Engage Shoppers and Drive Sales with Amazon Live Interactive Livestreams

In today’s ultra-competitive Amazon marketplace, sellers can no longer afford to overlook any strategy or tool that could potentially offer a new way to actively engage prospective buyers and established customers. Amazon Live Interactive Livestreams offers sellers an accessible way to create meaningful interactions that foster product/brand visibility and connection.

The Rise of Livestreaming

Livestreaming has become the  next evolution of video marketing. Livestreaming offers brands the opportunity to raise their exposure and to increase the diversity of their target audiences. It allows them to send live video content and receive real-time feedback from their followers, facilitating the highest rate of engagement of all content types.

Brands can take their viewers on a journey that is specific to them, like having ‘all-access’ passes at a concert…showcasing new products, hosting Q&A sessions, or providing information that enhances the user-experience of their products.

What is Amazon Live?

Amazon Live is a livestreaming service designed to give sellers an unprecedented level of connectivity with their prospects and current customers by bringing interactive live video to the Amazon shopping experience. 

Shoppers are given the choice to watch live or recently live videos, with both options allowing them to purchase the products featured in the video. With Amazon Live, sellers can stream at any hour of the day to drive sales with features like live-only promotion and “reactions”, a button that permits viewers to share their real-time responses (excitement, curiosity, etc.) with the host.

Amazon Live Interactive Livestreams display a prominent “Follow” button. Amazon Follow enables shoppers to receive updates about the people, brands, and interests that they care about on Amazon. When shoppers follow someone, they receive notifications when content from their channel goes live. 

A shopper’s ‘follows’ appear publicly on their public profile unless they’re hidden by the shopper using their Profile page settings. Their ‘follows’ may also appear in other locations, like on the page of the person the shopper is following. 

The Benefits of Streaming on Amazon Live

Interact with shoppers –  sellers interact directly with shoppers as they watch the livestream, either answering questions live in real-time, or in the chat box.

Offer promotions – sellers can offer limited time promotions on their products for shoppers to redeem as they watch the livestream.

Increase sales – shoppers can purchase featured products in the carousel displayed alongside the livestream.

Unlock benefits – sellers are eligible to receive additional benefits, by applying to achieve new Amazon Live levels. This is achieved by streaming longer and helping shoppers make informed purchases. The higher the seller’s Amazon Live level reaches, the more benefits are unlocked, such as additional placements for livestreams (example: on the Amazon.com home page).

Where Do Amazon Livestreams Appear?

All livestreams can be found on Amazon.com/Live and in the Amazon mobile app under Amazon Live.

• Amazon-produced livestreams appear in prominent placements across Amazon relevant to the content (e.g., the Amazon.com home page, event pages, and category pages). 
• Brand-created livestreams can appear on the detail pages for the products in the livestream, and in several placements where shoppers browse. 

What Devices Can Sellers Use to Livestream?

The Amazon Live Creator app allows sellers to stream directly from their iOS devices to Amazon and have complete control over the content. The Amazon Live Creator app is available in the App Store and is currently only available and optimized for the iPhone. Also, the Amazon Live Creator app can be used on an iPad, but the experience is not optimized. The app is currently not available for Android devices. 

How Do People View Amazon Live Content?

Shoppers can view livestreams on desktop, mobile web, mobile app, Fire Tablet, and Fire TV. Livestream events can be located on the Prime Video website and Prime Video apps. All live events appear on the “Live & Upcoming” row of the Prime Video or Channels homepages. 

Who can use Amazon Live?

Sellers can create their own Amazon livestream for free by downloading the Amazon Live Creator app or they can collaborate with Amazon for an Amazon-produced livestream. Amazon-produced livestreams typically require a minimum spend of $50,000 (US). Pricing varies by contract and is subject to change.

Eligibility Requirements For Amazon Live

1. Sellers must be professional Amazon Sellers who are registered in Amazon’s Brand Registry and sell on Amazon.com.
2. Vendors must have created and published a store on Amazon’s Advertising Console.
3. Sellers must be at least 18 years of age to stream in the community.
4. The livestream must be entirely in English.
5. Sellers who are in violation of their respective agreements with Amazon may not be eligible to participate in the community.
6. In order to livestream in the community, a seller must have an active Amazon Seller or Amazon Vendor account (or be authorized to livestream on behalf of such Amazon Seller or Vendor) or they must be a participant of the Amazon Influencer Program with an active influencer storefront. As a creator, sellers are responsible for all actions taken by any third party who livestreams on their behalf.

How to Livestream with Amazon Live

• Download and open the Amazon Live Creator app available through the App Store.
• Select your advertiser type: Seller (Seller Central) / Amazon Influencer Program / Vendor (Advertising Console / Other
• Enter the same credentials used for your Seller Central account or Advertising Console.
• Follow the in-app instructions to set up your first livestream from your phone camera or with broadcasting software using an external camera.

Best Practices For Livestreaming on Amazon Live 

1. Livestream for a minimum of 30 minutes per event. The longer a seller streams, the more shoppers will potentially discover the livestream and connect.
2. Sellers should motivate their audiences to interact with their channels. Encourage shoppers to ask questions about the featured product, hit the ‘reaction’ button and follow the brand to receive notifications.
3. Make sure that shoppers are interacted with and engaged as they ask questions and hit reaction buttons.
4. Use calls-to-action, restate key messages and remember to sell. If there are several products, refer to the products in the carousel, showcase key product benefits/features. Sellers should also be sure to repeat information because there will be shoppers coming into the livestream at different times. 
5. Demonstrate products in interesting ways, don’t just talk about them.
6. Share the livestream with audiences off Amazon (email list, social media channels) to increase the reach of the livestream by using the link in the app.
7. Consider streaming with an encoder which helps to give better control over stream audio and video quality, and while using multiple cameras, graphics, and overlays. 
8. Livestream when products have limited time deals and offer shoppers a special promotion motivating them to ‘buy now’.

Livestreaming’s impact on how brands are interacting with new and established audiences is growing day-by-day. Live video gives sellers a mechanism to bring their products to life and engage with shoppers in new creative ways. 

Sellers who are seeking to build their brand should make the Amazon Live tool a part of their marketing strategy. It’s presently free and can be combined with Sponsored Brands ads, Amazon Posts and Stores to educate shoppers about their products and to enhance their shopping experience on Amazon.

If you need help putting together a marketing plan for your Amazon brand that includes livestreaming, advertising, and more, consider working with one of the expert coaches at Entourage’s Amazon Ads Coaching+. We’ll help you to develop short term and long term strategies to scale your Amazon brand’s profits.

Entourage: Software to Scale Amazon Ads and Results Driven Management.