How Amazon is Using Live Streaming to Drive eCommerce Growth

Earlier this year Amazon launched Amazon Live. Amazon Live is a live-streamed home shopping platform. The platform consists of Amazon talent hosting live home shopping shows as well as live streams from brands that sell on amazon.com. Content can be viewed live or in re-broadcast format. One of the shows on the channel is called Smart Home Simplified, where you guessed it, hosts review smart home products including Amazon’s Echo, Ring doorbell and Amazon Basics microwaves.

One of the hosts of an Amazon Live show, Tommy DiDario, tweeted back in November: “it’s QVC meets HSN, where all the hottest deals are discussed. My first episode airs tomorrow (Tuesday) & you can watch live from 11am-1pm”.

To aid in the home shopping process, at the bottom of an Amazon live show there is a carousel with Amazon products so that customers can quickly and easily purchase any product that is discussed.

Brands, using the Amazon Live Creator app, can live stream video on their product detail pages. This enables brands to interact directly with their audience. In the description for the Amazon Live Creator app in the Apple Store it says: “livestreaming allows you to tell your brand story, showcase your products, and interact with shoppers in real time, all while driving sales. Stream for free on your products’ detail pages, your Brand Store, and on Amazon.com/live. You can also pay to boost your livestream to reach even more Amazon shoppers”.

This latest initiative from Amazon looks like another attempt to reduce the inevitable friction in the online shopping process. Will I be able to use the product I am interested in for my intended purpose? What will the product look like in my home? Even with detailed product pictures on Amazon’s product detail pages it can be hard to tell if it is the right product for the customer. Having the brand’s creator discuss the product through a video can create a powerful connection with the customer. Live streaming is also a great way for customers to learn about new products and increase eCommerce sale growth.

This is not the first time Amazon has gone down this route. In 2016 Amazon launched Style Code Live. The QVC like live streamed home shopping show offered beauty and style tips from experts that encouraged viewers to purchase recommended products from Amazon’s marketplace. The show was cancelled after 15 months on the air. Only time will tell if Amazon’s latest venture will be a success. Check out Amazon Live (www.amazon.com/live) today.

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