Content Strategies to make Live Shopping successful for Commerce (Updated) ---- 8 min read

When done well, Live Shopping Shows have the potential to break down communication barriers between Buyers and your Brand which ultimately generates Sales. Hence we can say that if leveraged correctly Live Shopping can be an effective Sales Enabler.

But hold on a second, this doesn’t mean you should livestream everything and anything. Hence it is important to know how to create the most enjoyable and valuable live shopping experience that can lead you to success.

Here are the 10 Content Strategies to make Live Shopping successful for Commerce.

Live Shopping allows you to leverage one or more below-mentioned strategies that will educate, entertain, and engage your audience all at the same time. Be it taking viewers behind the scenes and inviting an influencer to collaborate for the same or demonstrating a product while offering a limited-time discount and hosting a Q&A session, brands can leverage and combine many such strategies.

This will increase viewers’ enjoyment of your Live Shopping Show and will ultimately help you keep buyers you already have and gain new ones.

Content Strategies to make Live Shopping successful for Commerce:

Product Launches & Teasers

• By giving your viewers a “sneak peek” into what’s coming, you are generating demand before your product is even on the shelves. This can also include live unboxing videos before conducting Live Shopping Shows.
  
• Live unboxing of products is always interesting because it gives a first-hand look at the product and thus generates curiosity for a product which can increase Sales.
  
• You can also livestream the launch of a new product and take early bookings during a live show itself. Additionally, you can also offer Deals and Discounts on pre-booking to generate a sense of urgency.
  
• You can share industry-related updates, company announcements, and news with your buyer audience in real-time. This will make you their go-to resource, which will help you build a trusted customer base and establish credibility for your brand.
  
  PRO-TIP: You can promote your product launch show on your website or store’s homepage to attract more audiences. Here’s a reference.

Product Demonstrations

• Conducting product demonstrations in real-time offers buyers an insight into the usage and functioning of a product which helps them better understand a product. 
• Product demonstrations are useful in the consideration stage of buyers’ journey as these can convince them that a product is designed to meet their needs.
• A host can also showcase multiple product variants and options and answer buyer concerns about product colour, size, fit and usage, etc in real-time which can fully satisfy and delight them.

Product & Brand Stories

• Besides product launches and demonstrations, what live streaming retail does the best is that it allows buyers to participate in product or brand storytelling in ways that enrich customer experiences and trigger emotions in them. Telling your brand story is not just about your company history, your philosophy, and your values it’s also about telling your product’s stories, their benefits, and sharing customer testimonials.
• With this connection, buyer audiences feel eager to find out more about your brand and products.
• Furthermore, sharing customer testimonials via your Live Shopping Shows tells buyers why you are the best choice for them which eventually boosts your Credibility.

Read More: How to market Live Stream Shopping Shows to get Maximum Audience.

Entertainment

• One of the initial goals of using live shopping should be to bring more fun and entertainment and spice things up for viewers because it’s not solely the gameplay they come to see they look for entertainment and fun too. Live stream e-commerce is an intriguing solution that merges shopping with entertainment and urges viewers, especially the youth to watch, shop, and stay.
• Offering incentives, such as prize draws, special promo codes, or a countdown, talking to viewers by addressing them and challenging them for a bet, newsjacking or allowing a charismatic performer to take over a session, conducting trivia and quizzes and allowing viewers to poll live to express their opinions, etc are some of the ways to liven things up a bit and make shopping entertaining.
• Hence, live shopping events have the power to elevate Shoppertainment which leads to a differentiated shopping experience and ensures a boost in customer retention and average session time.

New to Live Shopping? Want to know how to get started? Download our FREE Guide.

Seasonal & Holiday Specials

• Incorporating seasonal and holiday specials into your Live Shopping strategy can significantly amplify Sales, as these periods often see heightened buyer interest and purchasing behavior. 
• Tailoring your content to align with specific times of the year such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, New Year, and other festive occasions, can be highly effective.

PRO-TIP: For more insights and tips on how to effectively plan and schedule your live shopping shows around these pivotal dates, check out our blog: Creating an Effective Monthly Calendar for Your Live Shopping Shows. 

