The BuzzFeed Sales Channel

Great for Shopify buzzness owners who want to sell more stuff

Ah BuzzFeed, the giant listicle site where we all learned what a gif was and figured out which Game of Thrones villain we would be. BuzzFeed is a site filled with funny cat videos, pop culture news and about 200 million readers. It’s also a treasure trove for anyone looking to sell specialty products to younger consumers all over the world.

BuzzFeed and Shopify have recently partnered to open up a sales channel, allowing more retail products to be selected for BuzzFeed content.

I thought BuzzFeed was just for celebrity news

You thought wrong. Although it’s got its fair share of Kardashian chatter, BuzzFeed is actually a strong source for lots of things that could help your business grow, including:

Lots of lists about finding the perfect gift for _____

BuzzFeed has a ton of content that is specifically about shopping for yourself or for another. One of the great things about BuzzFeed compared to other sites is their lists are already meant to be niche and quirky -- meaning your products could end up on a curated list. Some recent lists include “20 Ridiculously Cool Gadgets You'll Want To Buy Immediately” “17 Things For People Who Absolutely, Positively Hate Wearing Pants” and “36 Essential Albums To Add To Your Record Collection”.

Whatever it is you sell, it could end up on a BuzzFeed shopping list. They have lists that are tailored to the frugal buyer, plus ones aimed at more expensive purchases. All items feature a title, large photo of the product, a quippy or funny line about it, and a link to buy.

Commission rates

BuzzFeed editors dig for products to put in their list from a selected list of sources. That can now include Shopify store owners who use the BuzzFeed sales integration. As opposed to Business accounts for sales channels like Amazon or Ebay, BuzzFeed works on commission for products sold through their unique embed code. You can set a commission rate for BuzzFeed when you set up the sales channel, and commissions are paid out monthly.

Quick note: Unlike traditional affiliate marketing, there are no commission minimums with the BuzzFeed Sales Channel

A crowd-sourced content model

Part of the reason BuzzFeed has grown so big is because their lists and features can come from anyone who reads them. That means a higher chance that your products can get noticed - plus an opportunity to submit your own article that features your product.

Lots of categories and tags

BuzzFeed works with an extensive system of tags that span across categories. You can get closer to a highly targeted audience by having your products tagged and categorised for interested customers to find them.

This works in your best interest after a sale, too. By seeing how well your products do with certain tags, and who’s buying them, you’re able to make more targeted marketing decisions for your business.

One of the easiest marketing strategies you can have

Yes, it’s called a “sales channel” and you set it up like one, but the BuzzFeed integration is a bit different. On all other sales channels, like Ebay, Pinterest, and Amazon, your marketing strategy is still separated. Those are more about putting your products up on various websites, and then doing your own email campaigns or sponsored ads to get people to actually see those products.

With BuzzFeed, you’re instead simply allowing editors to see your products, and paying commission for anything that’s actually sold. The editors are the ones that do the messaging, content creation and targeting for you.

Next Steps

To start selling on BuzzFeed, you’ll need to be on at least a Basic plan, and have the Online Store channel ticked. After that, just go to your Admin → Sales Channels → Add Channel or simply add the BuzzFeed Sales Channel here.

You’ll be able to select which products you want BuzzFeed editors to be seen, and choose your commission rates by product. Order fulfilment happens the same way, with orders coming straight through Shopify.

Currently, the BuzzFeed channel is only available for retailers who are based in the US and sell in USD.

Want more help expanding your marketing reach and growing your business with social platforms? Elkfox can be your best friend when it comes to building a business with Shopify. Talk to us.