Should Live Streaming be part of your Social Ecommerce Strategy?

Social Media has come a long way since the beginning of the pandemic. What was a powerful communication tool the world over, a form of digital expression, great platforms for information gathering, brand research… and the list goes on. But at the dawn of the first lockdowns, the influence of these global platforms became very apparent. Here we are years down the line, and their potential just keeps developing – especially for ecommerce brands.

Some key benefits of Social Media Ecommerce include:

• Reach: Access to an audience of over 4Billion people. 54% of the global population! With ‘YouTube’s potential advertising reach is 2.562 billion.’ (DataReportal)
• Engagement: On Facebook alone, UK users click on nearly double the global average of ads. And it’s calculated users ‘spend an average of 2hours and 27mins every day on social media.’ (DataReportal)
• Analytics: With Pixel integration on Facebook, it can unlock access to powerful tracking data on buyers and audience behaviours.
• Useage: There is a HUGE portion of social media users who use the platforms as a tool to research brands and research products before making a purchase. It’s estimated that 28% of UK users use social media to research brands.
• Growth: The growth of these platforms isn’t stopping. DataReportal analysed that the growth from 2021 alone equates to ‘annualised growth of 10.1%, or an average of more than 13 new users every single second.’

 

As of January 2022, the worlds most used social media platforms are:

1. Facebook

2. YouTube

3. WhatsApp

4. Instagram

5. WeChat

6. TikTok

 

We predict TikTok could move up a few places on this list by the time this blog is posted (its growing that fast!). But as these platforms develop and their audiences grow, new innovations in UI, UX and CX are becoming common ground. And what does that mean for ecommerce brands? New opportunity is all around! The latest trend for Instagram, the 4th most used Social Media platform on the planet – live stream ecommerce.

We’ve all had the notifications, ‘(Insert name of page you follow here) is starting a live stream’, they immediately take first spot in Stories ranking, and include an eye-catching frame graphic that is designed to lure you into clicking and watching. These 3 features are just some of the reasons why it’s worth exploring for your brand – IG is ensuring they succeed and are at the forefront of the App for live users. Just the notification to all your followers shouting about your live stream can be a powerful communication tool for engaged buyers.

Think of live streaming like an elevator pitch; it gives you the opportunity to sell yourself and your brand, ideas, products to a highly targeted audience that is super engaged. They are in the moment, listening in, and wanting to know what value you can offer them. This could be influencers unboxing merchandise, enhancing interest and increasing brand awareness for you. It could be a shoppable stream where you promote products and services, and drive traffic directly to payment pages. It could be promoting competitions to increase engagement and increase your followers – the list is endless and the opportunity is immense.

‘Per Jeff Moriarty, marketing manager of Moriarty’s Gem Art, the jewelry brand started doing shoppable Facebook and YouTube live videos in 2021 to allow viewers to see products, ask questions, and, of course, buy merchandise:

“We are now getting about 1500+ viewers watching our show each time,” he said. “Not only has it helped to stay connected with our customers via social media and YouTube, it has generated a ton of sales for our business.” In fact, in November 2021 alone, Moriarty’s made $30,000 from its livestream show.’ (Wordstream)

So, we know audiences spend three times as long watching videos as they do other forms of media, we know there is over 4Billion on social media, and we know consumers are more active on social media platforms post-covid actively researching brands and products to buy… live streaming could be the way to unlock new audiences for your brand and increase spend.

Nothing ventured is nothing gained as they say, right? Consider adding live stream ecommerce to your Paid Social strategy for 2022.

 

Loud Mouth Media are a multi award-winning Digital Performance Agency specialising in Social Advertising. As a Meta Business Partner, we have access to the latest innovations and insights that can help you drive results through Social Media.