How to ride the wave of live stream selling and build your brand

Live stream selling started in China with Alibaba in 2016, and by 2023 expanded into a $512 billion market and continues to grow at a global scale. As a powerful marketing tool, the success of Live commerce is hardly surprising. In this blog, we talk about what live stream shopping is, share tips on how to run a successful channel, and highlight the uno overlays that can help drive your live e-commerce business. 

What is live stream shopping?

Live stream shopping – also known as live stream selling, live commerce, or live streaming e-commerce – is usually a live broadcast where the seller (or presenter) shows off and explains products while viewers ask questions and make purchases in real time. Live stream selling operates very similarly to a traditional shopping channel on TV, but is is far more popular with modern consumers.

During an e commerce live stream, viewers can share their thoughts about a product or ask questions in real time via live chat. Live streaming e-commerce channels also usually display links for products in a pop-up or sidebar, or display them in a pinned comment. This is also a great chance to broadcast special deals or exclusive discount codes to use on the brand’s official website, or at a retailer.

Why should I start my own live streaming e-commerce channel?

Live stream selling increases sales, boost brand awareness, and can even act as a space to host a successful product launch. Live streaming e-commerce channels increase conversion rates by around 30%, and reduce the amount of returned purchases.

The reason for this success is that live streaming e-commerce offers a personalized shopping experience at a larger scale. Customers aren’t just passively scrolling through a catalog of items and hunting for discount codes hidden on a website. During a live stream, people can interact directly with you through the chat. When you answer their questions or address them using their username, they feel important – which builds your relationship with your customers. 

Starting your own live stream shopping channel also has minimal costs compared to in-person campaigns. Plus, if your product is a bit complicated to use or has innovative features that people might be unfamiliar with, you can explain to them in detail to ensure customer success. And, you can gain instant insight and feedback to help you improve your products and live stream. 

How do I run a great live streaming e-commerce channel?

Here are a few ways to give your shoppers, customers, and viewers a better experience during your live stream:

• Figure out your format. Pick a date and time for your event that matches the time zone of your target market. Stay consistent with when you stream and for how long. 
• Choose what products you want to promote in the live stream. You want adequate time to talk about each product and answer any questions people might have about them.
• Be honest and educational. Be specific about your product’s benefits – don’t exaggerate. Live stream selling works so well because of its authenticity. 
• Make sure that everything can be seen clearly. Your shooting location needs good lighting and a decent camera. A ring light can help ensure your viewers catch every detail of your live stream.   
• Promote your live streams beforehand. Announce the date and time of your first live stream selling event on your social media accounts, and on your official e-commerce website. 
• Partner with influencers to increase brand awareness. This is a very popular way in live stream selling to leverage influencer marketing. Reach out to people who align with your brand values and that your audiences love. 
• Offer limited sales and discounts. People hate to miss out on a good deal. Special offers and bonuses that are only available during your live streaming event make attending the live stream more rewarding. You can even run in-event competitions and challenges. 
• Build a relationship with your audience. Greet returning viewers and award brand loyalty. Answering more questions can help all your viewers feel that you’re paying attention to your questions personally. 

Choose where to live stream. Live streaming e-commerce is possible on three main types of platforms – social media platforms (like YouTube or TikTok), live shopping tools (like Bambuser and Emplifi), and shopping platforms (like Amazon Live). Depending on software compatibility, you can use streaming tools like OBS Studio to multi-stream to multiple platforms at once.

Skip the hassle of creating a streaming template by using one of our customizable stream packs (like our Palladium-themed Stream Pack or Stepback Stream Pack.) Highlight key points on a ticker, add a live bug to remind viewers you’re going live, and much more with multiple overlays combined in one!

Amp up the excitement and deliver messages to viewers just joining the live stream by using our Sandbox-themed Lower Third. Help people feel included in the event by keeping messages on the lower third of your screen and away from your demonstrations.

You can also use a lower third ticker or a talking point panel to keep things simple and on-screen without taking up too much space. Use our Slingshot Ticker overlay to keep key messages from the live stream rolling in the lower third section of your screen. 

Or, use our animated Slingshot-themed Talking Points Panel to highlight active discount codes throughout the event – or to display which product you’re currently talking about. 

With these tips, you can get started on planning your very first live stream selling event! Always take feedback from each live stream and use it as an opportunity to improve your products and campaigns. And, if you’re looking for more overlays, check out overlays.uno today.