The beauty industry is constantly evolving: from teleshopping tutorials to skincare and makeup routines on YouTube. So, as new technologies emerge, brands must adapt to meet the changing needs of their customers. A new way for beauty brands to communicate with their consumers is conversational commerce. This enables them to connect with customers in real-time through personalised conversations, creating a more convenient and seamless shopping experience.
But how are brands leveraging this emerging form of communication, and what results is the beauty industry seeing?
In this article, we will cover the following:
-
What is conversational commerce?
-
Importance of conversational commerce in the beauty industry
-
Beauty brands and retailers embracing conversational commerce
-
Live video shopping in the age of beauty e-commerce
What is conversational commerce?
Conversational commerce allows brands and retailers to engage with their customers in real-time through a number of online conversational channels such as live video shopping, messaging apps, and social media channels. Conversational commerce is important for e-commerce as it builds relationships between retailers and their customers by way of communicating with one another.
Conversational commerce also gives e-commerce brands and retailers a one-on-one sales channel to provide personalised customer service. This transforms what can be a stagnant online shopping browse into an immersive digital experience for customers; in fact, 90% of customers rate an “immediate” response as important or very important when they have a customer service question.
Importance of conversational commerce in the beauty industry
“Conversational Marketing harnesses the enthusiasm and interest online beauty consumers already possess and asks them to engage with a chatbot in something most people love to do – talk about themselves. This positive, one-on-one engagement then paves the way for future conversations to create richer customer profiles.” (Automat).
One of the key advantages of the beauty industry implementing conversational commerce is its ability to provide personalised recommendations and advice based on a customer’s individual needs and preferences. When it comes to selling beauty, the industry is highly personal, and customers often have specific concerns and preferences when it comes to their skincare, makeup, and hair care products.
Beauty customers are looking for credible and real-time advice that caters to their individual tastes, and conversational commerce allows brands to gather information and curate such personalised recommendations. By leveraging conversational channels, beauty brands and retailers can offer educational resources and advice that builds credibility with their customers, who can ask questions, get recommendations, and make purchases without leaving the platform they are already using. This can lead to increased engagement and sales for beauty brands and retailers.
According to a Salesforce study, 88% of customers think that a company’s experience is just as important as its products or services; this shows how conversational commerce can help create an immersive and memorable experience.
Moreover, conversational commerce provides an avenue for brands to showcase their values and missions, whether that be their commitment to sustainability, ethical sourcing, or use of natural ingredients. By offering these educational resources and advice, beauty brands and retailers can create a strong emotional connection with the customer, ultimately leading to increased loyalty and positive word-of-mouth recommendations.
That being said, all of these advantages are seen to drive revenue, conversion rates, and average order value in the beauty industry. Conversational commerce allows beauty brands and retailers to sell across multiple channels, including both online and offline, offering a seamless and convenient shopping experience for customers. A report by Juniper Research found that conversational commerce will be responsible for $290 billion in retail sales by 2025, highlighting the enormous potential of this approach.
Beauty brands and retailers embracing conversational commerce
Many beauty brands and retailers are implementing conversational commerce as part of their virtual clienteling strategy. Below are just a few examples of this:
-
Oway Italy
- Oway is an Italian haircare brand using Confer With’s live one-to-one video shopping platform to connect with their online customers and create an immersive digital shopping experience. Customers can book a live video call on their website and speak to a specialist in real-time.
-
The Light Salon
- The Light Salon delivers convenient, clinically-proven LED treatments, and are also leveraging Confer With’s live one-to-one video shopping platform. In these one-to-one video calls, customers can book a personalised treatment with a specialist or enquire about their products
-
Vivant Skincare
- Vivant Skincare is an innovative and medically formulated skincare brand offering virtual consultations to help find the best product matches and create a personalised regimen. Using Confer With’s live one-to-one video shopping platform, customers can also book with a specialist in advance to receive highly immersive and engaging shopping experience.
-
Estée Lauder
- Skincare, cosmetics, toiletries, and fragrances company Estée Lauder offer virtual appointments and live chat on their website. The beauty company is bridging the gap between their consumers and the brand by offering conversational commerce in multiple forms on their site.
Live video shopping in the age of beauty e-commerce
Live video shopping can take two forms: one-to-one and one-to-many. In terms of the beauty industry, one-to-one live video shopping is the best form of conversational commerce, ideal for considered and larger purchases. Let’s have a look into why this is the case.
One-to-one video differs greatly from Estee Lauder’s live chat service as it can often be difficult to convey the right information over text, particularly if the customer is struggling to explain what they are looking for. However, by using live video, customers can interact with brand ambassadors in real-time and receive tailored recommendations based on their unique needs and preferences.
For example, a customer interested in purchasing a new foundation can connect with a specialist through a live video conversation. The brand ambassador can then ask the customer about their skin type, tone, and concerns. Based on the information provided, they can offer personalised product recommendations, demonstrate how to properly apply the foundation, and provide real-time feedback to ensure that the customer is satisfied with their purchase.
Live one-to-one video shopping is also a valuable tool for brands to differentiate themselves from their competitors. By providing a higher level of customer service and attention, brands can create a unique and memorable shopping experience that sets them apart from other beauty brands in the market.
Key Takeaways
- Conversational commerce has become an increasingly important trend in the age of beauty e-commerce
- Live video shopping, particularly one-to-one, is an effective way for beauty brands to provide personalised, high-touch shopping experiences
- Brands should leverage live one-to-one video shopping to build customer relationships, increase customer loyalty, and differentiate themselves from their competitors
