- Hi, and welcome back to Live Shopping on YouTube.
My name is Tra and I'm a content strategist at YouTube.
In this video, we will talk about some tips on hosting
an engaging, fun and effective shopping live stream.
So please sit back, relax
and I hope you will find the video useful.
When working with us to launch their shopping live streams,
many creators have told us that they're hesitant
to appear too aggressive in pushing for sales
during the live stream.
And this is perfectly understandable.
In fact, no matter the format,
your priority should be to provide an engaging,
informative, and entertaining experience for your viewers,
and not just purely focusing on selling products.
Do remember - you are in the position to help viewers
find the best product that you think will benefit them.
So think of a shopping live stream
as an opportunity to help guide your viewers
with their shopping decisions.
A successful shopping live stream
has two critical components.
The first one is Shop, which focuses on unique products
and exclusive offers that makes it worthwhile
for viewers to buy live.
An equally important element is Entertain
which focuses on providing an engaging, entertaining,
and informative environment for the viewers.
So let's talk about how you can balance both of them
in your shopping live stream.
First, make a strong impression
and hook the viewer's attention
right from the start of your live stream.
For example, share the best products,
deals and perks right from the start.
If possible, add onscreen visuals
to emphasize the attractiveness and urgency.
If you're planning a special event,
unveiling a unique product,
or a deal later in the live stream,
do call out the exact timing of that moment
right from the start.
You can also remind the viewers during the live stream
so that they know exactly when to anticipate
this event highlight.
Show, don't just tell.
Help viewers make an informed buying decision
by presenting the product in its entirety.
Pinning a product helps you highlight the product
at the exact moment that you wanted.
Tried and tested YouTube formats like unboxing, reviews,
live demos, and try-ons can introduce a fun energy
into the live stream and get your audience involved as well.
Now, if real-time try-ons and demos
aren't possible or practical,
do consider adding pre-recorded videos or footage
that shows various ways how the product is used.
Bring the product closer to the viewers through zooms,
multi-angle closeups, or even unconventional angles.
When possible, try to demonstrate
the real-life usage of the product.
For instance, we have seen cooking creators
making their signature recipes
with the cookware that they're promoting.
Our fitness creators leading exercises
while wearing the featured athleisure outfits
our tech creators testing noise canceling headphones
while heading out into a noisy environment.
You can help viewers make a purchase decision
by educating them on the product.
This helps build trust and credibility
which is key to a successful shopping live stream.
Give viewers a reason to buy this product.
So by sharing the product's value to viewers,
be it cost, functionality or benefits,
you can create a compelling reason for them to buy it.
So think of two to three ways
that viewers can use the product.
In what situations, environments, or time periods
would this product be useful to them?
Also, viewers are more likely to purchase
if they know you've used the product and can vouch for it.
So please be sure to share your own experience
of using this product.
Make it easy for your viewers to learn about the product,
available offers and deals during your live stream.
Things like visuals can help viewers
keep track of your offers and build excitement.
Show the price and the product features prominently,
both visually and through your voiceover.
You can also embed special promo codes and discounts
as you tag and pin products in the live control room.
You can also consider repeating the pricing, the offer
or the product several times during your live stream
just to accommodate viewers who join late.
And if available, show purchase trends
such as number of items sold so far
or how much of the inventory is left
or the product's rank in sales.
This actually helps increase
viewer's social motivation to buy.
Many viewers may be new to shopping live streams on YouTube,
so help them understand how they can browse
and buy your featured products as they watch.
Through voiceovers or screen recordings
or even a quick live demo of the shopping features.
Maximize the product exposure
and remind viewers that they have multiple ways
to browse and shop for products during your live stream.
Let viewers know that they can buy the product
while still watching the live stream.
Staying true to your style and personality
helps add a familiar and authentic element
to the live stream, leading to viewers being at ease
and more likely to consider the products
that you're featuring.
Many creators position their shopping live stream
as an opportunity to share the best products
and deals with their fans.
So they share the benefits that fans tend to gain
from purchasing the products and show their effort
in designing or negotiating the best offers for the fans.
Select brands and products that align with your values,
personality, or channel vision.
Viewers will be able to tell
if you aren't personally invested in the product.
And there are many ways to promote and sell products.
So do what works for you.
Think of existing formats and traditions
that you have established with your fans
and weave the product into that.
Do make an effort to read through the live chat
and answer your fans' burning questions.
This helps them feel like they're part of the live stream
and more likely to stay throughout of it.
Make your audience feel involved in your live event.
Use the features like YouTube Live Chat, Q&A and Polls
to easily connect with your audience.
Do make an effort to call up chat senders' names
and give shout-outs to your fans
throughout your live stream.
Gamification is actually a good way
to encourage participation.
For example viewers can send their order confirmation number
to enter lucky draw or participate in mini games
to win special discounts and coupons.
Or you can give out rewards based on live poll
and chat responses as well.
You don't have to do it all alone.
Collaboration is a great way to introduce a fresh dynamic
and energy into your live stream.
They are also a great opportunity to acquire new audiences
and expand within your existing vertical.
Having multiple hosts reduces host fatigue
as your co-host can help you share tasks
such as answering live chat questions
or facilitating an activity.
They can also drive the conversation forward with you
and minimize the amount of dead air during the live stream.
If you're new to live streams
teaming up with an experienced show host, emcee,
or other live-savvy creators can be a great option.
Unexpected technical difficulties
can happen during a live stream,
but with a little preparation
you can navigate through this easily
and carry on with the show.
It's a good idea to have standby visuals, backup products
or activities to keep the audience occupied
and entertained in the event of technical difficulties.
Do double check that all products and check out links
before you go live.
Stay calm and adopt a positive attitude
during technical difficulties.
You can lighten the mood with a story or a joke
or provide an alternative form of entertainment for viewers
while the issues are being fixed.
Get help by having a person to manage the behind-the-scenes
and troubleshoot issues
as you're busy hosting the live stream.
A well-designed chat strategy
can help your viewers feel safe and welcomed.
So do consider the following features
to manage your live chat.
The first feature is chat moderators. So assigning friends,
employees, or even loyal fans to this role
will allow them to interact with the audience,
remove inappropriate messages,
and enforce the community standards.
You can also block chat messages that contain
or closely match certain words, and you can do so
by creating a list of blocked words in the YouTube studio.
Next, YouTube systems automatically hold
potentially inappropriate live chat messages.
If you opt in, these messages are held for review
with you and your moderators having the final decision
on whether to show or hide them in your live chat.
Lastly, the live chat can be overwhelming for creators.
So Slow mode feature allows you to control
the frequency of user chats
by setting a time limit between individual chat messages.
And with that, congratulations
on your first shoppping live stream!
I hope you found the tips useful,
and be sure to check out the next video to learn
how you can continue the buzz and sales
even after your live stream ends.
Thank you.