Is your business looking for new ways to make inroads with online customers and prospects? A major benefit of Livestream shopping is its ability to give your brand presence a payoff of increased sales and growth.

According to the itRestream blog, What is Live Shopping, customers find live stream shopping more convenient than TV home shopping networks because it’s interactive and accessible, plus viewers can engage from any device. The practice is gaining traction in the U.S. and other Western countries after starting in Asia several years ago. So, maybe it's time your business gets on board. Let's consider livestream shopping for your business.

Direct Brand Engagement

One of the main benefits of livestream shopping is that it allows brands to engage directly with their customers. By interacting with viewers in real time, your business can build a sense of community and foster a deeper connection with its audience—which can be particularly effective for building brand loyalty and trust.

Livestream shopping can also be a useful tool for product launches and promotions. Your business can generate excitement around it by showcasing a new product or offering a limited-time promotion through a livestream. And this can create a sense of urgency among viewers that compels them to purchase.

Moreover, 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.

Here are some best practices for businesses looking to use livestream shopping to heighten brand awareness and drive sales:

Fortify Your Wi-Fi

Because live streaming requires frequent file uploads and downloads, ensuring your business Wi-Fi can handle the high demand is important. Sparklight Business 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, some risks are 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, making 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, making 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

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.

By considering and navigating these risks before going live, your business can minimize the potential downsides of livestream shopping and create positive and

compelling shopping experiences for its customers.