Social media is powerful. 58% of US shoppers have purchased a product after seeing it on social media, and 81% of Millenials and Gen Z use social media as their primary source of inspiration for new products*.
A successful video commerce strategy includes being wherever your customers are, and with Bambuser’s groundbreaking new Social Selling feature, your followers can now shop directly from your streams on social media.
Social media is different from traditional e-commerce, and this is an important distinction to make when you plan and execute your video commerce strategy. Read along to discover the 5 things you need to master in order to convert effectively, directly from your social media video streams.
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#1 Adapt to the Platform
The number one thing to keep in mind when streaming to social media is working on the media’s premises. Include recognizable elements commonly seen on the platform you stream to: this could be sound bites, certain formats, trends or even camera work.
The general pace of content, tonality and topics will also differ widely from platform to platform, with Facebook being slower and better suited for long-form on one end and TikTok being fast-paced and trend-based on the other.
Leaning into the premise of the platform when you script and deliver your content, makes it a more native and thereby more persuasive viewing experience.
#2 Tailor Your Content
Giving a generalized sales pitch is one of the biggest mistakes you can make in any form of video streaming. Remember, your audience has fleeting attention so you need to hook them with content that is hyper-relevant.
This can be done through casting a host that resonates with your target group or ensuring your content provides value such as entertainment, education or special offers.
Tailoring content also means curating the product selection you will be featuring. Be diligent here: are the products truly relevant to the topic at hand and to the audience you are targeting? Curation and personalization lower the barrier to purchase significantly.
#3 Visuals Are Key
Social media is a noisy place, and audiences decide whether to engage with content at a glance. Make sure your content stands out visually. This means your brand should be easily and quickly recognizable and that framing, sound and lighting is on point.
You can find Bambuser’s full guide to production here.
#4 Higher Pace and Energy
A core trait that differentiates social media from streaming directly to your e-commerce website is pace and energy.
Consumers expect content to move at a faster pace on social media. This means you need to adjust the way your content is delivered to meet the expectations of social media users. We recommend you adopt a slightly faster pace on social media - for example, if you spend one minute, on average, talking about each product on your e-commerce website, only spend 45 seconds on social media. This will ensure your story progresses at a pace that is native to social platforms.
We also recommend your host adopts a light-hearted tonality with a slightly higher energy. This means a little more animated body language, thoughtful changes in tonality and pitch and a very engaging and community-oriented communication style overall.
#5 Spread the Word
The final key strategy you will want to adopt in order to be successful with Social Selling is marketing your content properly.
We always recommend starting to spread the word about a week in advance. Make sure your hosts and guests share direct links to your stream and that you set up events on the social platform to gather leads and automate notifications.
You can also use your other, owned channels: for instance, advertise the show directly on your website or in a newsletter. Hype it with teasers by sharing little nuggets of information in advance, with the rest to be revealed on-air directly in your social media feed.
Regardless of your strategy, make sure to carve out dedicated ad-space for your upcoming stream to attract as big of an audience as possible.
By following these key strategies, you will be able to engage your audience, provide more personalized shopping experiences and boost your conversion, all in one place. By leveraging the power of Social Selling, you will be turning your social media followers into buyers in no time.
*Source: Statista
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