4 Ways to Make T-Commerce Work for You in 2018

A T-Commerce Study by Connekt Showed That 76% of Viewers Would Purchase Products They See in TV Ads

Television-based commerce – AKA t-commerce – is set to take off in 2018, buoyed by new technologies and the transition of millions of Americans to connected TVs. This prediction is substantiated by a t-commerce study Connekt conducted in early December 2017 showing 76% of viewers would purchase products they see in TV ads or TV shows in real time using their remote, and 43% will likely do so in 2018. T-commerce is coming quickly, and it’s a technology that most every brand marketer should get acquainted with.

Also Read: Connekt Emerges from Stealth Mode to Launch Transformative TV Advertising and Commerce Platform

With these study findings as a backdrop, here are four ways marketers can start making t-commerce work for them in the coming year.

1. Take your consumers from awareness to purchase: There are currently 93 million U.S. homes active on a smart TV or over-the-top (OTT) device, and these connected devices are opening up an entirely new channel for brands to enable personalized and shoppable experiences. TV is still the biggest and most-watch screen in most homes, and technologies are making it possible for consumers to buy directly from you in real time using their remote. You may already be investing in linear TV ads, but chances it’s limited to building brand awareness. In 2018, evaluate opportunities to enhance the technologies and strategies you have in place to make TV an end-to-end path to purchase.
2. Fit your e-commerce experience to the big screen: Connected TVs add another screen to a brand’s omni-platform sales presence, yet many fall short in fulfilling on its high-impact, visual potential. As part of your new or existing t-commerce strategy, enlist a team to test that your product pages display optimally on the big screen. Test on a variety of connected TVs to ensure every viewer is experiencing the same product imagery and video. When your e-commerce content is fully optimized to reap the size and impact of the TV, consumers will spend that much more time interacting with your brand-based content.
3. Keep an open line to mobile: While our study shows consumers are ready to start making more purchases through their TVs, they still have a much higher comfort level and sense of security buying through their mobile devices. After all, it’s something most have done for years and TV is a new commerce world for them. Don’t lose someone at the point of purchase on TV because they’re not ready to transact there yet – instead, send an offer or deal to their mobile device and encourage a purchase there. It can serve as a transitional step as you migrate them toward pure t-commerce.
4. Bookend your efforts in data: Whether on the front or back end, an internet connection allows marketers today to attach entirely new sets of data to the delivery of a linear TV asset. As a best practice, apply your brand’s digital targeting layers on the front end and push the envelope by harvesting real-time viewership and engagement data that you can apply the back end. Hold your linear TV investment more accountable by leveraging its ability to be connected.

Recommended Read: TV in 2020: 50 Percent of Viewing Will be Mobile