Live-Selling: The Game-Changer in E-Commerce Explained by Jolie Sharpe
Live-selling has taken the e-commerce world by storm, and its effectiveness is nothing short of remarkable, with Wild’s gross revenue skyrocketing by an astounding 272% from Q1 to Q2 2023 ON TIKTOK.
JGS LIVE, a prominent player in this field and the exclusive Live Selling provider to Wild and many others, shares insights on what makes live-selling so powerful in engaging customers and boosting sales. From real-time engagement to the impact of entertainment and transparency, Jolie sheds light on the secrets of her success.
Live-selling has become a significant trend in e-commerce. Can you share your insights on what makes it so effective in engaging customers and increasing sales, as demonstrated by the remarkable 272% increase in Wild’s gross revenue from Q1 to Q2 On TikTok 2023?
JGS LIVE was built on the foundation that ‘people buy from people’ and this is exactly what Live Selling demonstrates. In today’s fast paced, always-on environment, trust is integral. We believe in the power of human connections that remove the fear of purchasing online.
There are four reasons that JGS LIVE believe Live Selling is so effective in engaging customers and increasing sales:
- Real time engagement – human connection. People want an immediate response and that is what they get.
- Entertainment. Ordering online can be isolating and boring. Live Selling bridges the gap between ordering online and purchasing in store.
- Convenience. You can shop wherever are you. From your living room to a stadium, as long as you have service, you can order.
- Transparency and trust. With a face always behind the screen, trust is automatically built.
JGS LIVE has had the opportunity to work with a diverse range of clients, from Wild to Unrooted and now being an official partner of TikTok. Could you describe how your approach to live-selling varies or adapts to suit the unique needs and brand identities of these clients?
The most important thing to note is that there is no single formula for success for every brand is unique and requires individual attention and each brand comes with its own distinct identity, target audience and goals. Understanding a brand’s values, mission and current customer profile is vital, but understanding and analysing the audience they want to attract is just as important. A key factor is also adapting to each brand’s identity. Some brands require more of a formal approach, whereas others prefer a more casual tone. Regardless of the approach we take, our main factor in deciding on strategy for a brand is what they want their KPIs to be. Whether it is more brand awareness, an increase in new customers or a sole focus on revenue, this impacts our decision making.
Live-selling often involves real-time interactions with audiences. How do you leverage digital technology and platforms to create engaging and immersive live-selling experiences for customers?
Utilising established platforms like TikTok is key as they offer a built-in audience. There are billions of people every day that scroll through the app looking for new and engaging content. To tap into that audience, you have to provide quality content, be visually appealing and keep your audience engaged. However, what will set you apart from your competitors is using the extensive data analytics. Metrics such as viewer engagement, conversion rates, average watch time helps us make integral decisions such as what time we should go live, what products should be in the top tier of the basket and what our hosts should focus on.
TikTok has rapidly emerged as a popular platform for live-selling. What strategies and best practices have you observed for brands looking to succeed in the fast-paced world of TikTok live-selling?
The saying ‘hard work pays off’ is what brands should remember when looking to succeed on the TikTok shop. The key word is consistency. Whether it be lives bi-weekly, or lives daily, consistency helps build an audience that know when to expect your live shows. It also signals reliability and a commitment to your followers.
Beyond revenue growth, what other benefits do you believe live-selling can offer to brands, such as increased brand awareness or customer loyalty? Are there any standout success stories that showcase these aspects?
The brand awareness and community growth that comes alongside live selling is immense. We have grown our client’s following by 100% in just one week of Live Selling. Like anything, you will have those that join the live, buy, and then leave, but where true brand awareness success shows is those new and old customers who join the lives not to purchase, but to engage and to keep up to date with the brand. We have viewers mark our lives in their calendars, and often make comments such as ‘this live has made my day.’
As the founder of JGS LIVE, you’ve likely witnessed the evolution of live-selling over the years. How do you see this space evolving in the coming years, and what role do you envision for technology in shaping its future?
Having personally been involved with Live Selling since it’s launch in the UK, it has been fascinating to see it’s growth and development. When reaching out to brands only a year or so ago, there was not one pitch I did that knew immediately what the modern-day version of Live Selling was VS today where it is a rarity to find a brand that doesn’t. There are increasing discussions that the already established platforms are adopting the live selling feature, and I am confident these discussions will become reality in the coming months.
As for technology shaping live selling’s future, we can expect to see more sophisticated tools for audience engagement to be launched, such as virtual try-ons, real time language translation for global reach and cross border selling.
Could you share some tips or key considerations for brands looking to venture into live- selling for the first time? What are some common pitfalls to avoid?
Invest! Investing into talented people that live and breathe the newest e-commerce is your best route to success. Whether it be knowing how to optimise your products for a high conversion rate in the basket or what promotion is the correct to use, to having a host that understands every feature on the platform; this is what will give you a significant advantage.
The biggest mistake brands make is by not understanding the importance of being authentic and honest. Not everyone is going to love your product, and the sooner you understand that when live selling, the easier it is to grow a loyal and engaged community. Ignoring negative comments about your product is more harmful than not, as silent watchers may see that and be concerned that issues are not being addressed.
Metrics and data analysis are crucial in understanding the impact of live-selling efforts. What key performance indicators (KPIs) do you recommend brands focus on to measure the success of their live-selling campaigns?
Success looks different for every brand, and it is important for brands to align their chosen KPIs with their specific objectives in order to achieve the best results. By focusing on the most specific metrics, we can effectively measure the success of each live and make data-driven improvements. The main KPIs we work on across our clients are:
- Revenue Generation
- Customer Acquisition Cost
- Audience growth and engagement
- Customer retention
The concept of live-selling blurs the lines between entertainment and commerce. How do you strike the right balance to ensure that live-selling experiences are both engaging and effective in driving sales?
If live shows are too heavily driven either way, it can be detrimental to the success of the live. Creating urgency to shop without hard selling and being too pressuring is what sets a good and excellent host apart. Our team of talented hosts follow these three rules:
- Engage first, sell second.
- Create urgency – why should the customer buy NOW.
- Story tell.
Finally, for aspiring entrepreneurs interested in the intersection of brands and live-selling, what advice or lessons from your journey would you like to share with them?
There are two pieces of advice shared to me by parents that have both helped me immensely when running JGS LIVE:
My dad’s – ‘fix the roof before it rains’. This taught me:
Preparation is key. Whether it be doing extensive research to become brand experts for our clients or sending that extra email to a potential new brand; there is no such thing as over prepared.
Delegate. Time is everything and as one person, you limit your success. Surround yourself with those who are smarter than you and build a team you trust like you trust yourself.
Quality control. The easy solution is almost always never the correct solution.
My mum’s – ‘Reach for the moon, even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars’.
This taught me:
Having a long-term vision is vital. Knowing where you will be in 6 months is just as important as knowing where you will be in a week.
Celebrate the small wins! It’s often easier said than done, but I always try and celebrate every win, so matter how small or big. It’s important to look back to try and imagine how you would feel if that same win that feels small now, would have felt when you first started out.
Never forget your original goals. It is easy to become consumed with the bigger, more glamours tasks. As for myself, I have always wanted to be a presenter which is why whilst managing our team and onboarding new clients, I always allow time in my calendar to host live shows and present for brands.