In this edition of Mastering Video Commerce, we’ve covered:
- Stormi Steele hits $1m in live sales again, this time in 3 hrs.
- YouTube Shorts updates.
- TikTok wraps up ‘For You Days‘ in the UK.
- Meta‘s powerful AI generator tool, Movie Gen.
- Amazon‘s AI selling assistant, Project Amelia.
Plus, insights on why short-form videos are a must, live commerce trends and tactics, video marketing resources, top podcast episodes, and how you can get 20% off your subscription with Vimmi.
TOP 5 VIDEO COMMERCE NEWS
1. Stormi Steele Hits $1m in live sales again, this time in 3 hours.
Stormi Steele made history when she made $1 million in sales during her TikTok Live on June 8, 2024 in less than 6 hours.
She broke her own records after hitting $1 million in 3 hours on September 27, 2024.
Stormi’s success is not a coincidence. She prepared for her recent Mega Canvas Galore Live for over a month and repeated her winning strategies that helped her the first time she made a million.
You will find them in this social commerce case study.
2. Big Updates for YouTube Shorts
YouTube Shorts is introducing updates to enhance creation and connection, making it easier and more enjoyable.
Extended Shorts Length (3 minutes)
Creators now have more room to tell deeper stories or create engaging content by extending Shorts up to 3 minutes, giving them greater flexibility without needing to jump to full-length videos.
Transparent Buttons
A recent player update is introduced to replace the previously solid white buttons on screen with white outlined transparent buttons which will help viewers to focus on their favorite content.
New Templates for Remixing
YouTube introduces templates to remix popular Shorts and other trending content, making it easier to join the conversation and creatively engage with ongoing trends.
Remixing Directly from the Shorts Camera
In the near future, users will be able to remix content directly within the Shorts camera, allowing them to pull clips from their favorite videos, music videos, and more. Users can pull from multiple clips across YouTube, making it even easier for them to create unique, engaging content by remixing videos with just a few taps.
Trends Page for Discovering Popular Content
A new trends page will highlight what’s hot on Shorts, helping users easily find and engage with trending content, boosting both discoverability and creativity.
Preview Comments from the Shorts Feed
Soon, users will be able to get a quick preview of what people are saying in the comments section directly from the Shorts feed, without having to dive into the comments themselves. This will allow viewers to quickly catch the vibe of a conversation.
Customizing Your YouTube Feed
YouTube will soon give users the option to personalize their experience by showing fewer Shorts in their Home feed. By clicking the three-dot menu in any Shorts grid, you can choose the “Show fewer Shorts” option, helping tailor your feed.
3. TikTok Deals For Your Days, UK Edition
Inspired by huge success in the US, TikTok Shop recently held ‘For You Days’ in the UK that ended on September 30.
The For You Days event in general, features livestream shopping sessions, where users can see products in real-time and purchase them directly through the app. The event also includes live sessions with creators, offering discounts, product launches, and freebies.
During the week-long LIVE sales event in the UK, brands like Sage, Sweaty Betty, and L’Oreal Paris participated, with discounts up to 50%.
The event also included special promotions, such as Free Soul’s 25% off on product bundles and Sage Studios’ cashback offer.
Made by Mitchell hosted a special 10-hour LIVE session on September 26 to celebrate founder Mitchell Halliday’s birthday featuring iconic beauty products, including an exclusive Made By Mitchell Mystery Makeup Bundle.
4. Meta announced it’s AI generator tool, Movie Gen
Meta introduces Movie Gen, a generative AI tool designed for media creation, including images, videos, and audio. The tool is capable of creating high-definition videos from text prompts or by editing existing footage.
Movie Gen represents the third wave of Meta’s generative AI models, following the Make-A-Scene and Llama Image models. It combines multiple modalities for more refined control in content creation.
Capabilities of Movie Gen
⇨ Video Generation: Utilizes a 30B parameter transformer model to create high-quality videos from text prompts, capturing object motion and interactions.
⇨ Personalized Videos: Generates videos featuring specific individuals by combining their images with text prompts, maintaining identity and motion.
⇨ Precise Video Editing: Allows precise edits to existing videos using text prompts, combining video generation with advanced editing techniques.
⇨ Audio Generation: A 13B parameter model creates synchronized audio for videos, including ambient sounds and music, with a technique for generating coherent audio for longer videos.
However, the tool is not made available for public use yet.
You can read more about Movie Gen here.
5. Amazon launches AI selling assistant, Project Amelia
Amazon has launched a new generative AI-based selling assistant, Project Amelia, designed to help sellers manage and grow their businesses more efficiently.
Built using Amazon Bedrock, this AI tool offers personalized insights and support, enabling sellers to navigate complex aspects of global selling, such as product compliance, advertising, and inventory management.
Project Amelia provides immediate answers and advice, facilitating access to business metrics and reports.
It’s designed to evolve and anticipate seller needs, offering solutions and taking actions on their behalf.
Currently in beta for U.S. sellers, it will expand to more regions and languages later this year.