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At Live Me Up, we watch dozens of live lives every week. We do this work to identify the best practices on the market and share them with our clients. With over 100 Live Commerce viewings under our belt, we've identified a few common mistakes made by brands that are just starting out. In this article, you'll find the 4 main lessons we've discovered for a successful Live Shopping session.
1 - Set up an audience acquisition strategy
The promotion of your event is one of the key elements of success of your live event. It must be one of your priorities.
Many companies overestimate their attraction potential and think that by announcing the Live event on the day of, it will be enough to attract a large number of spectators.
This is not the case! Underestimating the importance of promoting your live event is the best way to end up disappointed. 😥
You're going to put a lot of effort imagining and preparing an enjoyable live event for your customers. It would be a shame not to let as many people as possible enjoy it.
Live Shopping is new for you as well as for most of the people who follow you.
In order to involve them in this new adventure, it can be wise to make them participate in an indirect way. You can for example list 2 or 3 themes for your next live and ask your community on Instagram for their opinion.
You will then need to share some key information with your followers:
- Announce the theme of the live event
- The day and time of the event
- Share the link so they can register and add the event to their calendar with one click.
A good way to attract people is to announce a draw that will take place during the live event to win a gift or a voucher.
On the big day, you have to tease the live show. You can share the setting or ask the host to post a short video in the story to remind the selected theme.
Sending an e-mailing to your customer contact base should be combined with your publications on social networks because it allows you to reach a different target. Not all your customers follow you on social networks or may miss your publication on the organization of your live streaming shopping. Sending an email allows you to ensure greater visibility with your customers.
We recommend creating an email especially for the occasion. The email should include the key information and the benefits of participating in the live stream. Again, don't forget to remind them to sign up for the live event to receive an alert a few minutes before the live event starts.
2 - Don't follow your script to the letter
Knowing the products featured and annotating the key information to share is essential: what are their benefits, how to use them, what is their price, etc.
But spontaneity is also a key element of Lives Commerce. It brings a human touch that allows to connect with the audience in a more natural way.
The presenter has to step out of his role as a salesman and present the products as if he were talking to a friend. By being natural and spontaneous, the live event will be more alive for the participants.
Viewers crave a conversational approach to live shopping, as it makes them feel like they are getting exclusive and privileged information.
When you embark on the e-commerce livestream, you need to write a flexible script in advance.
This will help you stay on topic if you don't get any questions in the chat or if you have no idea what you're going to talk about in the first 5 minutes of the broadcast.
Think of your live stream as a conversation. What questions do you get asked often when you talk to customers face-to-face? What are the most interesting topics in your industry right now?
Don't panic if something unexpected happens or if you stammer, it's not a big deal. On the contrary, it's a charming asset at a time when consumers are looking for more and more authenticity.
3 - Pay attention to the decor and lighting
The decor is essential because it allows you to put the audience at ease and to make them enter your universe. A decor can completely transform the atmosphere of your live show into a warm and welcoming experience or a cold and impersonal one.
Heather Torres, professional streamer and COO of Think Media, interviewed in the Dreambuilder podcast explains that the #1 tip for successful streaming is to improve the lighting:
There's a big difference between dimly lit videos and well-lit videos. They're easier to watch, look more professional, and often you think, "Wow, they put a lot of effort into their production."
You don't need a professional camera, tools as simple as a circle light or a softbox can make all the difference. Good lighting not only helps showcase your products, but creates a quality rendering and better overall experience.
4 - Entertain before thinking of selling
During your Live Shopping, your goal is to sell, but also to entertain your audience. Imagine your live viewers seeing your great products but being bored in front of their screen. There is very little chance that they will make a purchase or reconnect to another live show.
However, if your audience have fun, they will not only be tempted by your products and come back to future sessions, but they will also talk positively about it to their friends.
One of the main advantages of live content is that it allows you to interact directly with your customers. Viewers join your live event to engage with your brand, so listen to them, answer questions, and start a discussion, whether it's between you and the attendees or between them.
Note that regardless of the format, successful events typically include interactive elements such as games, quizzes, and giveaways to keep viewers interested and entertained. Feedback and comments are what make the whole experience engaging for your customers.
Whether you're a first-timer or have been live streaming for a while, it's necessary to prepare something to animate and entertain viewers during the live event.
It's time for brands - big or small - to strengthen their digital presence. Live is the best way to improve your buyers' experience while shortening their buying journey and reducing your acquisition costs. Now that you're ready to make your live events a success, all that's left is to take the plunge and embark on the Live Commerce adventure.
The first step is to select the right platform for your needs. For that, we have a detailed guide to the best Live Shopping solutions on the Shopify App Store.
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