Content led engagement increased consumer visit-frequency on the app: Harish Narayanan, Myntra

In conversation with Social Samosa, Harish Narayanan, Head of Marketing, Myntra shares the how and why of the fashion eCommerce app delving into original content.

The use of content for marketing & communication isn’t new. However, in the last couple of months, a number of eCommerce brands have commenced housing original content within the app’s UI. Myntra debuted its first piece of original content in the second half of 2019 – a fashion reality show, Fashion Superstar. In 2020 the brand is all set to popularize Myntra Masterclasses featuring celebrity stylists. Harish Narayanan, Head of Marketing, Myntra tells Social Samosa that one of the main objectives of delving into original content is crafting a video-led engagement strategy for Myntra Insiders, essentially brand loyalists.

Further in Narayanan’s opinion, within eCommerce, Fashion holds a different identity, one that needs to be leveraged. In terms of the future, brands who wish to engage with loyalists in a quality manner will be offered content solutions in the form of their own show.  

Edited Excerpts:

What was the idea behind launching Masterclasses? 

With fashion being an engagement oriented segment, it is important to create avenues that allow us to interact more easily and frequently with our users.  In the research that we conducted recently, consumers have come out strongly in favour of needing deep fashion advice from the program. In order to address this, we have launched Celebrity Masterclasses, creating an opportunity for our customers to get fashion tips from leading celebrity stylists.

We are also investing heavily in a video content-led approach for better
consumer engagement and the celebrity stylist Masterclasses are a step in
that direction, offering our loyal customers unparalleled experiences.

Who is your TG for this content initiative? How will this content
be distributed to the right TG? 

Our Target Group is Myntra Insiders, members of Myntra’s loyalty program
who have a high affinity towards fashion. We currently have 6.8 million
Insiders in a span of 1.5 years and they are known to visit our platform 1.3X
times more than other customers. We have invested in technology that has been
developed in-house to offer our users the best interactive experience on our
platform, with videos being shot in portrait mode, which is the first of its
kind, optimized for viewing on mobiles. Myntra Insiders will be able to access
the Masterclasses by redeeming points collected by them, through purchases or
other activities.

Please share the insight that led to you delving into original content.     

Fashion is all about
discovery and expression, and through our content, we want to engage our loyal
customers more and increase time spent on the platform by helping them with their
fashion discovery journey. With attention spans decreasing owing to information
overload, original content in the form of videos has shown to be more
effective.

As an eCommerce app-based brand, where people come with the intent
of shopping - how has the response been towards content within the app?

Within eCommerce, fashion has an identity of its own, for it is a high involvement segment from a consumer perspective. We want customers to be more involved and educated in their fashion choices and feel more happy and confident about their looks. The response to the content within the app has been overwhelming, encouraging us to develop new, innovative and industry-first concepts, regularly.

From a business & marketing perspective, how has dipping into content helped Myntra as a fashion eCommerce brand? 

Content has paved the way for us to engage differently with Myntra
Insiders and has strengthened our relationship. It has given them new reasons
to visit the platform and spend more time with us. The idea is for people to
visit us even when they don’t necessarily want to shop.

Content led engagement initiatives have resulted in a significant increase in the frequency of visits to the platform, thereby increasing revenue prospects.

It is also extremely effective in attracting new users to the
platform from across geographies.

How do you measure the performance of this content? Please share the measurement metrics parameters.

We will measure the performance of the
program through customer
engagement metrics such as video views, completion and engagement rates.

Can content eventually be a monetization avenue for app-based businesses?  

Our content strategy is designed to drive engagements and
for community building on the app.

For brands that want to build deeper connections with our customers, this is definitely a great opportunity. In the future, we will look to partner with key brands to help them build their communities within the Myntra app. 

Please take us through your content strategy, what plans ahead?

We're betting big on content, both on the app and off the app. While the in-app strategy is built to drive stickiness, building brand salience will be done off the app. A well-balanced approach to these will enable us to stay relevant to our customers. 

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Fashion is one of the biggest conversation starters on social media; how do you leverage this topic as a content peg in Myntra's digital marketing strategy?

Topicality and relevance around fashion is core to all our
communication. We recognize the fact that content-led communication drives
better conversations with our customers, not only for digital marketing
efforts but also on the app. Several of our key launches and events like the
H&M launch and our flagship property, the End of Reason
Sale leveraged a fully influencer-led content approach for digital
marketing. 

Has social media been helpful in generating leads for Myntra? If yes, how? If no, what kind of changes do you expect from social media apps to be business conducive? 

Although we treat our social media channels as conversation drivers, we are increasingly seeing an impact on traffic too. Features on Instagram, like the shoppability on posts, swipe ups, have helped close the loop on content-led commerce. 

3 takeaways for brands when working with influencers

• Audience matters - the obvious answer may not always be the right answer for your brand, feel free to choose influencers that may be small or from a different category, but relevant to your audience;
• Build lasting relationships with fewer influencers - consumers like to associate faces with brands over time. Rotating influencers often may lead to your campaigns not seeming authentic. Work with a smaller set of influencers repeatedly so that they become your brand's trusted voice over a period of time;
• Invest well in micro and nano influencers- they are equally efficient in getting your brand's message across to a completely new set of audience. 

Please share top 3 social
media marketing trends witnessed in the eCommerce space- 

• Building a strong community or brand advocacy across channels is important. Build and nurture a community that is your sounding board and constant cheerleader and your social media strategy will always win. 
• Social media is the best place to tell authentic stories. Stories that can’t be told in the 30s, stories that need a two-way conversation with our users are all finding their home on social media.
• Using user feedback and engagement to shape social and content strategy in real-time is the best way to have a business impact. Social media is not broadcasting; it is a conversation that is being created in partnership with the community.