Are you a livestream seller? If so, you know that there is an art to making it a memorable experience for your audience. You must balance delivering your message while also consistently engaging with your audience so that they feel present. That’s not easy to do when you’re only standing in front of a camera. If you’re like most people, being on camera live with an audience of strangers can make your palms sweat. But with the right techniques, going live could be a rewarding experience. If you feel like you know what you’re doing behind a camera, that can alleviate some of the nerves that come with being a live seller.
As a live seller, you need to be able to interact with your customers, answer their questions, and gauge their reactions to sell your product effectively, and that can feel like a lot of work. Luckily, some best practices will help your live selling experience run smoothly. Today’s blog will provide some tips on engaging with your customers, having a good on-camera presence, and handling any problems that may arise.
Live selling calls for a different approach than what you would use while selling on an online store—that’s why we wanted to gear you up for your next livestream by providing a list of best practices to make the most of your live events.
Introduce Yourself!
Before you even press the ‘Go Live’ button, you should make sure people know who you are and that you’re about to deliver interesting live content. You can do this by creating get-to-know-you videos, reels, or TikToks. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy; you can just quickly introduce yourself and insert some buzzwords to get people interested in your upcoming live event. For example, suggesting there might be a discount for your products at the event is a great way to draw a crowd. We found that 40% of people join live shopping events to find deals (Business Wire: Coresight Research), so even discounting a few items for shoppers at the live event could go a long way.
Include a Call-to-Action in the Beginning
Most people reserve actionable items for the end of a video, but there’s no guarantee that each viewer will stay until the end with live events. Including closing information at the beginning that tells people how they can RSVP or learn more can increase the chances of your audience acting on what you say. Plus, it’s great to give them a verbal prompt for the next steps following the event.
Avoid Common Pitfalls
Streamers make some common mistakes while they’re live, and you should be aware of them. Unfortunately, these minor slip-ups can impact audience engagement and return rates. Remember—you should be real with your audience members, but you shouldn’t sacrifice quality for authenticity.
One of the more common mistakes streamers make is that they don’t always check to ensure everything is working and ready to go before they go live. There’s nothing more distracting than when your audio and visual don’t line up or if your internet is slow and you start to lag. If you check your tech beforehand, you can know what to fix before the event begins. Even if it means a slight delay in your start time, it’s better than pushing ahead with a glitchy stream.
Another common mistake happens when streamers don’t ensure their studio is distraction-free. You don’t want anyone walking in and throwing off your groove. Children and animals are the guilty parties when it comes to livestreams, so before you go live, make sure any possible interruptions are taken care of so you won’t have to worry about them while on camera.
You should keep a checklist of things to take care of before a live to eliminate distractions, especially if you’re trying to keep your stream short, snappy, and to the point. Livestream audiences tend to have short attention spans, and anything unexpected or distracting could have them reaching for the ‘close’ button. Ultimately, the purpose of livestreams is for you to focus on your audience and create that organic connection between shoppers and sellers that most people don’t experience. The more focused and down-to-earth you can make it, the better!
Keep it G-rated
It’s tricky to cater live events only to mature audiences, so it’s best to keep your events viewable to everyone. You don’t want to catch anyone off-guard or make their experience less enjoyable because they weren’t expecting something. It could also get flagged as explicit content, dramatically limiting your potential audience for upcoming live events. Ultimately, if you wouldn’t feel comfortable with your grandma watching your livestream, then we recommend keeping it off-camera.
Follow a Plan
While livestreaming is meant to be an organic experience, you should still at least have a loose idea of what you want to talk about and in what order you want to do it. You might feel like you can completely improv a show, but chances are stage fright will creep in, and you’ll be caught on live camera with nothing to say. Plus, if you have a plan for what you want to say, you can know that your audience is engaged because they can more easily follow the flow of your message.
Make time for Q&A
Livestreams have a live chat for a reason! If you’re not taking at least a few minutes at the end of your live to answer audience questions, you’re missing out on an excellent opportunity to engage with your audience and make them feel seen. The benefits of livestream shopping are for shoppers to learn more about products and see whether they are a good fit. Answering their questions directly is a fantastic way to show them why your product could provide a solution.
Livestream selling provides a unique and powerful opportunity to reach out to potential customers and make personal connections. By following these best practices, you can make the most of your livestreams and start seeing results. Ready to give it a try? MARKET has you covered – we offer everything you need to get started with livestream selling, from easy-to-use tools to helpful tips for getting the most out of your live events. Join the MARKET movement today and see how livestream selling can impact your business!
