How To Blend ‘shoppertainment’ And ‘infotainment’ For A Successful Live Shopping Event

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A great host makes a live shopping event feel effortless and breezy, but you need to put in the work before the livestream session if you want it to be profitable and successful. One of the most effective ways to optimize the digital format and still retain that personal, in-store touch is to focus on shoppertainment and infotainment. Here’s how.

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If you’re planning to host a live shopping event (especially if it's your first), one of the top priorities should be to make sure it is deeply engaging for the customer and significantly profitable for your brand. There’s a secret formula that never fails to capture attention, and today we’re going to discuss how you can replicate it.

The Secret Ingredients To Hosting A Successful Live Shopping Event

The digital experiences that resonate the most with users are either entertaining or highly useful. Consider the apps or websites you frequently use - they all offer something that keeps you coming back. To create a compelling and captivating live shopping strategy, prioritize these two elements:

SHOPPERTAINMENT + INFOTAINMENT

There’s a difference between the two.

What Is SHOPPERTAINMENT?

Shoppertainment blends eCommerce with entertainment in an interactive, immersive format that keeps viewers hooked to the brand. The longer a customer spends on your brand properties, the more likely they are to make a purchase, so it is in your brand’s interest to keep them online for longer. 

In a shoppertainment format, the brand openly focuses on selling, and customers are aware of this when they join in. The purpose is clear, allowing you to showcase your products without being intrusive or disrupting your customers' online browsing experience. They expect to see demonstrations, tutorials, limited-time offers, and discount codes, and they are eager to engage with the brand and explore your product range. Often, the live commerce event is so captivating that shoppers don't even feel like they're shopping, despite actively adding items to their carts and making purchases.

A great example of shoppertainment is Clinique’s Skin Care School – a series of live shopping sessions with actor Emilia Clarke and other celebs and skin experts, in which they talk about their skincare routines, answer questions, and demonstrate the newest products in the Clinique range for viewers to buy.

What Is INFOTAINMENT?

Infotainment is a style of communication that combines information and entertainment, but the primary focus is to impart information that convinces the audience to take action.

While it's crucial to incorporate entertaining content into your live shopping session, it's equally important to remember that you're hosting an e-commerce event with the ultimate goal of generating profit.

Infotainment strikes the right balance by providing customers with the necessary information to make purchase decisions in a lively, engaging, fun, and interactive manner. When customers enjoy the sales pitch or product demo, it increases their likelihood of considering a purchase.

A great example of a brand doing infotainment is Walmart. The supermarket chain’s live shopping strategy includes live commerce events hosted by celebs, industry experts, and Walmart associates. Each event is themed and the products are closely curated to make sure that interested viewers get exactly what they’re looking for. 

Blending Shoppertainment And Infotainment In The Right Quantities

A successful live shopping strategy mixes entertainment, information, and eCommerce in just the right mix to create a great experience for the viewer. 

Here’s a handy guide to help you plan your mix:

Shoppertainment: 60%

To ensure an engaging live session, it's important to plan and incorporate entertaining elements throughout the event.

Choose a relevant and entertaining theme for your live session. It could be centered around a festival, season (such as Christmas shopping or winter), or a common event in your customers' lives (like Back to School or summer holidays). Create a set that aligns with the theme and dress the host accordingly. These efforts foster viewer participation and increase the likelihood of impulse buying.

At the beginning of the live shopping event, allocate some time to discuss the chosen theme and its impact on viewers' lives. This demonstrates that the brand understands its audience and knows what they are seeking. Consider inviting an expert to provide tips and encourage viewers to share their own insights.

For example, in a Back to School theme, you could bring in a decluttering expert to offer tips on organizing a child’s school bag, homework desk, and lunch box plan.

‍Read our blog about How to Score More Impulse Buys

Infotainment: 30%

Ensure that the products you present align with the chosen theme, catering to the specific preferences of your viewers. Begin the show by providing a general overview of the products that will be featured.

During the product demos, take the time to unbox, explore, and highlight all the key features. Showcase the product's versatility by demonstrating various ways it can be used. Dive into detail for multi-use products and offer insights on how they can enhance the viewers' lives or bring more enjoyment. By helping viewers envision the product's role in their own lives, you increase the likelihood of them making a purchase.

If you have a lot of good reviews or testimonials for a particular product, you might like to go through them to highlight interesting points or showcase reviews on-screen. Social proof is one of the most effective ways to convince potential buyers about the worth of your products. 

‍eCommerce: 10%

While it's crucial to prioritize an enjoyable live shopping experience for viewers, hosts should never lose sight of the ultimate goal of closing sales. Achieving a favorable return on investment (ROI) for the live event is both motivating for the brand and provides valuable first-party data for future endeavors.

At the beginning of the session, allocate time to explain the functionality of the 'Add-to-Cart' and 'Buy Now' features to viewers. Additionally, introduce yourself, the brand, and the products being showcased in a friendly manner. If there are any special discounts or vouchers available, inform viewers and encourage them to stay tuned. This helps create an atmosphere that encourages viewers to make a purchase.

After each product has been fully demonstrated and you’ve answered questions, point out the features that will allow customers to add it to their carts or buy it. If you’re running low on stock, make sure to highlight this. 

Looking for more tips on how to be a good live shopping host? Read our blog.