Here is an inventory of product releases and updates for late May from firms that supply providers to on-line retailers. There are updates on social commerce, customer support, omnichannel options, returns, reside streaming, and shoppable video.
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Ecommerce Product Releases
eBay made easy with Snapchat. Snapchatters can now share eBay listings with pals utilizing the Snapchat digicam on Android and iOS. To get began, open the eBay app and choose any itemizing. Tap the share icon and choose the “Snapchat” choice to routinely leap to the Snapchat digicam with the automated eBay sticker. Create an unique snap with the eBay sticker and layer utilizing any inventive instruments. When snapchatters ship a snap that features an eBay sticker to their story or on to their pals, the recipient or viewer will be capable of faucet the eBay sticker to leap to the itemizing.
eBays Listings on Snapchat
Facebook and Instagram introduce Recurring Notifications. To assist companies drive extra significant conversations, Meta introduced Recurring Notifications for the Messenger platform. Recurring Notifications permit firms to ship automated messages to drive re-engagement and maintain the dialog going proper within the thread. Create customized messages a couple of chosen subject, equivalent to product discovery suggestions, product alerts, low cost codes, and product service reminders. Send messages each day, weekly, or month-to-month. Consumers are proven the subject and frequency upfront and should decide in earlier than companies can ship recurring messages.
YouTube teases the expansion of live stream shopping. At its first-ever Upfronts media convention, YouTube introduced new options to assist creators and advertisers make extra significant connections with their audiences. Later this yr, two channels will go reside and cohost collectively, uniting communities in a single reside procuring stream. With reside redirects, creators can begin a reside procuring stream on their channel, then redirect their viewers to a model’s channel for followers to maintain watching.
Zowie closes $14 million Series A funding. Zowie, an AI-powered chatbot know-how constructed for ecommerce groups who wish to drive gross sales via buyer help, introduced $14 million in Series A funding led by Tiger Global Management. Zowie integrates with all ecommerce instruments, equivalent to Shopify, Recharge, Klaviyo, and extra. The ready-to-use automation supported by an open API allows Zowie’s clients to shortly arrange automation equivalent to order standing, subscription management, parcel monitoring, and extra. This newest spherical of funding will help Zowie’s mission to allow higher on-line buyer experiences and lengthen its automation capabilities to new channels, together with e-mail. Additional traders within the spherical embody Gradient Ventures (Google’s AI-focused fund), 10x Founders (investor in Revolut, Robinhood, Adyen), and The Inovo Group, in addition to strategic investor Jack Altman (CEO at Lattice).
Zowie
Meta opens WhatsApp to all businesses and developers with a new cloud-based API. Meta is making WhatsApp accessible for any enterprise of any measurement by providing free, safe cloud internet hosting providers via its new cloud-based API. With the brand new API, firms and builders can shortly entry and construct straight on high of WhatsApp to additional customise their expertise and improve the pace they will reply to their clients. WhatsApp can be engaged on superior options for these companies to assist them run operations past just some folks and additional amplify their model on-line. One superior characteristic contains the power to handle chats on as much as 10 units to deal with an inflow of conversations higher. These providers may also eradicate pricey server bills for companions, giving immediate entry to new options. Businesses can enroll straight or work with a enterprise options supplier to get began.
TikTok announces Live subscription. TikTookay Live permits creators to encourage, entertain, and join with engaged communities in real-time. TikTookay launched Live subscription, a month-to-month subscription for folks to indicate appreciation for his or her favourite Live creators. Live subscription permits creators to extend earnings whereas persevering with to develop their neighborhood and offers engaged communities a possibility to thank their favourite creators frequently. Subscribers obtain badges which are displayed subsequent to their identify on their profile and upgraded over time. Subscribers get entry to unique emotes custom-designed by the creators throughout Live periods. And when the subscriber-only chat is on, creators and their subscribers have unique entry to 1 one other. Live subscription will initially be accessible invite-only to creators this month and can later change into accessible globally.
ManyChat launches WhatsApp Chat Marketing Automation. ManyChat, a advertising platform for 1.5 million companies, introduced the launch of WhatsApp Chat Marketing Automation. The new channel will permit manufacturers who use WhatsApp to speak with clients and automate chat advertising and buyer help. Businesses can now automate campaigns to drive gross sales, reply widespread questions, or shortly escalate clients to reside chat brokers by utilizing WhatsApp automation. Users save time by creating automated responses to clients’ queries and shortly increase issues that usually require an admin’s consideration.
ManyChat
WooCommerce announces partnership with TikTok. WooCommerce introduced a strategic alliance with TikTookay to attach the three.7 million Woo-powered shops and the TikTookay neighborhood with a brand new extension, TikTok for WooCommerce. Available now within the WooCommerce Marketplace, the extension permits retailers to sync their catalog to TikTookay and promote merchandise through advertisements to its 1 billion lively world customers. Merchants can now create native, shareable “in-feed” TikTookay advertisements straight from their WooCommerce dashboard, together with an embedded good video generator that simplifies the method by producing video advertisements utilizing current product photographs. The integration permits for a sophisticated TikTookay pixel on a service provider’s web site for ongoing marketing campaign efficiency monitoring. It will supply precedence entry to the entire ecommerce options TikTookay plans to launch within the upcoming months.
Fast Simon launches no-code editor. Fast Simon, a participant in AI-powered procuring optimization, introduced a brand new No-Code Search and Collections Editor. The interface delivers a drag-and-drop visible web page builder with a publishing and internet hosting platform, eradicating the necessity for coding and reducing the time and prices of offering optimized procuring experiences. Using the no-code editor, retailers can create front-end pages on main ecommerce and headless platforms and ship customized experiences with out excessive upfront prices. The interface integrates with all main ecommerce and headless platforms, together with Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, WooCommerce, and Shopify Hydrogen.
Cycleon launches omnichannel returns management. Cycleon, a returns administration firm for style, retail, and electronics manufacturers, launched omnichannel returns administration. The new service simplifies return processes, making them scalable by integrating all return flows and offering manufacturers with a single level of contact. Items are registered, consolidated, and reworked at Cycleon’s community of decentralized warehouses earlier than being transported to their ultimate vacation spot. Brands can make the most of Cycleon’s return portal and faucet into the already established ecosystem of native carriers, logistics suppliers, and developer companions.
Instacart announces new shoppable video and display ads. Instacart introduced two new promoting integrations: shoppable video advertisements and enhanced shoppable show advertisements. These new codecs broaden Instacart’s advert product suite with experiences to offer manufacturers a extra immersive method to inform tales, have interaction audiences, and drive gross sales. Shoppable video and shoppable show allow client packaged items manufacturers to shorten the consumer journey from consciousness and product discovery to buy — all inside one media unit. Advertisers can now promote participating, focused, inventive content material to customers procuring from their favourite retailers on Instacart. Dove, Mondelēz International, PepsiCo, and S.Pellegrino are among the many first client packaged items manufacturers to pilot Instacart’s shoppable video and shoppable show merchandise.
Instacart Ads
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