The excitement around live video shopping tools is growing. More and more companies are striving to elbow their way into top positions in their niche. Why is this trend so popular? The answer is rather obvious — we all crave entertainment and distraction from our daily routine.
On top of that people love shopping.
Doubts aside — live video shopping is a lucrative video format. The numbers speak for themselves. According to eMarketer, live stream shopping is expected to win $480 billion in China in 2022 and $624 billion next year. If we speak about the US — the growth rates are less striking but still impressive. The expected numbers are $11 billion in 2022, increasing to $25 billion in a year.
Naturally, numerous questions pop up before plunging into launching live shopping for your business. For instance, which live selling platform or shoppable video software is suitable for you or how to measure its success?
And last but now least, — how to find a perfect host for your live stream event? In this article, we’ll take a look at criteria that will help companies choose their host wisely, discuss dos and don’ts, and dwell on how their presentation influences live sales.
What You Should Know Before Choosing a Host For Live Video Shopping Event
The show’s host is an absolute highlight of the event. In this abstract, you’ll learn about the types of live video shopping stream hosts. You’ll also find a checklist of things you should know before choosing a presenter to host the event. Besides, we’ll shed light on making your production process more manageable.
First, let’s take a look at the live shopping host persona. Let’s go back to the origin of modern live shopping – home shopping. Back then, celebrity endorsement was a great deal. A well-known person used to be a trust and loyalty-building factor. Not that much has changed since the times of QVC and HSN.
Types of live video shopping hosts
Here’s a list of people who can become a live shopping host:
- KOL (key opinion leaders);
- KOC (key opinion consumers);
- Influencers (Instagram or YouTube influencers, bloggers, vloggers);
- Celebrities;
- Industry experts;
- Store owners;
- Brand employees;
- or even brand owner.
No matter what type of live stream presenter, the most important thing to remember is that your target audience should associate themselves with the host and relate to them. Live stream shoppers don’t tend to buy from influencers they don’t sympathize with. In addition to this crucial criterion, it’s a huge plus if the key person of the show has a growing number of followers on social media as in the case with Emilia Clarke and Clinique cooperation.
Host Management Tool
How to make things work easier for you when launching your live event? When it comes to hosting, it’s possible to simplify the production process, which many companies actually do. This becomes workable with a host management tool that’s usually integrated into shoppable video platforms or your company’s website.
Be.Live and its host management feature will come in handy to get your live shopping streams going. Here’s why this live video shopping solution can simplify the work of your production team.
- Invite up to 4 guests to host a stream with you.
- The Comments Assistant feature is designed to simplify the communication process with the viewers. AI technology can pick the best comments and questions, and highlight them in a stream instead of your host.
- Create a stream in the Be.Live studio. A host can log in to the studio and set up a live stream from scratch on their own. No additional help from the production team is required.
If you are looking for ways to simplify your live shopping host experience and production process — request a 30-minute Be.Live demo to find out more.
What the Best Livestream Shopping Host Should Have
It’s not such an easy thing to find a host who meets all the possible criteria. The list of qualities for them to have is rather extensive. In this abstract, we’ll discuss the must-have qualities which will help to deliver a top-notch live shopping experience and appeal to your customers and their needs.
Qualities of a Great Live Video Shopping Host
Expertise
No matter whom you choose to host your live shopping event, being an expert in the subject is a huge benefit. For example, if you’re about to present new skincare — hiring a beauty expert to present your company’s products is a brilliant idea. This approach is widely used by Nordstrom and other big-name companies. A knowledgeable host will be able to instantly answer all the questions, even the tricky ones. That’s why expertise matters.
Build trust with the fans
The host should be genuinely interested in communicating with the users and responding to their comments. This is when active listening techniques (or more likely here “active reading”) comes into play. Authenticity is highly connected with trust. Did you know that influencer authenticity is vital to 88% of Gen Z and millennials?
Engaging & Energizing
Nobody likes passive hosts. They’re boring to watch and will only make your viewers leave the stream. The more energy the presenter irradiates, the more mesmerizing they are. The better the public speaking and storytelling skills, the longer the users will watch the event. This results in higher VTR (view-through rate) and thus in more considerable revenue.
