Live streaming has been taking over the media as of late. No matter which social platform you are on, you are likely to see live-streamed content. Click on Facebook, and you have 10 notifications that folks you follow are live-streaming. Move to Twitter and you are likely to scroll past several updates that someone is broadcasting on Periscope. You’ll find similar scenarios on Snapchat, YouTube, and virtually every other social channel you hit. And then there’s the articles. Everywhere marketers turn, there is a reminder of how rapidly live streaming video is growing.
Up until this point, however, live streaming has predominantly been a practice to increase brand loyalty, engagement, and market a brand to followers in a unique way. Live streaming is about to enter a new era as it integrates with e-Commerce and provides a way to not only market products, but to have viewers buy them on the spot.
Ecommerce Comes to Live Video
In late 2015, Kohl’s was potentially the first to integrate shopping options into live streaming in a meaningful way. Up to this point, it was simply a way to drive traffic to a site and then have people make purchases; much like how The Funky Fairy did via Facebook Live.
Kohl’s took a different approach and held a live event via Periscope in which the company streamed its show during New York Fashion Week and also featured the broadcast on its newly mobile-optimized LC Lauren Conrad Runway dedicated site.
During the show, which could be watched directly on the Kohl’s dedicated portal, viewers could purchase any of the items seen on the runway directly through the site they were currently inhabiting. Links to various products pages were provided, and Kohl’s successfully integrated live streaming with live shopping.
This is not an isolated incident, however, as YouTube has plans to take things to a whole new level.
YouTube Cards for Commerce
The newly launched YouTube Live is not yet available to all, but once it is unleashed, it is positioned to be one of the most dominating live streaming modalities to date.
Leaving the fact that YouTube is synonymous with video aside, the platform plans on allowing YouTube Cards to be shown at certain intervals of live broadcasts. This means that viewers will be presented with links that allow them to donate to fundraisers, contribute to fan-funded projects, and even be sent to product pages to make purchases. This will bring e-Commerce live streaming to a new level of cohesion and functionality that can keep consumers engaged while accruing sales for a brand. Keep your eyes on YouTube Live, because this is going to be the catalyst that pairs live broadcasts and sales like never before.
Live streaming is rapidly changing the way people interact online, along the way marketers promote brands, and it will soon to begin to alter the way consumers shop.
If you want to get the competitive edge on selling through streaming give us a call at 760-262-4252 or send an email to info@fanaticsmedia.com and we can help you build a live streaming sales strategy that is as innovative as it is effective.
