Why Livestream Shopping is Predicted to Skyrocket in 2023!

Facing an economic downturn and reduced spending, 2022 was arguably one of the toughest year’s retail has ever faced. However, things could be looking up in 2023 as livestream shopping is expected to pave the way for a new way of online shopping!
IT HELPS TO DEEPEN CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

Livestream shopping events provide a unique opportunity for brands to enhance their appeal with customers and create even more meaningful and long-lasting relationships with them. While there’s an increasing demand for authenticity with consumers, it’s safe to say that there’s really nothing more ‘real’ than going live when it comes to shopping online. Think of livestream shopping as a tool to facilitate relationship-building interactions with a wider audience of customers more effectively than ever before. In the same way that a lunch with a friend is an opportunity to deepen a connection with someone, a livestream is an opportunity to deepen your connection with your customers. For this process to be even more successful, authenticity is key! Fancy studios or corporate backgrounds will be instantly off-putting to potential customers, they want to see the real deal.

DRIVES CONSIDERATION AND PURCHASE SIGNIFICANTLY

This is a big one. Much like how a conversation between a customer and a staff member in a retail store may help drive a final purchase decision, live commerce offers a fast and effective way to guide customers along their purchasing journey. In fact, companies hosting live events report conversion rates up to 30%, which is up to 10 times higher than in traditional e-commerce! With livestream shopping, the people taking part in the livestream are able to ask questions in real time about the products and receive instant feedback. This gives consumers the power to make informed decisions about their purchases, and with new generations of consumers as savvy as Gen-Z and Millennials, this is always going to be a top priority. Another, even easier, way to foster communication though a livestream is by having someone off-camera responding to comments and questions as they come in. This will give the creator running the livestream the ability to concentrate on the task at hand (i.e. demonstrating their flashy new product), while knowing that any questions coming in are being taken care of.

ENGAGEMENT IS LIKELY TO GO THROUGH THE ROOF!

As an immersive experience, livestream shopping allows viewers to watch and engage with content for as long as they want, provided the livestream is still going on. Livestream shopping doesn’t just allow brands to offer consumers a route to buy, but it also lets them create a community of shoppers. If you interact with your viewers, whilst also encouraging customers to interact with each other, there’s a much better chance of making a sale and retaining that customer for future purchases. Finally, it’s important to remember that holding viewer attention is the secret to increasing engagement while livestream shopping – the longer they’re engaged for, the higher the engagement rate will be. Embracing creativity, whilst always keeping up with the latest trends, is a failsafe way to improve the quality of your livestreams. Don’t be afraid to try new things and remember that standing out is the name of the game!