grab their attention.
Brandwatch can also integrate with Hootsuite.
Source: brand watch
3. Heyday
If you are selling on social media, chances are you will receive customer service requests and will need to answer frequently asked questions. You can automate all the hard work involved in responding to customer inquiries while improving the shopping experience at the same time. You just need a great social media chatbot.
Heyday is our top pick for a conversational AI chatbot for retailers. It integrates with Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and retail tools like Shopify. You can see all customer inquiries across all channels in one place. Heyday’s unified dashboard simplifies management.
heyday
4. Adobe Express
Adobe Express can take your shopping media to the next level. The app has dedicated social media templates that make it easy to create social media shopping posts. When you prioritize visuals, your audience will notice. Adobe Express also has great photo and video editing options.
Source: Adobe Express
5. Brand Manager
Great news for brands and creators who are partnering with influencers to create shopping content! With your Instagram business or author account, you have access to the Facebook Brand Collabs Manager.
Brand Collabs Manager makes it easy to find influencers who are compatible with your brand, and vice versa. The platform makes it easy for both of you to collaborate on campaigns.