As an additional purchasing option, shoppable media joins a growing ecosystem of commerce solutions. Below are the most common ads that can target a broad demographic, shorten the consumer journey, and speed up the product discovery process.
Types of shoppable content
Shoppable Instagram posts
With over 130 million Instagram users tapping on shopping posts monthly, shoppable ads have become an integral part of Instagram for many users. With one click, a viewer can tap the product and then the tag with the price. These Instagram ads enable brands to present their products in an engaging and aesthetically pleasing way, creating an immersive shopping experience.
The power of Instagram shoppable content is its simplicity as it only needs the input of images of products along with tags to work.
Shoppable Instagram posts are commonly used by brands in the beauty and fashion industry, where they can showcase multiple products in a single image, such as a model wearing different layers of makeup to show off a specific look.
You can run shoppable Instagram ads in four different formats; feed ads, stories ads, explore ads, and reels ads.
TikTok shopping ads
The TikTok platform is the newest to enter the social commerce ecosystem. Brands can add a shopping cart icon to their video ads, which users can click to view the product details and make a purchase.
TikTok’s shoppable ads are highly customizable from branded hashtags to an infinite loop. In addition, the platform provides a unique opportunity for brands to reach younger audiences, who make up a significant portion of the app’s user base. With an algorithm designed to promote content that resonates with its users, brands can potentially reach a broader audience by creating engaging and relevant content and thus increase awareness and conversions.
The appeal of these ads can be attributed to their exceptional ability to effectively target a younger demographic. This is achieved through personalized content that caters to users’ interests and preferences, resulting in high engagement rates. Additionally, the high level of creative customization available on TikTok allows brands to create unique and eye-catching ads that resonate with their target audience.
TikTok ads have become increasingly popular among a wide range of brands, spanning from food and beauty to educational companies. The platform has also given rise to a notable shopping trend, popularly known as #tiktokmademebuyit, which has had a significant impact on increasing brand revenue. This trend has created a direct pathway for consumers to discover and purchase products featured in TikTok videos, making it an effective tool for driving sales and boosting brand awareness.
You can run TikTok shopping ads in three different formats: video shopping ads, catalog listing ads, and live shopping ads.
Shoppable YouTube ads
YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are among the many platforms that now offer shoppable video ads. With video being the most used format among marketers globally, it is a must-have ad to test out. A shoppable video ad is a video that’s complemented with browsable product imagery including the featured items. The imagery is located under the video and contains product titles, prices, and links to product pages.
Video ads offer an interactive experience where users can effortlessly scroll through the ads while simultaneously watching the video. This dual functionality serves a twofold purpose, enabling customers to browse and purchase products without having to leave the platform. The result is a seamless and engaging advertising experience that facilitates the purchasing process and drives conversions.
The most widely utilized video ad format is YouTube video ads. YouTube ads offer advanced features that allow advertisers to build on standard video assets, such as the ability to add extensions. These extensions, which include site link extensions, lead form extensions, and product feeds, and they can greatly enhance the effectiveness of YouTube video ads by encouraging more clicks and conversions.
Video ads are a popular advertising format due to their widespread use, high engagement rates, and the ability to incorporate extensions that enhance the viewer’s experience.
You can run YouTube shoppable media in two different formats; skippable in-stream and in-feed video ad.
Pinterest product pins ads
Over the years, Pinterest has emerged as a go-to platform for shoppers looking for inspiration. Pinterest shoppable content, also known as product “pins”, contains a small shopping tag that appears on the bottom left-hand corner of the pin. When a user clicks on the shopping tag, they are taken to a product details page, where they can view the price, product description, and other details.
Pinterest ads are highly effective due to their ability to seamlessly blend in with users’ feeds. They are designed to be displayed alongside other pins, which makes them appear less intrusive and more engaging.
Pinterest ads are ideal to use as it is the go-to destination for users seeking inspiration. With Product Pins, multiple products can be featured in a single pin, providing more opportunities for sales. Additionally, Pinterest offers advanced targeting options, including interest-based and keyword-based targeting, to align with customers’ search intent, making the ads more relevant to their interests.