Facebook introduces livestream shopping to improve brand-consumer engagements
Facebook has launched its “Live Shopping Fridays” event series, which will see larger brands live streaming their contents on a weekly basis.
Brands will be able to use their live shopping events to give a behind-the-scenes look at their business as well as partnering with creators to showcase their products in “how-to” style videos, for example.
Yulie Kwon Kim, who leads product for Facebook App Commerce: “The way that we’re thinking about this is that e-commerce has made buying incredibly convenient. So when you have a need, you pull out your phone, purchase, and your order is on its way.”
“But buying is not shopping. And so, a lot of what people do is window shop to see what’s new, for entertainment. You discover something cool that you didn’t know about. When you’re shopping, people often want to hear from a live person, get suggestions, and see the product and context,” she says. “And increasingly, people are discovering and deciding what to buy through social media,” Kim added.
According to the Big Tech, almost three-quarters of consumers globally are getting shopping ideas through Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, and almost two-thirds agree that social media has now become as important as other information sources when making purchase decisions.
During the live streams, viewers can comment and ask questions which brands can read and respond to. Shoppers can also tap on the products displayed in the stream to learn more without having to leave the video. If they want to buy, they can add them to the cart and check out at any time — during or even after the event has wrapped. The brands receive the customer’s shipping information, and if the consumer opts in, they can gain access to other details as well, like email and phone number.
Additionally, the live events will be presented to consumers in a number of ways during the summer. If you follow a brand, you’ll be notified of their participation. Customers will be notified through news feed announcements and the Facebook Shop tab will offer a schedule of upcoming live shopping streams taking place across the platform.
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