5 Things to Know Before You Start Live Video Selling
Date: July 2, 2021
Live stream shopping has taken over the e-commerce world in China, giving birth to live shopping models like Home Shopping Network and Taobao Live. In fact, live broadcasts are now the number one source of revenue per hour in China, ahead of television, mobile games, radio, videos, and music.
People were spending almost 84 minutes per day consuming digital video in 2019, and that number is expected to grow 100 minutes per day in 2021. So, should you experiment with live streaming for your business? The answer is yes.
Live streaming videos give you the opportunity to interact with your audience in real-time. Rather than uploading previously recorded short shows or videos the way television shopping networks do, live video shopping enables you to sell your products in real-time. The trend of live shopping is experiencing explosive growth all across the globe after China.
However, it’s crucial to understand that even though live stream shopping is very much ‘in the moment,’ a lot of behind-the-scenes preparation goes into every session. You do not get to take retakes when the camera is rolling. That’s why there’s a need to fully prepare and plan for each show.
There are certain practices for live streaming that can come in handy while representing your brand or business. But it all begins with choosing the right platform for live streaming, such as Swirl — which is becoming a top destination for live video streaming content.
Swirl can easily plug into any brand and retailer websites to accelerate their sales, helping brands engage, convert, and retain more customers. It enables brands to conduct Livestream shopping sessions that require no app download to engage more customers.
Once you’re there, here are a few best practices to get you started in the right way.
1. Promote Your Live Stream in Advance
When you’re experimenting for the first time, it’s important that your audience knows about it. You need to generate interest before the stream if you want to get that viewership.
Promote your live stream schedule in advance to your followers and subscribers on various platforms — social media, email, etc.
While promoting your live stream link, share some key information with your followers:
- At what day and time the live stream will start
- Where it will be hosted — and how they can join
- The topic of discussion and what they can expect from your live stream
If you’re taking questions from the audience, let them know as this can really entice them in joining the session.
Here’s how Shein does it by posting about their Black Friday Live Shopping in advance.
It’s best to send an email at least 48 hours in advance to your subscribers to get them all excited about the upcoming live stream. You can even take this opportunity to ask them to send you any questions they might have related to your topic in advance. This will give you time to prepare for the best possible answer when you finally go live.
2. Be Consistent in Going Live
While you’re trying to build your brand by doing live streaming videos, delivering consistent live shows is a must. A reliable schedule combined with good content can really boost up your live shopping system.
Setting up a schedule in advance on a weekly or monthly basis will keep your audiences informed when you’re going live. When you have a fixed schedule, your subscribers can set time aside to attend your live. Besides, it becomes easier for them to recommend it to other people if you have a set time and date for your live stream.
Live video shopping allows you to entertain and sell at the same time. Utilize this opportunity to grow a loyal base of audiences by building a consistent live shopping schedule.
3. Be Responsive and Interactive
Live stream video shopping gives a mixture of entertainment and retail experience to your audience. The whole purpose of selling on live stream is to add the human touch and bridge the gap between the physical and digital shopping experience.
Shoppers want the opportunity to interact with the people behind the brand, such as the brand influencer and the personal in-house stylist. They are eager to connect with them and ask a lot of questions.
The live reactions and comments are what make the whole experience engaging for your customers. Do your best to answer whatever you can.
With a live streaming platform like Swirl, your viewers can ask you questions in private, and brands can respond instantly on WhatsApp. In fact, it allows your viewers to send an audio message.
Swirl makes it easy for your audience to request the price by adding a button for it. They can simply click on it, and brands can send instant replies.
Whether you’re just experimenting with it for the first time or have been live streaming for a while, prepare yourself by anticipating some of the questions your audience might ask. But at the same time, be prepared to respond to new questions that you might not have expected.
4. Save and Re-use Your Recorded Live Shows
Even after the broadcast is over, your live stream can be reused. Recorded shows that fit nicely into your product or category page can bring up to 70% of your sales once the live has ended.
Save your videos to your relevant product or category page and allow people to watch them on-demand. Furthermore, you can even share links to your live stream videos in email newsletters, social media posts, and blog posts.
5. Spot Potential Issues and Avoid Common Mistakes
Running a quick test for your live shopping event can help you avoid some major mistakes.
For starters, you need to make sure the products you’re going to link to your live stream are properly stocked. Avoid disappointing potential buyers by double-checking your product inventories and making sure it’s on the desired level.
Besides, if you’re offering discounts on your live products, you don’t want to risk inserting the wrong code after the event is live. Before going live, check and confirm if the code will work as expected.
What Can You Sell on Live Stream Videos?
From luxury fashion brands to locally farmed goods and regional handicrafts, you can sell anything. As long as the product is appealing and the whole live streaming experience is smooth, shoppers can buy anything they want or need.
Fashion luxury brand P N RAO, a traditional men’s wear retailer with multiple in-house brands and 8+ high-end stores in South India, led live stream video shopping events during the lockdown last year and witnessed 27% higher sales in the first month itself.
A jewelry brand named Tanishq claims to have done around INR 100 crore of sales through video calling alone in a span of two months.
It’s time for brands — big or small — to push their digital presence and transform the way they conduct business. After China, the live video shopping experience is going to hit the US market. The market is expected to reach $25 billion in 2023, according to Coresight.
Enhance your shopper experience by shortening their buying journey and reducing your acquisition costs.
SWIRL is a full funnel live commerce solution that helps marketers attract, engage and convert more customers. Enable your website or app with the power of shoppable content to increase AOV, boost conversions and retain customers. If you’re looking for a live commerce solution and want to discuss options, get in touch.