The Power Of Black Friday & Cyber Monday Live Shopping Events

The holidays are fast approaching and if you are an ecommerce business, you’re probably brainstorming ways to get your products in front of your ideal customers on some of the biggest shopping days of the year.

We’re of course talking about Black Friday and Cyber Monday. 

155 million Americans were shopping Black Friday deals online in 2021, and 88 million of those people made at least one purchase. And Cyber Monday—or what is now sometimes referred to as Cyber Week—is just as impactful. In 2021, $12.3 billion worth of sales were tied to the Monday after Thanksgiving, making it the largest Cyber Monday to date.

Needless to say, BFCM is a sales opportunity that your brand can’t afford to miss. But what can you do to really stand out from your competition, connect with your customers, and build a relationship that ends in increased revenue on November 25th and 28th, 2022?

You can host a live shopping event. 

Why you need a live commerce event for Black Friday/Cyber Monday

76% of consumers are planning to shop online during Black Friday/Cyber Monday. So you need to find a way to reach that 76% and have them engage with your brand. While ads, email marketing, and social media are all effective promotional tools, when it comes to closing the sale, nothing is better than selling live.

Live commerce gives a whole new sense of urgency to BFCM sales—consumers are motivated by a sense of urgency and are more likely to make a purchase if they feel like there is a good deal that they don’t want to miss out on.

By going live, you are also giving your audience the chance to really experience your products. They have a chance to see the product in action, ask questions, and ultimately make an online buying decision that they are confident in.  

Beyond the sales you’ll make on BFCM, going live to your audience is an exceptionally effective way to connect and build trust-based relationships with your customers. This kind of engagement and the brand loyalty that it builds will serve you long past the holiday season.

To recap, live shopping events increase engagement and sales—it’s the BFCM boost your business needs. 

5 tips to get you ready for your Black Friday/Cyber Monday live shopping event

Now that we’ve shown you the power of live shopping and you’re ready to start streaming asap, let’s take a look at 5 tips that will help you prep for your very own BFCM live commerce event.

     1. Carefully consider your offer

It’s easy to get wrapped up in offering a hundred different savings options for BFCM but it’s best for you and your audience to keep it simple. There are tons of ways to help your audience save and motivate them to make a purchase:

• Offer a % discount on all orders placed during the live event.
• Offer free shipping on all orders placed during the live event.
• Offer a bonus gift on all orders placed during the live event.
• Offer exclusive products or bundles that are only available during the live event.

You can do all of the above, a combination of the above, or just one from the list. But be clear on your offer and feature it heavily in your promotions leading up to the event.

     2. The time to start is now

Sure, we’re a month or so out from Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but it is never too early to start prepping. Beyond planning out what you will be promoting, what discounts you’ll offer, and who will host your stream, now is the time to start promoting as well.

You might be scratching your head thinking, “Woah, Stage TEN, it’s way too early to promote an event happening in November.” And while you’re right, you’re only kinda right. 

Ads are extremely expensive during the holiday season. But promoting your business now via ads and remarketing those new leads in a month or two is a much more effective and affordable way to bring in a new audience to your brand.

And really, it’s never too early to start promoting an event—as long as you keep promoting up until the event itself. 

     3. Use your team to pump up your brand

Who knows your products better than your own team? No one! 

That’s what makes them a great choice as a host for your live shopping event. They can speak to the benefits of your products and have real-world experience using and promoting your products. 

Consider the members of your marketing, sales, or leadership teams and look for someone who is quick on their feet—a key characteristic when it comes to going live!

     4. ...Or find an influencer to host your event

Working with an influencer or brand rep who either already supports your brand or who has a similar audience to your brand’s is a great way to bring in a new audience to our event. Having them host your event will ensure that people will be excited to tune in for the chance to interact with their favorite influencer. 

You can also engage a network of influencers and micro-influencers to promote your event. This is another great way to extend your reach and tap into a new audience for your brand.

Influencers are a great way to build instant trust—Gen Z in particular are more likely to make a purchase based on the recommendation of an influencer they trust. 

     5. Make the experience as seamless as possible

Whether this is your first commerce livestream or you're a seasoned pro, finding the right platform to go live and sell is key to a successful event. 

With Stage TEN, you can create a live stream, add audience interactions, and monetize it all in one place. Livestream e-commerce with Stage TEN gives you the power to not only sell your products live but also allows you to truly interact with your audience. Using live polling, voting, and pulling comments directly onto your live stream, your customers will feel like they are actively participating in your event… because they are!

You can bring the experience to your customers—the player can live on any of your owned and operated sites. Using your owned and operated sites keeps control in your hands, you don’t need to use a third-party platform to host your event. 

Your audience can make a purchase directly in the video player, creating a seamless experience that keeps people watching longer while still giving them the opportunity to take advantage of your BFCM deals.

Our partners have experienced phenomenal results using our Interactive Player. With integrated in-show shopping, brands have doubled their sales from the previous day, boosted their engagement rates by 70%+, and experienced conversion rates of at least 7%.

One last thought…

Over the last few years, the lines between Black Friday and Cyber Monday have started to blur more and more. We sometimes hear about Cyber Week—where sales and offers are available all week long. 

Take advantage of this phenomenon by running a series of live events over the course of the week. From November 25th to December 1st, you can run a variety of different events. You can feature a different product or a different offer for each event or create a series that ties together throughout the week. 

Whatever you decide to do, live commerce events are the perfect way to boost your Black Friday/Cyber Monday offers and give you your best chance to end Q4 on a high revenue note.

Ready to jump into the world of live shopping and experience how it can transform your business? Then you’re ready for Stage TEN. With integrated in-show shopping, our partners have doubled their sales, boosted their engagement rates by 70%+, and experienced conversion rates of at least 7%.

Contact us today to explore how your brand can partner with us. Or get started on your own—create your free account now and go live!