Shoppable video vs livestream video: how to tell them apart?

SUMMARY

    In recent years, live sales have taken conventional e-commerce by the collars and turned it into an interactive online shopping experience. This method is way more credible, trustworthy, exciting and loaded with possibilities.

    Both tools have proved to be game changers in building connection with consumers in a virtual environment that used to be unpersonal and stimuli-free. Actually, according to a recent research conducted by BDMI, 78% of brands use live sales primarily to establish deeper connection with their audience. 

    Due to being quite newfangled terms, shoppable video vs livestream video have been incorrectly used interchangeably and sparked some uncertainty among marketers. Below we demystify both expressions and tell you about their different and similar characteristics.

    What is a shoppable video?

    The essence of shoppable video lies in its clickable, transparent and direct setup that makes interaction easy with customers. It allows for instant shopping, as videos can be endowed with a product feed, and various tags ranging from images, text bits or URLs. After the necessary elements have been added, the respective brand has nothing else to do but to share the content on its webstore and social media outlets.

    What is a livestream shopping video?

    Livestream videos are real time events that feature a host who starts and ends the session. This person might be an employee of the given company, an invited guest, an influencer or media personality. They are tasked with entertaining, educating and promoting at the same time. Furthermore, while they popularize a certain brand’s products, they communicate with viewers via speech or live chat. This approach helps to build trust in prospects.

    Brands make up their minds about what goods they wish to promote during the streams before it starts, then the host has the possibility to edit the embedded product feed based on live feedback. The carousel of items integrated in the video allows for direct purchase, significantly shortening the customer journey. Naturally, livestream shopping also allows for multi-platform sharing that advances awareness and profit maximization.

    As you can see, a shoppable video vs livestream video is used for the same purpose but have their own approach with consumers. Now let’s delve into what their differences and similarities are.

    Shoppable video vs livestream video: vital differences and common features

    Key differences

    • Shoppable videos are looped and recorded before being posted, with continuous interaction around-the-clock
    • Livestream videos are real-time events that allow for immediate interaction with viewers throughout the whole session
    • Shoppable videos have no ‘face-to-face’ communication option, therefore they must resort to using chatbots for the most instant contact
    • The gamification feature of a shoppable video lets visitors personalize what they see, whereas in a livestream shopping event only the host has control over the experience
    • In livestreams the featured goods are added prior to the creation of the video, while in case of shoppable videos items are inserted post-creation
    • Livestream session are always up-to-date and current content, as opposed to its shoppable counterpart, that may consist of old materials

    Most important common traits

    • Both methods support multi-platform sharing for simultaneous streaming
    • Livestreams act as shoppable videos as well, as they can be replayed once the real-time event is over
    • Both techniques can be completely custom-tailored to each brand
    • Both provide a detailed display of the featured items
    • Livestream videos and shoppable videos inject more stimuli to conventional digital shopping by adding a personal touch to the experience
    • Both methodologies are suitable for winning the trust of the audience

    Which method is better for my business?

    Naturally, it’s totally up to you to decide which option suits your brand and meet your expectations best. As for us, livestream shopping gives a much richer experience to both the host of the session and their viewers.

    For instance, the option for immediate communication is one of the heaviest factors that outweigh the capacities of a shoppable video. It’s also a noteworthy point that a livestream video might be repurposed as a shoppable one after the real-time event is over.

    While the choice is in your hands, we have only one thing left to say: you can’t go wrong with giving Bannerse a go, especially since we offer a selection of beneficial packages to choose from! Don’t worry, we will help you with every step. Book a demo!