Live commerce, far from being a passing trend, is an online sales strategy that is gaining more and more strength in the daily lives of Brazilian companies. With the arrival of TikTok Shop in the country this year, the model may present itself as an even more advantageous solution for those who were already using it; and as a great opportunity for businesses that have never invested in this sales model – creating more interactive, immersive, and practical experiences that attract and retain more customers.
Having started in 2016 in China, this method closely resembles the TV sales procedure that Polishop used to carry out, with the major difference being that the audience has the possibility to ask questions and talk about the product with the seller in real-time. Basically, it is a livestream where the streamer presents the item in question, interacts with people in the chat, answers questions, presents their views on a particular usage method, explains who it is recommended for, and many other actions.
According to a Forbes article, the global live commerce market generates around $157 billion annually, making it of great interest to marketing. Its use to boost sales and achieve exceptional results should be emphasized, and therefore, marketing should incorporate the method into its arsenal. With this strategy, building authentic relationships and engaging customers in ways never before imagined becomes feasible.
With the popularization of TikTok in Brazil during social isolation, its usage is intensifying even more, in an environment focused on creating quick content to attract users’ attention and convert them into a purchasing journey. According to an article by Shopify, people spend about 55 minutes a day creating and watching videos on this platform, with an estimate that this average time will continue to increase.
Considering that the platform focuses on short-duration content, 55 minutes are a significant amount of time that users spend focused within the app. These key characteristics contribute to creating a follower base within this space not being difficult, since the content is designed for quick consumption. And this is crucial to start the live commerce strategy, as broadcasting live videos requires the user to have 1,000 followers and, for the TikTok Shop usage, 5,000 followers are needed.
Once these requirements are met, several strategies can be applied to increase sales, relying on various marketing models like AIDA, 4Ps, 7Ps, STP, pirate metrics, or AARRR, for example. Mental triggers are also one of the tools that can be used in live sales, if well applied, capable of enhancing the audience’s engagement and their perceived value of the item being promoted.
The live commerce model can be the perfect strategy for some companies or resellers, and it should never be underestimated. The more engagement a seller can create with potential customers, the greater the chances of a successful sale. Therefore, CMOs, marketing teams, and entrepreneurs will increasingly need to evaluate whether this strategy can be the key differentiator that their brand can present within their niche, gaining much more brand recognition and recommendations among the ideal target audience.
