Live shopping - How Can Brands Succeed?
Instagram plans to kill off live shopping in March, a feature that has been broadly available to US businesses and creators since 2020. We want to ask ourselves: what does this mean for live shopping?
Live shopping does not live and die on one application. Since 2020 the live shopping ecosystem has escalated so quickly that brands can now find a host of different ways to connect with their customers.
One of the biggest benefits to Live Shopping is that it is an affordable way to enhance product discovery and brand awareness. This occurs alongside the benefits of getting to know customer shopping habits, whilst improving their overall online experience.
As brands move forward into the realms of live shopping, it is important to remember that one should not place too much emphasis on instant conversion as they start to explore the benefits.
So, where can you start?
Consistency
We are creatures of habit. If you are a Game of Thrones fan then you remember moving everything aside on Sunday evenings (Monday for UK viewers) to watch the latest episode. You would spend the week anticipating this moment and tune in on time to make sure you did not miss a minute.
There is something to be said about consistency within live shopping as well. With consistency we have seen regular patterns that will increase click through rate, engagement and ROI when a schedule is kept to.
Consistency also helps build a brand's community and makes it easily accessible to a wider audience. It offers functionality like “sharing” to be conducted in a manner that is quick and easy. “Oh did you see X goes live every Thursday at 1pm? They have some great deals on.”
The host of the show will be extremely important when it comes to building a community. The host is responsible for maintaining authenticity when customers have questions about the products.
Authenticity
I am a plus sized person, so to have the ability to ask my questions, that I might find uncomfortable to ask in a store, is a great way to feel connected to my favourite brands.
Being authentic is so important to an audience and having that direct connection with a brand can really help push product discovery and sales. Live shopping offers that 1:1 opportunity to ask questions but to an audience of many.
Equally, being authentic also offers the chance for live demonstrations of products within a live shopping experience. This opportunity brings customers closer to conversion because they get first hand, real-time exposure to the product.
The host will play an important role in connecting audiences to product discovery. It's an welcomed opportunity to invite audience members to comment and interact using social features embedded within the platform.
Additionally, the host might want to bring the product closer to the camera or if the camera is operated then bring the camera closer to the product to provide the viewer with an almost in-person shopping experience.
Themes
Having an engaging, authentic host is vital,
but the content of live shows is equally important. As confidence grows with brands going live more regularly, it can be important to group this content into underlying themes.
These can help to target specific consumer types and have a more direct approach to conversion and product discovery.
Week ONE might be a live show about sustainability
Week TWO might be a live show about product discovery.
Week THREE may be a masterclass.
Week FOUR may be a sale.
Themes can be anything but it requires patience and research on your customer interests and habits. Consistency and patience will play a key role in the development of the live shopping delivery.
The host will also be integral to educating your audience in the features interactivity holds, showing customers how to shop, where they can view products and promoting upcoming events based on a consistent schedule.
Take your time
Last but not least, time will be the deciding factor. Live shopping has been on the edge of people’s lips for 3 years and yet, still requires time to get the community built right. Those that have succeeded do so 8 X their ROI when they use Smartzer’s Live Shopping technology.
So how do brands succeed within live shopping:
Consistency - Build your audience and improve your average viewing time
Authenticity - Increase your engagement within the show through comments and interactions
Themes - Educate your audience on the interactive features
Time - Start to see conversions
Smartzer’s live shopping tool allows brands to create their own success story. Within the initial stage of the journey, brands will start to see an increase in conversions if they concentrate on developing their online audience first. The focus should be on the community.
