What is a haul and why has it become the latest trend in social media?

This type of content, which became popular on YouTube, consists of buying a series of products and showing them on social networks.
Cámara grabando a un hombre sonriente con caja de productos frente a él en un entorno doméstico. Posible escena de marketing de influencer.
October 23, 2024

The word haul, means literally to transport, drag, or carry. However, within the digital ecosystem of social media, especially on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, this term has taken on an entirely new meaning and is widely used by content creators and influencers.

What haul means on social media

In the world of influencers, a haul refers to a broad content format in which creators showcase and review various products they have purchased, ranging from clothing, accessories, and makeup to household items and food. Besides displaying the products, they often provide some details about them. From this concept, try-on hauls have emerged, which involve trying on the products being shown. For example, a Zara clothing try-on haul would consist of showing the clothes you bought and modeling how they fit.

Generally, the products in a haul are naturally and simply related to each other, focusing on a specific theme, such as showcasing a seasonal clothing collection.

Differences bewteen unboxing and hauls

Unboxings and hauls are quite similar. The main difference is that, as the name suggests, an unboxing involves opening a box of products, typically from a specific brand. An example of this is the viral unboxings of Sonny Angels on TikTok. However, hauls can feature a collection of products from different brands that are related in some way. A clear example would be a “sale shopping haul,” where all the purchases made during that period are shown, regardless of the store they came from.

Although this type of content began on YouTube, the format has migrated to more dynamic platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Additionally, the format has evolved, incorporating more sophisticated and edited content, while still maintaining the freshness that made it popular in the first place. The users who consume this kind of content may be fans of the influencer or may be seeking information before making a purchase.

Hacoo, the low-cost Chinese eCommerce platform that directly competes with SheIn and Temu, has seen its popularity grow thanks to the large number of hauls on TikTok showcasing brand imitations available on the platform at very affordable prices.

@hacoo_finds Hacoo haul. Is this to many? #hacoo #hacoohaul #hacoofinds #hacoounboxing #haul #autumn #fall #halloween2024 ♬ original sound – DJ KHALED

Types of Hauls

As previously mentioned, hauls can focus on different categories, depending on the type of product being showcased:

Fashion: These hauls feature various types of clothing, with influencers discussing prices and details. They can revolve around a specific season or a particular store, such as a summer haul or a second-hand shop haul.

@jihoon Replying to @Emily ♡ ♬ Cute – Aurel Surya Lie

Beauty: In these hauls, influencers display makeup, skincare products, or chemical treatments, often reviewing and providing insights into the items.

Food: to showcase the groceries that are purchased in a store. This can also go to a more specific niche, such as a vegan haul.

@111chingaling Food Haul #fy #fyp #foodhaul #einkaufen #supermarkthaul ♬ Originalton – chingaling

Travel: in which souvenirs, clothes or products purchased at the tourist destination or those purchased for travel are displayed.

Books: a very specific niche, but one that works very well for reading lovers. Influencers can see synopses or impressions of stories. This type of content has become popular thanks to the booktok phenomenon on TikTok.

@dianamartin.fit HUGE BOOK HAUL from @target book sale, take a seat and lets chat about them #books #bookhaul #hugebookhaul #fantasybooks #romancebooks #thrillerbooks #booktok #bookrecommendations #bookworm #bookclub ♬ original sound – Diana Martin

Decoration: reviewing furniture, accessories, painting and even DIY projects.

Many brands take advantage of this type of content to hire influencers related to their values to showcase their products. This way they get to be discovered by potential customers, give more confidence and generate more traffic to their website or physical store.

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Content Manager in Marketing4eCommerce
Content Manager in Marketing4eCommerce, which translates to: writer, editor, and absolute fan of generating images with AI.

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