If a picture is worth a thousand words...

Amid the myriad of social and digital marketing options, visual content is proving to be one of the most powerful tools for luxury brands, with online videos becoming a vital element of marketing strategies. According to The Internet Retailer, a consumer is 144% more likely to purchase a product after viewing a product video, making videos the “go-to” tool for consumer engagement.

Proof? Videos have been linked to boosts in e-commerce for numerous luxury brands. Luxury retailer Barneys New York released videos to coincide with their Men's and Women's Spring 2012 Collections. The videos featured models wearing the collections while singing, dancing, and telling real life stories. Thumbnails appeared throughout the video allowing shoppers to purchase what the models were wearing. More powerful than a standard product image, these videos captivated consumers and significantly impacted their purchasing decisions.

A digital pioneer, elite fashion house Oscar de la Renta is another great example of a luxury brand utilizing online video to engage their audience and drive sales. From streaming runway shows live on the Oscar de la Renta YouTube channel, to using Vine to display the latest jewelry pieces, the brand is able connect with consumers, showcase new products and drive traffic to their websites. In return the company saw their online sales for 2012 more than double from the previous year.

An important aspect for up-and-coming brands remember when utilizing video for their social media marketing is that content is key. A brand should strive to entice its audience; this is not about old-school advertising. By showing a behind-the-scenes glimpse at a design process or presenting an exclusive interview with the designer about a favorite piece, you can engage your audience authentically and create long-term fans.

As for what video platforms luxury brand should be using, we have a few recommendations. YouTube, of course, continues to be the most trusted and widely used video platform. Having a YouTube channel is a great way for a brand to collectively display video content under one umbrella. Google + hangouts are a rising platform for brands to reach consumers. Google + allows brands to stream live webcasts that can act as interactive video blogs. Vine, meanwhile, has become the visual version of Twitter, allowing users to create a short, six-second video that can be shared on various forms of social media.

While large luxury brands are finding great success with video, few smaller brands are properly taking advantage of the fact that, if a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth much, much more. 

Weekly Round-Up: February 17, 2012

Twitter condemns fate of Saudi Blogger
This week, Saudi blogger Hamza Kashgari was deported from Malayasia back to Saudi Arabia - per request of the Arabian government. This controversial blogger received backlash from many social media users - including a Facebook group entitled "Saudi people want punishment for Hamza Kashgari -for negative tweets he posted about the prophet Muhammed. His return may result in abuse and possible death punishment for the young 23-year-old. The uproar caused by these tweets certainly sealed the fate of Hamza; it's crazy to think social media could condemn a person to such a fate.

Does your social media presence determine who you are?
Thanks to reports from ComScore, a Mashables article reported this week that in 2011, 16.6 percent of minutes spent on-line were spent on social media websites. The article also highlighted that while 3 out of 4 internet users have a Facebook; sites like Tumblr, Twitter and Google+ are rapidly expanding in monthly visitors. Another interesting article from this weeks news highlights what it means to have a strong social media presence, and just how important it is for you.

Take a note from these guys
This week Voltier Digtial provided insight into the top 5 companies that use social media in the best possible way. Thanks to a neat infographic, we can see just how they did it. From user friendly sharing, to successful hashtagging, many companies (say, McDonalds?) can take a lesson and learn how to better promote their company through the use of social media.


Good news for the luxury market
In business news this week, the luxury market had something to celebrate. After a long slump many luxury goods markets are projected to increase sales for the upcoming year. Claudia d'Arpizio, partner for Bain & Co. in Milan, commented "the surprise was mainly in the US and Europe." She went on to add "Luxury shame is now over."