With eCommerce taking center stage and competition being as steep as ever, businesses are constantly exploring new strategies to enhance their online sales and engage with their customers in meaningful ways. One such strategy that has gained immense popularity in recent years is live selling. Live selling refers to the practice of using live video streaming platforms to showcase and sell products or services directly to customers in real time. It offers a unique and interactive way to connect with your target audience, build trust, and boost your online sales. Let's delve into the world of live selling, talk about how to set it up and the best practices to maximize its effectiveness:

Setting Up Live Selling

Choose the Right Platform

To get started with live selling, you need to select a platform that aligns with your business objectives and target audience. We suggest social media platforms like Facebook Live! Research the features, reach, and user demographics of each platform to determine which one will best suit your needs. Don't forget to activate your In-App store to make it that much easier for shoppers to make a purchase.

Prepare Your Equipment

Before going live, ensure you have the necessary equipment. At a minimum, you will need a smartphone or a computer with a reliable internet connection. For better quality, consider investing in a good camera, microphone, and lighting setup. High-quality visuals and clear audio are crucial for engaging your audience effectively.

Plan Your Content

Prepare a content strategy for your live selling sessions. Consider what products or services you want to showcase, how you will present them, and the key messages you want to convey. It's essential to strike a balance between promotional content and valuable information. Prepare an outline or script to keep the session structured and organized. Think about engaging ways to get your customers to tune in and stay there!

Promote Your Live Selling Session

Create anticipation and generate buzz around your live selling events. Leverage your existing marketing channels, such as email newsletters, social media posts, and website banners, to inform your audience about the upcoming sessions. Offer incentives like exclusive discounts or limited-time offers to entice viewers to tune in. Of course, don't forget to include your In-App store links to remind customers they can make a purchase with just a few clicks!

Best Practices for Live Selling

Engage with Your Audience

One of the main advantages of live selling is the ability to interact with your audience in real time. Encourage viewers to comment, ask questions, and provide feedback during the session. Address their queries promptly, acknowledge their comments, and make them feel valued. Engaging with your audience builds trust and fosters a sense of community. Don't miss out on any sales by providing product links when inquiries come in!

Demonstrate Products or Services

Showcasing your products or services effectively is the heart of live selling. Use high-quality visuals and demonstrate the features, benefits, and value they offer. Give a comprehensive overview of the product, highlighting its unique selling points. Consider using props, models, or testimonials to enhance the demonstration and provide social proof. This is the real beauty of live selling, make the most of it!

Create Urgency and Scarcity

Incorporate elements of urgency and scarcity to drive immediate action from your viewers. Offer limited-time discounts, flash sales, or exclusive deals specifically for the live selling session. Highlight the availability of limited stock or limited edition products to create a sense of urgency. This motivates viewers to make a purchase decision quickly. You can enable these promos seamlessly with the Promo portion of the ChatGenie Dashboard. Choose and create your perfect promos: from duration, percent or absolute value discounts, vouchers, freebies, you name it! You can even create first-time customer exclusives on the dashboard.

Offer Exclusive Benefits

Make viewers feel special by providing exclusive benefits for those who tune into your live selling sessions. This could include access to pre-launch products, personalized discounts, or bonus items with purchases. The sense of exclusivity encourages viewers to actively participate and motivates them to take advantage of the unique offerings. You can do this simply by offering In-App store exclusives ahead of launches elsewhere.

Follow Up after the Live Selling Session

Once the live selling session concludes, your engagement with the audience doesn't end there. Send follow-up emails or messages to thank viewers for attending and inform them of any offers or promotions that might still be available. This allows you to continue the conversation and nurture relationships with potential customers. Reach out with just a few clicks using the Broadcast Manager on the ChatGenie Dashboard!

Analyze and Improve

Monitor the performance of your live selling sessions and analyze the data to identify areas of improvement. Pay attention to metrics like viewer engagement, conversion rates, and customer feedback. Use this information to refine your content, delivery, and promotional strategies for future sessions. Continually adapting and improving your approach will lead to more successful live selling experiences. You can also cross reference your live selling data with transaction data available on your dashboard to compare the results and evaluate how to improve your next live selling session.

