Freshen Up Your Black Friday Digital Marketing Strategy With Live Stream Shopping This Year

Black Friday's approaching, and if you're like most business owners and marketers, you know how chaotic it can get. The market becomes saturated, and it's tough to stand out from the ocean of ads, deals, and promotions.

We’re always looking for innovative ways to cut through the noise and Live stream shopping is one tactic we’ve been trying out and gotten good results from! 

Live stream shopping, which started to become increasingly popular during the pandemic is projected to grow from $13.69 billion in 2024 to $22.66 billion by 2029! https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/virtual-events-market 

We saw a 20% increase in conversions during a recent product launch for our client, an eco-friendly laundry detergent company. The live shopping event contributed to a significant chunk of the revenue for the day.

It’s easy to see why consumers love TikTok and other social media live shopping streams - people love authenticity. The short-form, informal videos make live shopping feel more genuine and less polished than traditional TV shopping ads. While also combining entertainment, live communication, and community building.

The Evolution of Live Shopping

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The concept of using live video to promote products and encourage people to buy isn’t new. Home Shopping Network in the US, pioneered the concept of a TV sales pitch for consumer products like home goods, beauty, and fashion back in the ’80s, inviting viewers to make a phone call to order products they just saw on their TV screens.

Social media’s live shopping streams aren’t much different - just swap TVs for smartphones, TV networks for social media platforms, and the Call Now hotlines for Buy Now buttons. 

Interestingly, Shopify also reports that live shopping increases conversions by 20-30% compared to traditional eCommerce. Moreover, 71% of consumers prefer live shopping to traditional online shopping, and 67% report discovering new products through live streams.

How does live shopping work?

Live shopping has three core elements:

1. It’s in a video format

2. It’s happening in real time (as opposed to being prerecorded)

3. It points to products customers can buy (through links, tags, pinned comments, and other online elements)

4. A live shopping event can take place on social media, on native live shopping platforms, or on a retailer’s website or mobile app (more on those later).

Executing a Successful Live Shopping Event

• There are usually one or more people presenting products during a livestream, for example:

- Trying the products on

- Demonstrating how to use them

- Talking about the products’ benefits

- Sharing tips to make the most out of them

• The Livestream audience can interact with the host or hosts via the comments to share thoughts about a product or ask questions that would help them buy the right product for their needs.

• Around the screen, viewers can view and click on links for products mentioned in the livestream, usually as a pop-up, sidebar, or pinned comment. Depending on the platform, they can either view and buy products within the interface itself or be taken to the brand’s website to complete the purchase.

• Brands often offer discount codes and other special offers and bonuses that are valid only during the livestream, making it more valuable for customers to watch and participate live.

Boosting Conversions and Sales This Black Friday

If you're looking for higher conversion rates this year, Live Shopping might just be the answer to leveling up your campaigns and overall conversion rates.

Consider incorporating live stream shopping into your Black Friday strategy. With its authentic, entertaining, and socially-driven approach, you can cut through the noise and drive business growth.