January 30, 2023
How to Offer Megaflash Deals with Airmart Livestream Selling
Sell out in seconds with this popular Chinese e-commerce tactic.
by Kristen Pizzo | 3 min read
Livestream selling is a growing trend in Chinese e-commerce. In fact, live commerce sales are projected to account for 19.4% of all retail e-commerce sales in China in 2023. It’s about time for U.S. e-commerce to take notes.
Although the top livestreamed product is apparel, fresh food is an up and coming category for live selling. Generate hype and sales for your products with Airmart’s livestream selling feature.
What is livestream selling?
During successful livestream sales, e-commerce shops sell a limited number of highly-desired items at an extremely low price to those who tune in for the live stream. There is a direct link to the online store in the livestream for instant purchasing. In China, these megaflash deals are called 秒杀, which translates literally to “kill in seconds,” like in a video game. These limited sales are a lot like Amazon’s lightning deals.
Live selling is a great way to build hype, engage with customers, and make an event out of online sales. Livestream sales are like safe and virtual Black Friday events– there’s a sense of urgency for shoppers who show up hoping to snag the best deals. Customers can comment, react, and ask questions in real time during the live sale.
A livestream selling case study
Recently, Airmart merchant Seafood Online hosted a megaflash deal on Dungeness crabs for Chinese New Year that garnered 100 orders in just one hour.
Over 500 people tuned in for the Dungeness crab livestream sale in hopes of getting fresh crab for $5.99 a pound. During the one-hour livestream, Seafood Online also offered a 2 for $1 mega-flash deal to the fastest shoppers, and the limited stock sold out within seconds.
How to host a livestream sale
You don’t need an influencer to host your livestream sale. Your best salesperson who is comfortable in front of the camera can do the livestream selling in-house. To sell via livestream, you will need:
- A smartphone
- A ring light with a tripod
- Products
- At least 2 additional team members (an assistant to answer questions and bring out products, and a director/co-host).
- Airmart’s livestreaming tool
Types of livestream sales
Livestream selling is all about showcasing your products. There are different types of livestream sales events you can host in order to share your products with customers.
- ‘How It’s Made’ Livestream Sale: Host a live demonstration to show how your product is made. This type of livestream sale works best for cakes, baked goods, and other homemade food.
- Livestream a tour: If you have a farm, a large studio, or a commercial kitchen, you can livestream a tour of the facilities for your customers.
- Live tasting: Host a product tasting livestream where you sample and compare products in front of your audience.
How to promote a livestream sale
Like any event, you need to share your livestream ahead of time to attract attendees. Here are some ways you can promote your livestream sale:
- Instagram stories: Share your livestream link in your Instagram stories. You can use a Countdown sticker to build hype before the livestream.
- Facebook events: Create a Facebook event for your livestream and share it with your Facebook page followers. This way, potential customers can easily invite their friends and family to the livestream too.
- Email list: Send out an email announcement about the livestream to all previous and prospective customers on your email list.
If you’re planning a sale for your e-commerce shop, go live! Our livestream selling tool makes it easy and affordable to showcase your products in front of a live audience of excited customers.