Over the years, countless ecommerce trends have surfaced and faded away, yet few have left as significant an impact as live selling. The phenomenon of live selling swept through the ecommerce landscape during the pandemic, resonating with individuals who were looking for more interactive and engaging online shopping experiences.
The transformative impact of live selling on the retail landscape is undeniable. While setting up a live sale is straightforward, merely presenting products during such an event might not deliver the desired results.
Unlocking higher conversion rates and increased revenues hinges on establishing a human connection, comprehending the motivations of your customers, and leveraging insights gained from those interactions to nurture stronger and more meaningful relationships.
What Is Live Selling?
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Live selling is a dynamic method that allows brands to engage directly with their customers in real time.
Live selling requires retailers to participate in live broadcasts, showcasing and selling their products directly to their audience, and this can be accomplished across different platforms. Live selling provides various advantages, including encouraging spontaneous purchases, fostering engagement, boosting sales and conversions, and establishing brand awareness.
Capitalizing on their previous purchases, merchants now allow consumers to engage with their chosen brands, receive personalized advice, and make purchases during live-streaming sessions.
How to Use Live Selling to Boost Your New Brand
Here are some live selling tips to help you increase your online sales.
#1. Create a Sense of Urgency
Creating a sense of urgency during a live-streaming session is important to prompt viewers to take immediate action. This can be achieved by introducing limited-time offers, exclusive deals, or time-sensitive promotions that are announced and highlighted during the live broadcast.
By introducing elements that hint at a limited-time opportunity, like discounts applicable only throughout the live stream or a special offer exclusively for the first few customers, the brand motivates viewers to make impromptu decisions and promptly finalize their purchases.
This enhances the excitement of the shopping experience and also plays a crucial role in driving sales and elevating the overall effectiveness of the live selling strategy for your new brand.
#2. Introduce Fun Games, Contests, and Giveaways
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Try to understand your audience’s mindset. Start by considering the reasons behind their shopping habits and accordingly introduce relevant interactive elements into your live-streaming sessions to engage and entertain them. You can include virtual events like games, contests, quizzes, polls, or challenges related to your products or brand, encouraging viewers to participate actively. Giveaways, on the other hand, involve offering free products, exclusive discounts, or other incentives to randomly selected participants.
This approach serves multiple purposes. Firstly, it keeps the audience entertained and interested in the live stream. Secondly, it creates a sense of community participation, making viewers feel more connected to your brand. Lastly, it can create a buzz around your products, attracting more viewers and potential customers.
Merging the enjoyment of shopping with the thrill of competition during your live sales can create a winning combination.
#3. Promote Pre-Event
It is important to create awareness, generate excitement, and build anticipation among your target audience for the upcoming live event.
Social media teasers. Utilize your brand's social media platforms to release teasers or countdown posts, providing snippets of what viewers can expect during the live selling event. Teasers can include product highlights, behind-the-scenes glimpses, or announcements of special offers.
Email marketing. Send out targeted emails to your subscribers, notifying them about the upcoming live selling event. Provide details on the date, time, and unique aspects of the session to entice recipients to mark their calendars and join the event.
Collaborations and partnerships. Consider collaborating with influencers or other brands to cross-promote the live-selling event. This can expand your reach and introduce your brand to new audiences.
Countdowns and reminders. Use countdowns on social media or other digital platforms to remind your audience of the approaching live selling event. Reminders can create a sense of urgency and prompt viewers to set aside time for the event in their schedules.
#4. Offer Personalized Shopping Experiences
Personalized shopping experiences help you tailor the shopping journey for individual customers during a live-streaming session. This involves engaging directly with viewers, understanding their preferences, answering their questions in real time, and providing tailored product recommendations. By doing so, you create a more intimate and customized interaction with your brand, making the audience feel valued and understood.
This personalized approach enhances the overall shopping experience and increases the likelihood of conversion, as customers are more likely to make purchases when they feel a direct connection to the products being showcased. This strategy contributes to building a loyal customer base and developing positive brand associations.
#5. Conduct Interactive Q&A Sessions
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Live Q&A sessions allow viewers to actively participate by submitting questions, comments, or inquiries while you are presenting and showcasing your products.
It encourages viewers to ask questions or share their thoughts in the comments section. You should actively respond to these interactions to create a dynamic and engaging atmosphere. Responding to their questions in real time humanizes your brand and establishes a more personal connection.
Use the Q&A segment to address any concerns or doubts viewers may have about your products. Providing clear and prompt responses can instill confidence and trust in your brand.
Offer additional insights into your products based on the questions asked by the audience. This can include details about product features, usage, or any other information that enhances the viewer's understanding and appreciation of your offerings.
This two-way communication contributes to a more immersive and personalized shopping experience, creating a positive and lasting impression of your new brand.
#6. Establish a Consistent Schedule
Consistency in scheduling has several benefits for your new brand. When your audience knows when to expect your live-selling events, they can anticipate and look forward to them. This builds excitement and ensures that your brand stays on their radar.
Establishing a consistent schedule allows you to plan your live-selling events more effectively. It helps you allocate resources, prepare engaging content, and promote the events in advance.
Consider the time zones of your target audience when setting a schedule. By being mindful of your viewers' locations, you can choose times that are convenient for the majority, maximizing participation.
Consistency creates a predictable online presence for your brand. This reliability develops trust among your audience, as they come to rely on your brand for valuable and entertaining content during specific time slots.
Maintaining a regular and dependable schedule for your live-selling events contributes to the success of your new brand by enhancing audience engagement, building brand loyalty, and establishing a recognizable presence in the minds of your viewers.
Final Thoughts
Engaging your audience through live selling is a fantastic method to increase brand awareness and drive conversions. As you prepare for your inaugural live session, ensure a smooth and trouble-free experience by carefully planning the schedule and managing inventory effectively.
Live selling is an approach that goes beyond traditional advertising methods, providing a platform for genuine interactions that resonate with audiences.
In this ever-changing business environment, live selling continues to stand out as a versatile tool for brands aiming to set themselves apart and make a lasting impact on their intended audience. By staying in tune with consumer preferences, embracing emerging trends, and consistently providing captivating live selling experiences, brands can effectively utilize this strategy to strengthen their brand awareness within the continually growing digital marketplace.
Author Bio
Andy Beohar is the Managing Partner at SevenAtoms, a leading B2B demand generation agency. SevenAtoms is dedicated to driving growth for SaaS and B2B businesses through innovative and optimized paid search and is recognized by Google as a Google Premier Ads partner. At SevenAtoms, Andy plays a strategic role in managing paid search campaigns. Let's connect on LinkedIn and Twitter!
