What was the last social app you opened on your phone? Was it Instagram? Facebook? TikTok? All three? The latest data shows that young adults (aged 16 to 24) in Southeast Asia now spend more than an hour longer using social media every day than they spend watching television. More than a quarter of internet users in the same age group in the region also said that Facebook is their favorite social media platform, ranking it higher than any other platform.
Lifestyle habits like shopping are changing as more people spend their lives on social media. Enter live and social commerce– the up-and-coming phenomenon that is shaping the way shoppers purchase goods and services online. In fact, social commerce is well on its way to becoming a $1.2 trillion industry across the globe by 2025.
This begs the question, how is live selling changing the way shoppers buy their items? Is live selling the future of e-commerce, and how will it affect our lifestyle?
Social media is where people are at, so why not shop there too
It’s hard to imagine life before online shopping because that seemed like a distant future. Online shopping was made possible with the introduction and modernization of the internet. We started online shopping on desktops, then on mobiles, and now on mobile social media platforms.
User habits have drastically changed in the past 20 years, and live social commerce is taking center stage in this era. Customers are buying not just via online stores– they are purchasing on Facebook and Instagram live streams because customers are increasingly using mobile social apps. So if social media is where everyone’s at, why not sell your goods there too to better reach your audiences if they spend a significant part of their lives there?
Live selling is group buying taken to the next level
Southeast Asians appreciate being part of a community, and finding strong relationships is critical to their lifestyle habits. They use their networks not just for socializing but for transacting. That is why group buys continue to be such a massive hit because customers can interact with a like-minded community, and share information openly and freely so that everyone benefits from the same product or service. Finally, they can enjoy better discounts as they can purchase in bulk to reap increased economies of scale.
Live selling takes group buying to the next level because buyers can communicate with each other in real-time. Sellers can take advantage of this as they can get a sense of the volume of orders in a split second. They can also mine for useful information from buyers, such as their thoughts on the current product, shipping, and even what they should purchase for their buyers in the future.
Live selling helps customers make better lifestyle choices
One of the biggest pros of live selling is that it helps customers make informed decisions. This new way of shopping simulates physical shopping in many aspects. Customers can view the products live, while sellers describe the products in incredible detail.
For example, suppose a seller is selling a piece of garment, and the customer asks about size and fit. In that case, sellers can make instant recommendations based on the customers’ measurements, while sharing this information with hundreds or thousands of customers tuning into the live stream. Talk about killing two birds with one stone! As a result, customers can shop for anything via live streams– clothes, supplements, beauty products, luxury goods, and more with ease of mind and make better choices.
In addition, sellers can answer any questions or concerns customers may have about the product and engage with them through various interactive formats like auctions, games, and more– making live selling all the more exciting than physical shopping!
Live selling is changing shopping and lifestyles in the long term
Live selling has undoubtedly changed the way customers purchase goods and services. Customers buying lifestyle goods like clothes, bags, furniture, household items, and more turn to live selling to fulfill their shopping guilty pleasures and needs because it is interactive, instant, convenient, and simulates physical shopping (but better!). Watch this space as more customers turn to live shopping and as more live sellers turn to this tried-and-tested method to boost sales!