Plains & Prints

One example of live selling that works is how Plains & Prints, a well-established local fashion brand, got a sales boost amid the COVID-19 pandemic when it opened an additional customer touchpoint on Facebook Messenger and improved live selling with the help of ChatGenie. The In-App Commerce platform allowed customers to tune in to the brand’s live shows to easily purchase the products that caught their attention. All customers have to do is go to Plains & Prints' Facebook Messenger page to complete their transactions in one message thread. Plains & Prints also made it a point to include In-App store links in all content to make online sales that much easier! Plains & Prints' decision to pair the power of live selling with ChatGenie paid dividends during the launch of Art in Motion, a curated fashion series by contemporary Filipino artists Feanne, Soleil & Pete Rich. One of their live shows even raked in record figures, with Plains & Prints reporting one of the highest overnight sales among ChatGenie merchants. Transactions of the brand in their ChatGenie-powered Facebook Messenger surged by 1000% when they combined live selling within just a month's time.

Let's Get Into It

Now that we're done with the basics, let's get specific and talk about how to make the most out of your Live Selling experience as well as your eCommerce journey inside the world's biggest apps with ChatGenie. Here is a checklist to ensure you're getting the best out of In-App Commerce:

Activate your In-App Store

☑ Create your own Live Catalog so customers can browse through your offerings effortlessly and easily. Make sure to upload high-quality product photos and add complete descriptions.

☑ Enable multiple delivery options to increase conversion rates. Set your store apart from marketplace brands by offering same-day delivery with GrabExpress, Lalamove, and pandago. Make deliveries even easier by activating Automated Delivery.

☑ Offer a wide range of secure payment options to suit your shoppers' preferences. You can offer integrated payment methods like GCash, PayMongo, and Maya so you and your customer will no longer need to jump from app to app just to make a payment. You can even allow flexible payment options even without a credit card with BillEase!

Get the word out

☑ Don't forget to let your customers know they can shop directly from your brand's social media page with your In-App store. Followers can often forget you have one or be intimidated by it if they haven't shopped through one before. Create content to show them how easy it is to shop directly from their In-App store.

☑ Take a step further and invest in sponsored content to let an even bigger pool of potential customers know that a purchase is only a few clicks away. Conceptualize a well-thought-out campaign strategy and watch sales soar - especially when you include your In-App store link to all your content.

☑ Never miss a chance to hype up your store and your Live Selling event by creating specific content to get your customers to tune in. Take extra care leading up to the Live Selling session and put out countdowns and reminders to let them know. Bonus tip: reach out directly to customers to remind them of the event with the Broadcast Manager in your dashboard.

Optimize the experience

☑ Make your Live Selling session as seamless as can be. Always include product links in order to avoid missed sales over customer confusion! You can create trackable product-specific codes right in the ChatGenie Dashboard. Don't forget to pin the product link or In-App store link in the Live's comments section so it’s accessible once customers are ready to checkout!

☑ Reward your customers with exclusives they only get access to for shopping during the event. Create flash sales, enable freebies, offer free shipping, and more in the Promo portion of the dashboard. You can create any promo to your preference: from promo amount, time duration, and promo code choice. You can even offer promos just for first-time customers!

☑ Easily track your event's success by staying on top of your sales stats through your ChatGenie Dashboard. You can see every product link click, every sale made, and more on one easy platform. Say goodbye to manual sales tracking and learn everything you need to know to improve your next Live Selling event right here.

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Live selling has emerged as a powerful tool for businesses to boost their online sales and connect with customers on a deeper level. By following the right set-up process and implementing best practices, you can create engaging live selling sessions that drive conversions and foster customer loyalty. Stay consistent, experiment with different approaches, and leverage the feedback from your audience to refine your live selling strategy. Embrace the potential of live selling and unlock new opportunities for growth in the ever-evolving digital marketplace - and don't forget, make selling online even easier by selling with an In-App store.

Sign up at chatgenie.ph to make that happen now!

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