Amy Lanzi is the North American practice lead at Publicis Commerce, overseeing product and talent development, and connecting commerce practitioners from across the Publicis network to enable client-centric solutions. Here she explains how YouTube factors into consumers’ shopping journeys.
The other day, my hair dryer broke.
Rather than immediately go to the store to buy a replacement, I decided to go online. I started with a simple YouTube search: “how to blow dry long hair.” But an interesting thing happened on my journey across the internet. I found new, related products I didn’t even know existed. And, what do you know, instead of just buying a hair dryer, I bought the whole suite of products.
In 2020 alone, e-commerce grew nearly 30% worldwide.
Finding surprising products in a brick-and-mortar store is, or used to be, a common experience: that magical shopping moment when you stumble across something new that fits your needs perfectly. But this time, it happened in the world’s biggest video storefront: YouTube.
The idea that e-commerce would evolve 10 years in six months started spreading during the pandemic. And while variations circulated around the industry, the concept is proving to be true: In 2020 alone, e-commerce grew nearly 30% worldwide.1
This summer, Publicis Groupe partnered with YouTube and Talk Shoppe to understand how the shopping journey has changed, and how brands can help enhance and expand people’s experiences online. Here’s what we found.
YouTube inspires throughout the shopping journey
Seventy-five percent of shoppers agree that YouTube enhances the traditional shopping journey by delivering unexpected inspiration.2 This is because people have a shopping discovery mindset when they’re watching video — and, of course, because there’s so much content out there for them to discover.
Due to the personalized experience of YouTube, they’re not finding noise, but things that make their experiences and their lives better. For example, average daily uploads of videos with “Shop With Me” in the title increased by over 60%, year over year.3
YouTube is the matchmaker shoppers and brands have always wanted. You never know when a new shopping journey will begin. Importantly, this inspiration results in bigger shopping carts and upsells. In fact, 87% say when shopping or browsing on YouTube, they feel like they can make a decision to purchase or not purchase faster.4
Shoppers trust creators and feel confident in creator-inspired purchases
Creators are the heart and soul of YouTube and the most tailored, personalized, shopping confidant someone could have. They are hybrids of a personal assistant and best friend, and 89% of viewers agree that YouTube creators give recommendations they can trust.5
When quality information is paired with authenticity, shoppers make confident decisions quicker, instead of leaving items in their cart while they weigh their options.
My daughter got me hooked on Emma Chamberlain. Twice, recently, we purchased something after watching her content. Social proof is powerful, and 89% of viewers agree that YouTube creators give them the best information about products and brands.6
Shoppers value information quality over production quality
Of course, not everyone follows YouTube creators, but they can still find help on YouTube along their shopping journey. For these people, creator content is incredibly valuable, because the breadth, depth, and searchability means shoppers can find high-quality information. It’s similar to reviews or star ratings on marketplaces. YouTube is a one-stop shop for the curious consumer.
For example, thrifting haul videos, a subset of the ever-popular haul format, in which creators share purchases that they’ve made, have been viewed over 100 million times.
Online shopping is a whole new ballgame. And brands and advertisers need to adapt in this new world if they want to win big.
What’s interesting to me is that YouTube’s appeal as a shopping platform comes in exactly the place where brands can sometimes feel uncomfortable: It’s all creator-driven, vast, and not always easy to wrap our minds around.
Research has repeatedly shown us that the quality of information matters more to shoppers than production quality. In fact, 87% say when shopping or browsing on YouTube, they feel like they get the highest quality information about products.7
When I think about these insights, I see opportunities everywhere: opportunities for brands to grow through partnering with creators; opportunities for platforms like YouTube to evolve and meet shopper needs; and opportunities to connect in new ways.
Online shopping is a whole new ballgame. And brands and advertisers need to adapt in this new world if they want to win big.
