IF THERE is anyone out there who still doubts whether social media can match the power of traditional advertising, they need to take a look at Littlewoods most recent digital campaign.

Earlier this month the online retailer saw sales jump a huge 292% following its TV debut via social media, which launched the retailer’s new, exclusive home and living collection.

This was Littlewoods’ first step into long-form branded content and saw it stream a live, hour-long show, fronted by designer Laurence Llewelyn Bowen on Facebook.

The show was watched live by more than 4,000 people, 22% of whom chose to view it via their smartphones.

Littlewoods also took advantage of the platform’s instant messaging service to make the ad interactive and monetised the show by selling ad indents to third-party brands including ASA.

It has since made the most of the film by editing the show into 15-minute segments and seeding the clips onto its own website, created specifically to host video content for the show, Littlewoodslive.

The video player includes click-to-buy features, which has since contributed to the major sales uplift.

By balancing the right mix of engagement with commercialisation, Littlewoods was able to establish measurable branded content within the social media space. Real-time questioning, meant one in three people who watching also commented on the action.

The live broadcast has been so successful that Littlewoods is now planning its next two Facebook programmes.

If brands want to keep up then they need to make the most of the opportunities offered by social media platforms.