Complementary Content

• One of the best Content Strategies to make Live Shopping successful for Commerce is offering Complementary Content. Streaming complementary content is an added advantage of live shopping that can enhance your brand perception and lead to brand loyalty. 
• For instance, an influencer while live streaming for a fitness brand can show a new workout routine and also refer to a certain piece of gym equipment that the audience can buy on the go.
• An automobile retailer while hosting a live walkaround of a vehicle can stream complementary content like vehicle maintenance and driving tips.
  

These can be effective ways to use live commerce in your App for Sales.

Collaborations

• Collaborating with influencers is a surprise element to an otherwise, one-person setup. Influencers can be anyone from celebrities to subject-matter experts to KOLs (key opinion leaders) to any prominent personality who can influence customers.
• A brand can work with them to create engaging content, announce giveaways, host interviews, launch or promote products, host tutorials or recommend products, etc.
• Influencers are usually trusted by their followers, and when a trendsetting influencer conveys your message to a relevant audience, your brand is seen as more relevant and credible. Like, if you are a travel agency, you can collaborate with a prominent personality of a popular tourist destination.
• Hiring influencers to conduct live shows for brands on your website, app, or e-commerce store, ask them to share about those shows on their social media handles to get more Traffic and Sales.

Bonus: With the Channelize.io Co-Host feature, brands can now get their favorite hosts or influencers in the same room for a Live Show, double the engagement, and much more.

Hosting Live Contests or Giveaways

• Hosting live contests gives brands a dedicated audience wherein they can also promote their products or services indirectly. This can include voting for a product through polls, interactive trivia games, quiz competitions, etc. 
• Such sessions can keep your buyers engaged and entertained hence they are more likely to invest in your products and participate in your future events.
• Furthermore running contest giveaways are a surefire way of making your customers excited about your brand which will increase their engagement, establish brand awareness, and create a buzz. 

Behind the Scenes 

• Giving your buyers access to behind-the-scenes footage can help you establish a deeper connection with them. It could be a glimpse into how a certain product is made, how your employees celebrated a festival, or taking your viewers on a quick office tour.
• Not only do behind-the-scenes live shows create a more personable brand image, but they also show a real insight into your company’s culture which can drive more audience attention towards the actual event itself.

Read More: Importance of Providing the Right Product Experiences, for Ecommerce & D2C Brands.

Flash Sales, Deals & Discounts

Offering flash sales, deals, discounts, or coupons during a live stream can cause a sense of urgency and can push buyers to buy products. Hence live-streamed flash sales, deals, and discounts conducted via live shopping shows are proven to be a potent sales tool.

PRO-TIP: A great approach to showcasing these Flash Sales, Deals & Discounts is through pinning them during a live shopping show. For reference

Q&A Sessions

• Live Q&A sessions are wholly authentic and are a format of storytelling. There are no scripts or editing, and the audience loves this authenticity. Moreover, Q&A sessions also help viewers put their doubts in the spotlight. 
• The answers validate this possibility of interaction, solving doubts, and hence generating value for a brand. Right from food brands to automobile brands, every industry is leveraging this method to foster customer engagement.
• One of the perks of live streaming a Q&A session is that it gives buyers a sense of connectedness with your brand and helps them know products better, which leads to more informed buying decisions, and faster sales conversions.

Repurpose & Recycle Live Shopping Content

• Live Shopping Shows offer value beyond the live event. The content can be repurposed to extend its reach and engagement. 
• Trimming live stream footage into shareable social media content keeps your audience engaged beyond the live show. Pre-live hype, like teaser videos and social media posts, can also build anticipation for your live events.

For detailed strategies on capitalizing on post-live shopping shows to boost sales, delve into our blog: Strategies for Post Live Shopping Show Marketing.

Wrapping up: Content Strategies to make Live Shopping Successful for Commerce

If you don’t have a way to engage your shoppers, there’s no point for them to stick around. Give your shoppers a reason to want to interact with your brand during a live stream by creating an interactive and entertaining environment and opening up the conversation. Furthermore, If you make a good impression, buyers may also seek out your other content after your Live Shopping Show has ended.

We hope these Content Strategies to make live shopping successful for Commerce help you get your live shopping game plan off the ground, or if you’ve already started, it helps you take your strategy to the next level!

Visit our Live Shopping Platform or book a Free Demo with us to get started.