Why Videos and Collections are important to Zazzle and to You! The Answer is in The Stats

[CreativeLeahG]

Many Zazzlers (including myself) have expressed concerns about the growing demand for multimedia content, including covers, multiple images, videos, and product collection covers. Given the amount of work involved and in many cases cost, I've been looking into things to see where the benefits actually lie when it comes to videos and collections which are currently dominating concerns.

Here are the results!

• Increased Engagement: Studies show that video marketing can lead to a 600% increase in click-through rates for email campaigns. Additionally, video content can keep viewers engaged 8 times longer than static content on average. This translates to more time spent exploring your products and a higher chance of conversion.
• Improved Retention: Video content boasts a higher information retention rate than text and images alone. This allows you to tell a story, showcase product use cases, and evoke emotions that static images simply can't.
• Enhanced SEO: Websites with video content tend to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). By incorporating videos and other multimedia elements, you not only enhance your Zazzle storefront but also increase your visibility in the broader search engine landscape.

The Payoff: Increased Sales and Wider Reach

Studies indicate that products with high-quality images can lead to a 95% increase in product views.

In essence, incorporating videos and other multimedia elements, you not only enhance your Zazzle storefront but also increase your visibility with search engines.

If the stats are to be believed, by embracing multimedia, you should be able to expect increased exposure within the Zazzle platform as the algorithm favors listings with multimedia content, improved search engine ranking and potentially higher sales.

BUT ... there's always a BUT!

Finding the Right Balance needs to be strategic. Not every product needs a video, and not all creators  have the resources to create high-quality content for every listing least of all the time!

My advice ... focus on products that have templates, cross-sell options or multiple variations. Invest in a program or software that can help you to create quality content. 

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Resources:

• HubSpot: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/video-marketing-report.
• Wistia: https://wistia.com/about/state-of-video.

[Waqar_Muhammad]

Thank you for sharing your insights. While video content can indeed boost engagement, it's crucial that it meets high-quality standards. Crafting top-notch videos demands both time and investment. Unfortunately, some Zazzlers are uploading videos of subpar quality, which can potentially harm their brand image and user experience.

[CreativeLeahG]

This is true but that equally applies to the designs themselves. And just as creators improve in skill over time, we will I am sure see an improvement in video creation over time given this media is so new to this platform and many creators. 

The biggest obstacle for us as zazzlers dealing with product videos is we don’t actually have the products to demonstrate. So we need to be creative regarding other aspects about the product that can be highlighted in the absence of actually having them in hand. 

[Barbara]

Video is certainly good for some products, but not so much for others as you indicated. For instance, showing a dog enjoying a dog bed or someone attractive modeling a denim jacket might work well, while clocks and posters need to be static for potential customers to judge them. Thus, designers might want to bump time invested up against rewards received.

If Zazzle is developing an algorithm that favors video regardless of product type, we (and they) might be harmed by it.

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[CreativeLeahG]

I expect they’re looking into it but it’s something to consider. 

[klstock]

The same was said when they rolled out the cover photos, and again for the new collections stuff.  And I took a lot of time doing cover photos, so much time that in the last year I have hardly created anything new. And instead of the promised increase in sales and visibility/promotion for doing so, instead many of the products that had sold well and as a result were on the first or second page, have since been bumped back many pages. My sales are down despite a lot of promotion on my end, and if having the cover photos supposedly lead to increased exposure and advertising, I have not seen it (quite the opposite!). 

Videos, on top of cover photos and all the other new requirements are very time consuming. I would like Zazzle to uphold their end of that carrot they dangled with the cover photos and produce some improved results in visibility and sales before I jump through any further hoops. If I do a video pin for Pinterest I might also add it as my product video on Zazzle but it would not be something I would do a lot of. 

There are many videos I am seeing that are shockingly bad! As a customer, if I was going through the marketplace and seeing some of these, I would think something bad happened to Zazzle and the inmates took over the asylum! It is not a good look, it looks really unprofessional! There are also some who do a fantastic job. And by all means they should continue. But there are many that look very unprofessional and I think that devalues the marketplace. 

Not trying to be negative, just telling it like I see it. 

[CreativeLeahG]

I'm not disagreeing, the point of the post is merely 'the why' as to the new requirements. If Google is favoring sites with video content more than those without it ... that's a significant reason to have them. BUT perhaps what we need is for Zazzle to develop a way to automate video creation in the same way they automate product mockups.

[mylittleeden]

Agree particularly for collection essentially that is what I have been doing to get around the problem. Create covers for 6 or so products and then present them as a slide show. It works but it isn't the best. The video that worked best for me was a bit more interesting flying t-shirts I got quite a few views but still not sold... So it is a not unless I feel like doing something different type affair for me at the moment. I am hoping to get a go pro that I can set up and do some time lapse on my hand creating artwork. But then again may as well go full hog with that and do a you tube channel like my husband! It is a domain all of its own really isn't it...

