Are you willing to join the new trend of virtual shopping events, but you don't know where to start? Keep reading this blog post to see how to do a live shopping event step by step!
A misconception by some brands is that interactive live streaming needs to be something with high-tech production in order to be successful. The reality is that a phone, a tripod, and good lighting can be all that's needed for brands to successfully join the live shopping trend.
Here, you will find the steps to succeed in your first live shopping event!
1. Content
How do you want your audience to feel after the live stream? Do you want to inform your consumers about a new collection/promotion? Or perhaps you want them to feel more confident regarding the functionality of your products? Plan your content around what you want to communicate and how to do it.
Livestream plans do not have to be complicated, but customers like to see organized content that both informs and entertains them.
Don't forget to have fun! Customers also want to see the personality behind the brand. Livestreams are not just lectures about a product. You could even interact with your viewers by encouraging a Q & A in the chat bar.
2. Host
Who will talk about your brand? In these cases, many brands choose between some in-house talent product specialists or a trustworthy influencer that knows the products well. The ideal would be to have both so the influencer can drive the audience and the specialist can answer accurately.
To broadcast an excellent live stream, make sure you plan what your host will do. Make sure you know what order to display products in to avoid being caught off guard, make notes for what your host will say, and insure that they are well informed to talk about your product and educate your viewers
3. Launch date and time
Set up an estimated launch date and time to align internally. Make sure everything is ready for a tangible deadline.
4. Live shopping software
Create a project inside your interactive content software to start testing with your Stream URL and Keys. You can stream through OBS or Larix, among other stream software.
5. Import products
Import the products you want to feature in your live stream from your product catalog.
6. Good quality Camara
We recommend using a tripod for your phone to keep the camera steady
7. Location and lighting
Make sure that you are filming in a suitable location. Ideally, this will be somewhere quiet with minimal background noise. You could consider getting a backdrop for your Livestream that suits your brand image. Also, make sure your lighting is good. You could consider purchasing a couple of ring lights to ensure your viewers can see your products clearly in the stream. You can find a good light here!
8. Product Presentation
Think about how you will want to display your product. Will your host be wearing it, holding it in front of the camera, or will the camera focus on certain aspects of your product. Often with products like clothing, jewelry, and makeup, viewers love to see them demonstrated and modeled to gain trust.
9. Promotion
Share the event with all of your followers on social media by posting regularly in the run-up to the live stream. This will generate excitement and attract an audience. Share your live stream link across your platforms so that viewers can find it easily when the time comes. You could also include a count down on Instagram stories, so consumers know exactly when it will occur.
10. Good quality Wifi
In order to live stream a shoppable video we recommend the following Wi-fi speed upload:
For 1080p video at 60 frames per second, the bitrate range is 4,500 to 9,000 kbps. In upload speeds, that means between 5.6 Mbps and 11 Mbps.
For 1440p video at 30 frames per second, the bitrate range is 6,000 to 13,000 kbps. That’s between 7.4 Mbps and 15.8 Mbps in recommended upload speeds.
Find more options here.
In order to get a good upload speed to streaming you could:
Get a wired connection
Disconnect excess devices from your network
Close excess programs and apps on your computer
Find more options here.
11. Featured products and comments
Decide when you will be featuring the products within the live stream and if you will want someone on the editor replying to comments.
12. Test
Set up a test page on your site and see how the live stream looks on desktop and mobile.
13. Ready to go live!
Updated: Aug 25, 2021
Check out these game changing apps on Shopify that can help you harness the top 5 CRO boosting techniques.
There are many ways you can improve your Shopify store's conversion rate. Whether it is including a video player on Shopify sites, improving your email marketing or managing SEO, we have put together a list of the top 5 apps and top 5 methods to help you to maximise profit and boost your brand to new heights 👇
1. CM Commerce - Email Marketing
The app on Shopify helps brands to send smarter emails with personalisation and refined targeting.
Send emails featuring segments specific to your audience as well as conversion driven campaigns
Recover revenue with abandoned cart emails
Include reviews
Send valuable feedback surveys
Check out CM Commerce here!
2. Smartzer - Video on Shopify and Shopify Livestream
The Smartzer app helps brands to create shoppable video on Shopify as well as Shopify Livestream. Boost conversion with an engaging, interactive and memorable video player on Shopify.
Easy to distribute, on-demand and shoppable videos that can be used across social media, on ecommerce and in email newsletters
Tag video on Shopify with interactive, clickable product tags with information and an 'add to cart' functionality
Import product information direct from product feeds to show customers correct stock information
Broadcast Shopify livestreams to sell products in real time.
Find out more about using a video player on Shopify with Smartzer.
3. Privy - Popups
Create exit popups and emails to show your customer the best deals and push conversions.
Create site popups with special offers, promotions and the option to grow your mailing list
Create loyalty schemes tailored to your Shopify brand
Save abandoned cart revenue with reminder popups
Check out Privy here!
4. Easy Video - Product videos for your store
Add excitement to your store with this app for product video on Shopify.
Easy Video supports YouTube and Vimeo to allow users to add product videos to galleries
Customise your video layout with flexible settings (autoplay, thumbnail icon, video aspect ratio)
No coding required
Bring your products to live with Easy Video
Find out more here!
5. Sitemapper - SEO Manager
Boost your sites visibility on Search Engines with Sitemapper SEO Manager.
Generate a site map for your Shopify store
Improve traffic to your store to boost conversion rates
Link products to blog posts
Create site maps that include all the products you are selling
Check out Sitemapper here!
See the most gorgeous jewellery trends with Marina B's luxury shoppable content using Smartzer interactive video on Shopify.
Marina B boosted their video content marketing content with interactive and shoppable formats. Explore and entire collection in seconds by pressing play and tapping the screen to view product details. The brand creatively used video interactivity on their Ecommerce landing page to turn site visitors into qualified traffic by introducing them to a variety of products and information.
Execution:
The video seamlessly shows off a variety of styles as a model picks up and models the jewellery. By featuring multiple pieces the video introduces the viewer to their perfect accessory. The viewer can click product hotspots to view more details like pricing and add the jewellery straight to their bag. Consumers can also browse the shoppable carousel to the left hand side of the video to see all the items as the video continues to play.
Results:
By using Smartzer's interactive video platform on Shopify, Marina B was able to create a video that featured the following:
Clickable, interactive overlay tagged with product information
Single pop-up displaying jewellery image, name pricing, 'add to bag' CTA and 'discover more' link to product display page
Shoppable carousel containing all the featured pieces
Replay screen giving the viewer the chance to reconsider products and replay the video
Add to cart integration for easy, quick purchases
Seamless landing page integration
'Click to explore' call to action to notify the viewer that the video is shoppable
Check out the video live on Marina B's website here!
Conclusion:
Shoppable video can work for a variety of different products, especially jewellery. Marina B effortlessly shows off multiple pieces from a beautifully ornate collection to introduce and educate their customer in a matter of seconds. By using video interactivity, jewellery brands can massively increase customer engagement. Seeing products through the format of video is far more informative than static imagery and with the additional click, customers can feel encouraged and confident enough to commit to the purchase.
If you want to learn more about shoppable video visit Smartzer here!
And to learn more about our exciting new Shopify app click here!