How to run a successful live shopping event for your Shopify store
For anyone in the eCommerce space, the primary challenge is to get more sales. While there are a few features (seamless payments, customer testimonials, returns and refunds) that will help customers decide to buy, you need to get them through that virtual door first.
That’s where live shopping comes in.
Live shopping or shoppable livestreams are a great way to boost your sales and engage with your customers in a whole new way. With SWIRL’s live shopping solutions, you can create different types of live selling videos that help get more sales and build the kind of real customer connections that you would have in real life.
In this post, we’ll be discussing everything you need to know about creating shoppable livestreams for your Shopify store.
Why you should host live events on Shopify
Hosting a live event for your Shopify store can take your revenue and engagement numbers to the next level. Here are a few compelling reasons why you should consider adding live selling as a part of your sales strategy:
- Make real connections with customers
Live streaming is a great way to connect with your customers in a personal and memorable way. Through live streaming, you can give your audience a behind-the-scenes look at your business, answer their questions in real-time, and build relationships with them.
- Boost traffic to your site
By running a shoppable livestream, you can showcase your products, engage with more customers, and drive traffic to your store.
- Improve brand awareness
With live events, your brand’s engagement numbers will show a dramatic improvement. This is especially helpful if you have a significant social media following and want to convert followers to buyers. However even if you do not have a large community on social media, live shopping is an effective way to start building your brand.
How to plan live selling events
Live video selling is a revolutionary change in the ecommerce industry. But how can you make it work for your brand?
It starts by choosing the right shoppable video platform for running virtual shopping events. SWIRL is one such platform, and it allows you to create shoppable livestreams in minutes.
Before you start creating your live event, here are some pointers to remember:
- Decide how long your live event will be. The recommended time is 45 minutes, to give your viewers time to log in, get familiar with the interface, and begin interacting or buying.
- Create a plan for which products you want to feature. It is recommended that you host your event with a theme like winter sweaters, summer skincare, wedding jewellery, etc. This gives you a specific focus and lets you choose appropriate products. It also brings in viewers who are primed to buy.
- Work on a promotion plan that gives you at least 10-14 days to promote the event and invite your followers to it. Don’t forget to send out reminders.
- Choose a location, test your equipment, do a trial run to check sound and light, and then you’re all set!
All you have to do is add the URLs of the products you want to feature, schedule your live stream, and get started immediately.
Read more on Four top ways to score impulse buys during livestream
Best practices for your shoppable livestream on Shopify
Showcase your products, but sell an experience
Live selling is effective because it lets your audience get the ‘feel’ of the product. With regular eCommerce, all they can see is a one-dimensional photograph of the product or maybe a short video. Make the most of your live shopping platform to create an experience with the product and make it appeal to the audience.
For example: If you’re a beauty brand, have the host unbox the product, apply it on their wrist, show the texture, and wipe or smudge it to show how long-lasting it is. If you sell clothes or accessories, get a model who shows viewers how to pair clothes or style a piece.
By providing a comprehensive experience that entertains, your customers enjoy the live event and get to the point of purchase much faster.
Simulcast your livestream to galvanize social media
Use SWIRL to simulcast your livestream across various social media platforms, including Meta (Facebook) Live, Instagram, and YouTube. This lets you capitalize on the easy sharing and liking features of social media to reach out to a wider audience. You can tap into your existing social media following and build greater brand recall when you use live video selling.
Check out Social Simulcast with SWIRL
Conduct Q&A sessions
When you answer questions from your audiences, they are more likely to engage and then to buy. Encourage viewers to ask questions over a live stream to initiate a real conversation between you and your customers.
These interactions ensure that the audience can access all the information they need about the product – size, material, functionality, and more – and that other viewers can hear your answers. It also promotes transparency and helps build trust, which has a direct impact on sales.
Besides, a good Q&A session gives you priceless insights into how your customers react to your products and what they look for before buying. This gives you a deeper understanding of your buyer so you can apply your findings to any busines decisions you make later.
Save and repurpose your livestreams
Another good thing about live shopping is that you can save your live events and upload them to your product or category pages for later viewing. Audiences who missed watching your videos can still learn about your products, which helps in their buying decisions.
With Swirl live shopping platform, you can easily experiment with live video broadcasts or pre-record short shoppable videos to add to your product pages to boosting sales.
FAQs about live streaming on Shopify
Q: How often should I host a live event?
A: There’s no rule for how often you should run a live event, but we recommend planning at least one every week. This will give your shoppers enough content to keep them engaged, and it will also help to keep your store top-of-mind.
Q: What kind of product should I feature on my live shopping events?
A: It’s important to choose products that are interesting and engaging for your viewers, or are relevant to the season or festival that is coming up. Start with products that are easier to buy as impulse buys, but do have a few ‘hero products’ that you know will work well.
Try to mix up your offerings and showcase a variety of products in each livestream. This will help keep your viewers engaged and interested in what you have to offer.
Q: What should I wear during my live event?
A: When it comes to clothing, it’s important to feel comfortable and confident on camera. Try to avoid busy patterns or bright colors, as they can be distracting for viewers. Stick with solid colors or simple prints, and make sure your clothing is well-fitted, opaque in bright lights, and flattering in the camera.
Live streaming on Shopify stores has never been easier!
Live streaming can help shorten the purchase journey on your Shopify store by bridging the online-offline gap.
Moreover, get access to real-time engagement analytics, video analytics, predictive sales, and customer data points and keep your consumers engaged and retain more customers. Connect your Shopify store with Swirl and add the power of interactive, shoppable videos to your business.
SWIRL is a full funnel live commerce solution that helps marketers attract, engage and convert more customers. Enable your website or app with the power of shoppable content to increase AOV, boost conversions and retain customers. If you’re looking for a live commerce solution and want to discuss options, get in touch.