Kjell & Company has cracked the code of live shopping. That’s why we’re honoured to have their Head of Live Commerce, Nicholas, as a guest blogger. We simply asked him to write anything he wanted about the format of live shopping. Keep reading to find out what it resulted in.
Many excellent press releases and success stories on live broadcasts generated considerable sales in a short time. While this is the reality for some broadcasts, it is certainly not the norm. But is that reason enough to be discouraged? Obviously not. Of course, you should aim to be profitable, but the live format has many other advantages. Your e-commerce becomes more alive, the site gets more personality, the dialogue with customers improves, and being live can distinguish you from other players.
If you are considering starting with live broadcasts or live shopping, it is essential to know why you are doing it. You need to be able to offer something that your audience can only get there and then. Otherwise, they can just as easily watch a recorded video. It can be exclusive knowledge, offers, competitions, or new launches. But for a consumer to want to watch live, they have to get something they don’t get from a classic video.
“You shouldn’t stare blindly at sales; sometimes, branding can be even more valuable” – Nicholas Balint, Head of Live Commerce, Kjell & Company
The most significant advantage is the chat, where you can communicate with your viewers live. It allows for a dialogue as opposed to a monologue. The viewers feel seen and heard; hopefully, you will build a relationship.
This brings us to the second major benefit. Customers need to feel trust to build a relationship with your brand. In a live broadcast, everything happens in real time. You get questions you weren’t prepared for, technical problems arise, and sometimes things just don’t go as planned. You are perceived as honest if you face these situations calmly and transparently. It becomes easier to feel trust and the chance that customers will return and trust your judgment in the future increases.
What’s more, the technical threshold is not nearly as high as recorded material; in principle, anyone can make a great live broadcast with a mobile phone and an extra microphone. You shouldn’t stare blindly at sales; sometimes, branding can be even more valuable.
Nicholas Bálint has conducted hundreds of Live Shopping events in his role and is one of Europe’s most experienced Live Shopping users.
