The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly expedited digital adoption and influenced new online behaviors, compelling marketers to meet the increasing customer need for enhanced online experiences.
The fact that we are spending more time than ever before online has an effect on the behaviors that we engage in when we go shopping. In this day and age, we mainly rely on social media platforms for direction when it comes to making decisions. These sites' content has a significant impact on our shopping decisions and serves as a source of inspiration.
With the landscape of eCommerce has undergone significant transformations over the past few years, and shoppable content is only one of the most recent developments that is revolutionising the way in which customers interact with brands online. Posts on social media, images, videos, and ads all fall under the category of shoppable content, which allows users to easily buy the products featured in them. Through the facilitation of streamlined and direct purchasing, shoppable content helps to reduce the length of the customer journey.
Platforms such as TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram and Meta/ Facebook have facilitated in-platform eCommerce using capabilities including shoppable advertisements, product tagging, shopping-oriented adverts, and livestream shopping. TikTok now offers "shoppable videos". Meanwhile Pinterest directly through "Buyable Pins," allowing them to shop for the product Instagram through shoppable stories using brand build in tagging. Last example is Facebook which has introduced the shoppable social media content feature, which allows users to tag products and buy them through posts.
The current trends in shoppable content have surged in the market, presenting both opportunities and challenges for maintaining relevance.
The rise of social commerce
The concept of social commerce, which refers to the combination of online shopping with social media platforms, is seeing explosive growth in Malaysia, particularly on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. Shopping through shoppable content on these platforms is becoming increasingly popular among Malaysians as a result of the convenience it provides and the faith they have in influencers. It's conceivable that more brands may team up with social media stars to produce shoppable content, which will increase sales.
Mobile shopping
To put it another way, Malaysia is a mobile-first nation, which means that the majority of customers in the country shop online using their smartphones. When it comes to reaching these mobile customers, shoppable content that is optimised for mobile is incredibly effective. This is especially true on apps such as TikTok, Instagram, and Shopee, which is a major e-commerce site in Malaysia. Brands that prioritise mobile optimisation for social commerce will be well-positioned to capture the growing number of mobile shoppers.
Integration of e wallet and payment methods
Shoppable content is becoming increasingly more appealing to customers in Malaysia as a result of the widespread use of e wallets (such as GrabPay, Touch 'n Go eWallet, and Boost), which allow customers to make payments in a quick and safe manner straight through the app. Through the integration of e-wallets into shoppable content, brands are able to engage with a more extensive audience that is mobile-centric.
Emerging platforms
Livestream shopping and interactive content are allowing customers to engage with products and purchase them quickly on local platforms such as Shopee and Lazada in Malaysia. Shoppable content is also spreading on these local platforms. Aggressive promotional activities such as discount on festival (Sales Merdeka) have significantly boosted user engagement and sales volumes.
For conclusion, shoppable content is transforming the way customers in Malaysia shop by making it more straight forward and more intuitive to purchase things directly from social media or other content-rich platforms. Shoppable content is a growing trend in Malaysia. The technologically aware and mobile-oriented Malaysian market is particularly interested in experiencing the seamless integration of product discovery and purchase within content.