Help make a purchasing decision
The host and their charisma have the power over purchasing decisions. Their role is to help your users make a satisfying shopping decision and be informative. A salesy manner will only push your customers away. Remember that people come for entertainment first. Many hosts work on a commission, so they’re interested in boosting live sales. However, your brand’s reputation comes first, so discuss this with the host before the event.
Ready for improvisation
As mentioned before, live streams are real-time events, and sometimes unforeseen circumstances may happen. A snappy comment, complaint, or whether the host forgets the script — they should not get puzzled but be capable of getting out of difficult situations smoothly.
How to Choose a Host for Your Brand’s Live Shopping Stream
Here’s a checklist of things that will help you choose the best host.
Appeal To Generations
Before hiring a host, you should define your target audience. What baby boomers will like will be of no interest to Gen Z. Besides, Facebook users (who tend to be older) won’t be driven to go on TikTok (used more widely by younger generations) and vice versa.
72% of Millenials and Gen Z state they follow at least some influencers on Instagram. Keep these facts in mind when making a decision.
Represent Your Brand’s Values.
A host is the reflection of your business. They should share your values and deliver them to your audience. It’s very likely that your live stream host will be associated with your brand and the other way aroundю
Live Shopping Hosting Experience
Having previous successful hosting experience on a resume is a great advantage. Some live shopping stream hosts do an astounding number of streams, like Austin Li, who did 389 broadcasts within 365 days. Not that many presenters can boast of such experience.
Believe In What You’re Selling
A great example is Viya – China’s leading salesperson and her approach to hosting live events. She says that she always thinks of the customers’ needs and sells items they might need in everyday life or for special occasions. She tries to minimize the gap between her and the users by dressing down as more likely everyone’s live shopping in their casual home clothes. The conclusion is that your customers will reach out to hosts who believe in what they’re presenting.
Where to Find a Host for Your Live Shopping Stream
The last puzzle piece is to find out where to find a host for your live shopping stream. With your target audience persona and niche in mind, look for social media influencers.
Here are the top four social media where you can easily check out profiles of possible candidates to host your live shopping event:
Instagram is popular both among men and women and if your target audience is under 40 it’s one of the best options. Use hashtags to simplify your search.
YouTube is the second most favorite social media among viewers aged 15-34. In addition to that, if we speak about the US — 73% of adults say they watch YouTube daily. So, if your main content is interviews, tutorials, or reports – this platform is worth considering when choosing a host. Using hashtags along with the keywords will make your search easier.
Facebook is of interest for business that aims at an audience of 30 and more. This social media is particularly popular among users aged 45+. Keep in mind that looking for a host over social media might get rather challenging. That’s why it’s recommended to make use of such tools as Brand 24, Brandwatch, Zoho Social, or some others.
TikTok is perfect to reach out to younger generations. It can also boast 800 million users a month.
How To Measure An Efficiency Of Live Video Shopping Events
The efficiency of a live video shopping event can be measured based on three vital criteria:
- Engagement
- Sales
- Website traffic
The more likes, comments, shares, and reactions — the higher the click-through rate and add-to-cart click you’ll get. Also, you should analyze how many users were on the stream at a definite moment and what made them continue watching or leave the stream. It’ll help you derive insights into your audience and what they like – for example, maybe leave out quizzes or add even more of such entertaining content.
Additionally, use website traffic tools to measure users visits and thus measure to measure the effectiveness of your live video shopping event.
FAQ
What is a shoppable video?
Shoppable video is an interactive video streamed live. Its key components are a host(s) presenting and promoting the brand’s products to a vast audience. The shoppers who joined can interact with the hosts in comments or reactions right in the onscreen popups. Adding to the cart and purchasing the displayed items right in the live stream window is another perk of this highly-engaging event.
It’s possible to stream a shoppable video via
- video shopping apps
- or shoppable video platforms.
Shoppable videos kicked off about five years ago in China, gradually becoming a worldwide trend and conquering the e-commerce market. With shoppable video content, you become a creator of a new shopping experience and appeal to a bigger audience as a brand.
