BFCM 2021: Multiplying Engagement Through Live Selling

The clock is ticking, and we are slowly edging closer and closer to BFCM weekend.

It is almost time for you to try something out of the box to compete with the big boys of the e-commerce league.

So, what is your unique selling strategy to boost customer engagement for the biggest sales weekend on the planet?

You have a mobile app or website, the perfect hosting provider, and your inventory is filled with products that have high demand on the market; it is quite natural to think that you are good to go. But if you are solely relying on these to boost customer engagement for this upcoming BFCM weekend, we have some bad news for you. You have missed out on one of the most important tricks in the book – your selling strategy.

Selling strategies are often similar to core competencies that define success. And one such strategy that has been making all right noise recently is live selling. The concept of live selling is simple. Instead of using websites with static product photographs and bland product descriptions, you use a live-streaming product experience to drive engagement.

The human element of live selling makes it an attractive proposition, especially for small businesses, who are looking for new and relatively cheap revenue streams to tap into in a pandemic-stricken market. Every e-tailer will have a website or mobile app. Even their inventory could have products in high demand, which makes live selling a true differential this BFCM weekend to drive customer engagement. Here are some tips for you to conduct a seamless live sale and boost customer engagement.

Make the announcements well before the BFCM weekend

BFCM is a high-pressure sales event that brings immense organic traffic towards you, and conducting a live sale during that time can be equally intriguing. But, by making prior announcements about the live sale, you can get ample time to prepare for the big event.

You can create social media posts like Facebook events, share them across your customer base, and watch their reaction to specific deals and products. It will also help you prepare better when it comes to engaging with your customers during the sale.

Let your users know about the live sale BFCM event beforehand and watch the magic unfold. It will get your customers excited and encourage them to start discussions on your social media pages, thereby kickstarting the engagement even before the sale begins.

Consistency is the key

As we touched upon earlier, live selling is a business strategy that is very much similar to your core competency. That means it is vital to consider the branding aspects while conducting a live sale. And a key part of branding is that it should be consistent across the BFCM weekend.

With consistent background imagery, product placements, and presentation techniques, you must be aligned with your brand and create a memorable place in your customer’s mind. Even in the short attention span of the busy sales period, customers love something authentic that they can memorize and trust, which will prompt them to come back and engage more with you during the live sale.

Country Patchwork, LLC, a Facebook-based arts & crafts shop, uses a background image of their own handcrafter quilt all throughout their live sale. It creates an authentic feel amongst the customers and explains what their brand is all about.

Host focused Q&A sessions

BFCM or not, a live sale is incomplete without a Q&A session. Your customers are bound to have a host of questions during the sale. While hunting for the best deals out there, they expect their queries to be addressed immediately as a live session has the scope to do so.

By addressing their queries, you will build connections with buyers and know what is going on in their minds about the product. It is common for customers to feel apprehensive as they are not used to live sales, but it is up to you to deliver a fun-filled shopping experience to them using Q&A sessions.

Some online sellers tend to preannounce the Q&A session and ask the customers to send their queries and concerns early. This strategy is also an effective one as it will save time. During BFCM, it would be best to be ready for the customers’ problems with the answers beforehand rather than trying to solve them instantly, as it might be a little daunting.

Give clear instructions and ensure a hassle-free purchase

A live sale event during BFCM is undoubtedly going to attract a lot of traffic. And, if you are one of the few sellers in the same market space opting for this selling technique, the chances are that many people will turn up to see what the buzz is all about.

But you are only halfway through; you have managed to get their attention. Now comes the tricky part, you have to convert these viewers into buyers. And to do so, you must help your customers with clear instructions on several elements of the live sale like product features, bidding process, order confirmation, payment process, shipping, and much more.

Send out the instructions and scrolled messages throughout the sale so that customers can make their purchases quickly and easily.

Use Blynk

Blynk is Vajro’s new live selling feature that offers a next-gen live selling experience to both you and your customers. This useful feature enables you to go live directly on the app and stream it in parallel on Facebook. Some of the core benefits of using Blynk include auto-invoicing customers based on their comments during the live sale, automated reading of comments on Facebook, etc.

Here is a detailed guide on how to get started with Blynk.

Summary

There is a high probability that this BFCM will be the biggest online sales event that we have ever witnessed. The uncertainty and fear of the pandemic have pushed the majority of the holiday shopping online. And this BFCM is the best time for you to try out live selling finally.

Live selling has taken the shopping experience to a whole new level. Several social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and platforms like Youtube offer a medium for conducting live sales. But there are downsides to it as well. There are issues like high drop-offs, low conversion rates, and so on that can impact your holiday sales. But as highlighted above, Vajro has you covered through Blynk. To know more about Vajro and Blynk, contact us now.