How to Start Livestream Shopping for Business
Is your business looking for new ways to make inroads with online customers and prospects? Livestream shopping has the power to improve sales and brand recognition, which is a huge advantage.
According to the Restream blog, What is Live Shopping, customers find live stream shopping more convenient than TV home shopping networks because it’s interactive, and accessible, and viewers can engage from any device. The practice is gaining traction in the U.S. and other western countries after getting its start in Asia several years ago. So, maybe it’s time your business gets on board. Let's talk about why you may want to launch livestream shopping for your company.
Direct Brand Engagement
Livestream shopping has numerous advantages, one of which is that it enables companies to interact directly with consumers. Your company can create a feeling of community and cultivate a closer relationship with its audience by interacting with viewers in real-time, which can be very useful for fostering brand loyalty and trust.
Livestream shopping can also be a useful tool for product launches and promotions. By showcasing a new product or offering a limited-time promotion through a livestream, your business can generate excitement around it. And this can create a sense of urgency among viewers that compels them to make a purchase.
Livestream shopping can provide valuable insights into consumer behavior. Businesses can track metrics like viewer engagement, conversion rates, and customer feedback to understand their audience better and make data-driven decisions.
Best Practices for First-Time Livestreamers
By leveraging the power of video content and real-time engagement, brands can create a memorable and engaging shopping experience for their customers.
For companies aiming to leverage livestream shopping to boost brand recognition and boost sales, the following are some excellent practices:
Fortify Your Wi-Fi
Because livestreaming requires frequent file uploads and downloads, ensuring your business Wi-Fi can handle the high demand is important. Sparklight Nusiness provides a range of Business Internet options fit for livestream shopping, including 5 Gig Symmetrical Internet that ensures the same blazing speed no matter which direction the files are headed.
In addition, Sparklight offers Internet Service Protection that keeps online services running when weather or other events knock out conventional internet.
Plan Ahead
Before you go live, create a plan for what you want to showcase during the livestream. This includes the products you want to feature, the talking points you want to cover, and the goals you want to achieve.
Use Quality Equipment
Invest in a good camera, microphone, and lighting to ensure that your livestream is professional-looking and easy to hear.
Engage
Interact with your audience during the livestream by asking them questions, responding to their comments, and encouraging them to share their thoughts and feedback.
Be Mindful of Viewers’ Time
Attention spans are short, so keep your livestreams to a reasonable length. Consider breaking up longer livestreams into shorter segments to keep your audience engaged.
Promote
Use social media and other channels to promote your livestream in advance to build anticipation and drive viewership.
Discount and Deal
Offer exclusive discounts or specials to viewers who make a purchase during the livestream. This creates a sense of urgency and encourages viewers to act.
Be Thankful
After the livestream, follow up with viewers to thank them for tuning in and offer additional support or assistance if needed.
Avoid the Livestream Risks
While livestream shopping has many potential benefits for businesses, there are also some risks associated with this approach. Here are just some to consider:
Tech Issues
Technical issues such as poor internet connectivity, low-quality video or audio, or glitches during the livestream can affect the viewer experience and damage your brand's reputation. Of course, this can be prevented with fast, reliable business internet from Sparklight.
Security
Livestream shopping requires customers to share personal and financial information to complete transactions, which can make them vulnerable to online fraud and other security risks like identity theft.
No Customer Interaction
Unlike in-person shopping experiences, livestream shopping lacks personal interaction with sales staff, which can make it difficult to address customer questions or concerns.
Limited Product Visibility
Livestream shopping may not allow customers to view products in detail, making it difficult to assess their quality or suitability.
Misrepresentation
In an effort to make sales, some businesses may be tempted to exaggerate the benefits of their products or misrepresent their features during a livestream, leading to customer dissatisfaction and negative reviews.
Unfamiliarity
Livestream shopping is still a relatively new concept, and some potential customers may not be aware of or interested in this type of shopping experience.
Your business can minimize the possible drawbacks of livestream shopping and give its consumers satisfying and successful purchasing experiences by preparing for and managing these risks before going live.