[villainess]

Creating all that media takes valuable time. Seems to me if you're going to go to all that trouble, it would be better to have your own website and products or find a dropshipper so you can make more money for yourself. There are manufacturers out there that offer smaller minimum orders. Ten or twenty percent of someone else's sale doesn't cut it, especially in a bloated marketplace.

[Waqar_Muhammad]

Hi, @CreativeLeahG! I've been working on creating videos for my products, and I've come across some sellers on Etsy who are offering video mockups like the one I've created. I wanted to get your opinion on whether it looks professional and if it's effective for showcasing our products. Thanks for your feedback!

https://www.zazzle.com/elegant_whats_on_your_phone_bridal_shower_game_invitation-256738023916500594

[CreativeLeahG]

Hi, as a static mockup cover it looks good but I personally (and aesthetic choices are very subjective) don't see the benefit of this as a video and the shadow leaf is quite distracting. I am a long way from being proficient myself in video creation so this is purely opinion based on my subjective aesthetic.

[Barbara]

I agree with Leah that the leaf's shadow is a distraction. If there's motion, it should lead to the center of interest, but here, the shadow is drawing the eye away from the star of the show.

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[Barbara]

If only Zazzle had termed video creation as no more than a suggestion. A lot of products aren't served well by it, and the few that are might not end up reaping enough sales to compensate for the effort. Furthermore, there are a lot of great designers here, but being wonderful artists doesn't mean they're necessarily wonderful videographers. A lot of stress on those designers if you ask me.

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[tsikona]

Mostly there are cover photos made in video format using canva (nothing changes except some photo/videos have music, which is unpleaseant for me to listen) I think it is extra waste of the time. 

[almawad]

These videos don't really catch my attention as a customer. When I'm shopping, I never click on them. I have a fondness for still images.

However, I must admit that I recently sold a product with a rather amateurish video that I hastily put together.

Although I may not be a fan of those videos, they could potentially have some utility. Unless everyone decides to upload a video. Once again, it seems that standing out with a video is proving to be quite the challenge.

[mylittleeden]

I have seen an increase in views on videos in Pinterest compared to a mockup around 90% more eyeballs! I am still working it out though time verses sales. The views haven't really converted into sales for me so I am still very much on the fence. I don't have a fancy program and I have been creating them as slide shows and some as animated gifs from an ancient program I have. It is slow. I am thinking of investing in Canva I know that is what many are now doing but I will be honest it isn't my best skill and I feel so far at least not an avenue I want to invest my limited time on earth in! I crave to paint and draw more instead but of course we all need money for bills, I will continue to do a few but I don't see this as my main focus to be honest!

[almawad]

Creating mockup images was first a lot of fun for me. However, fo certain products it have proven to be counterproductive.
The poufs, for instance.I used to sell some of them before the mockup era.

After creating some impressive mockups, unfortunately, they stopped selling. And the pillows are no exception.
Business cards are quite popular and tend to sell well, even with average mockups.

I'm still a bit confused about how it works.Mock up or not mock up ? This is the question .

[CreativeLeahG]

With collection media image, I no longer create regular mockups. Mainly due to the time constraints.

[MOM]

I loved this topic (just found it tonight) and points given as well, very insightful for me as I‘m still starting out and testing the waters.

I actually did like the leave in the video. 🤷🏽‍♀️

I‘m not very professionell in creating videos. As an example I still haven’t figured out how to actually make the video open up (or safe?) with the (by me intended?) starting frame. It changes from platform to platform (even from computer to iPhone or vice versa and I just don’t understand why that is. I also do not like Canva. Just got that a month ago (because one of my friends told me so much about it) but I just can’t warm up to it. I haven’t tried creating a video with Canva yet - maybe I’ll try tomorrow since it was mentioned here. And who knows, possibly I will all the sudden love Canva? 🤔

I have tried to see other videos on Zazzle but I think I haven’t spotted one yet. It’s always helpful to me to see what others do. Not to copy but to up my own skills.

And I would love to know what others use to create videos. I usually use several different programs/devices and than just stitch it all together with Ripl because it’s straightforward and doesn’t take much time.

[Barbara]

I don't know if this would translate well into the other video programs, but when I was creating YouTube videos in my business, I'd add extra frames at the front end so the actual video didn't pop onto the screen. Alternatively or in conjunction with that, I'd use fade-ins. I've never used any other software, so maybe those two methods can't work here.

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[Barbara]

Pure opinion: Not only should video ads be limited to those objects needing a bit of show-and-tell, but they shouldn't be produced by amateurs, which most of us are.

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