Developing an original format
Our new plan involved hiring a team of 10-15 content producers who would be paid a wage plus commissions. Not only would this guarantee a minimum quantity of content but it would give us full control of the format, which would not be possible in a purely user-generated model.
This would be our greatest advantage over the 800 lb. gorillas like TikTok or Instagram, which by nature cannot be too restrictive of their users, lest they stop producing.
Because we could orchestrate the user experience in a way that other platforms cannot, the question became what this user experience would look like. Pure engagement was not sufficient, as conversion would be central to monetization, so imitating the dominant formats didn't make sense anyway.
As it happens, there was already a well-established format for maximizing audience engagement for the purpose of increasing conversions: cattle auctions. The sing-song delivery of the auctioneer keeps the audience in a flow state, making them more likely to bid. We could use these basic principles for our new format.
Short-form content, single product per video
The new format aimed to maximize the flow state through these mechanisms:
Short, fixed video length: Each video was exactly 45 seconds, no more, no less. Short videos allow a user to portion out their usage sessions, fitting into any available span of time. The old model had longer videos, decreasing the likelihood of an initial play.
Standard video format: Each video had a specific format. Mental energy spent parsing the format eats into energy that could be spent consuming the content itself. This fatigues the viewer, decreasing session length.
Single product per video: Multiple products in a video increases cognitive load and decision paralysis. We wanted to focus the user's attention on a single product at a time.
In addition to the overall experience maintaining a standardized format, we specified a format for each type of video that would ensure that the user always knew what they would get. Our research showed that varying the content while keeping the content very consistent made content addictive.
We enabled three types of videos:
Introductory videos: This would be a user's first impression of a product (on the app, at least), and was intended to quickly explain the product and its benefits.
Exploration videos: These videos would only ever be shown to the user after they had seen an introductory video for that product. They might include an exploration of a product's features, or a tutorial on how to use it. Each product page would include a playlist of these exploration videos if the user wanted to seek them out.
Special videos: Users would be randomly selected (based on meeting certain criteria) to see a special video which would offer discounts or exclusive deals. Random surprises like this further increase engagement through dopamine hits.
This is the final interaction pattern for video commerce on the new VideoShops. Users can start video shopping in a general "For You"-styled channel, or category specific channels, or algorithmically created playlists.
The user can then swipe through the products as they would on TikTok. The product interaction overlay is partially transparent, keeping the video visible which preserves the flow state. The user is only taken away from the videos when they are ready to make a purchase.
The checkout is designed for ultra-fast completion, with payment and shipping pre-entered at signup, and no extraneous information visible. The purchase confirmation page is designed to increase customer excitement at their new acquisition.