Shoppable live video is at the core of modern e-commerce. “Live selling” (or “live shopping”) is when businesses showcase and sell their goods in real time through live video streams on social media platforms, e-commerce websites, and retail apps. The real-time communication between sellers and customers instills a sense of community that boosts trust, which, in turn, catapults sales, and enhances consumer loyalty.
The growth and popularity of live video commerce makes this sales strategy a necessary next step if you’re looking to increase revenue and strengthen customer loyalty. 60% of consumers say that live selling improves their shopping experience, and successful live sellers have increased revenue by more than 200%.
Getting Started is Simple
The data alone proves live selling to be a lucrative next step for retailers. Even more, it’s super simple to get started, only requiring a few pieces of equipment for live streaming. All you need is a smartphone, ring light, and laptop to host vibrant live sales.
3 Essential Equipment for Live Streaming​
Doing your very own live sale is much easier than you think and only requires three basic pieces of mobile live streaming equipment.
Smartphone
Whether you use Apple or Android phones, the device you use for the livestream needs to have at least a 12MP front camera. Make sure you are running the latest operating system (OS) updates to ensure the best performance for your live stream.
Use the front camera on your smartphone to capture and broadcast both audio and video to your livestream viewers across multiple channels. Using the front-facing camera will allow you to adjust the framing of your livestream. It also provides a good visual representation of how your live sale will look to viewers and can help you tweak lighting and ambience as needed.
LED Ring Light
An LED ring light is a necessity. Ring lights cast an even light across your face and products, and help reduce shadows to properly highlight the products you showcase to your viewers.
An 18-inch ring light is a great starter light. It will give you wide-area illumination and ample space to mount your phone. Depending on your setup and ambience, you may need to add some extra lighting to your surroundings—play around with the lighting to see what setup works best for your viewers.
Laptop
A laptop is another crucial piece of equipment for live streaming that allows hosts to moderate and manage the live video stream.
Being able to watch viewer counts, viewer comments, incoming sales, and real-time inventory updates on a device other than your cell phone means you won’t be juggling through apps, or squirting to read the phone you’re streaming from.
You do not need to go all out on an expensive laptop for this; just something that enables you to browse with a couple of tabs and applications open. Look for a laptop with at least 8GB RAM and an SSD.
Additional Equipment for Live Streaming
Take your live sales to the next level with these additional mobile live streaming equipment reccomendations
A Second Smartphone
One phone is necessary, but with two smartphones, you can use the higher-quality back-facing camera on one device for top-notch video quality on your live sale. This will be your primary phone that will capture and broadcast both audio and video to your livestream viewers.
Use the front-facing camera on the second phone to adjust the framing of your livestream. The front-facing device will show you how the live sale looks to viewers.
Adjustable Ring Light With Dual Phone Holders
Use a tall, height-adjustable ring light that comes with two phone holders.
A ring light with a tripod stand is stable enough to support both of your mobile devices. It will also help minimize wobble, which is important for creating a crisp video stream. This type of ring light will also let you adjust the height as needed, perfect the lighting, and create framing that supports your live sale aesthetic.
32-Inch TV
We suggest using a TV with a screen size of 32 inches (or larger!) and an HDMI cable to connect to your laptop. This will allow you to use the TV as a large monitor.
With live sale information clearly displayed on a large screen, live sale hosts can engage with products without having to strain their eyes by squinting at smartphones or bending over a laptop. Not having to walk off-screen to read and answer viewer comments will also make for a more consistent viewing experience. This saves hosts a ton of energy and time, resources that are better spent entertaining viewers to scale your business.
Barcode Scanner
Barcode scanners aren’t just for inventory management—they are also a helpful piece of equipment for live streaming. Use a barcode scanner to scan and add products to the sale instantly! A platform like Videeo can use this to automatically update your live sale overlay with the product information in real time.
Room Essentials
Your live sale studio will play a large role in how prepared you feel and comfortable you are when going live. Below are our recommended must-haves:
Table: Yes, a table. Get your hands on a sturdy table big enough to hold your TV, laptop, and all the rest of the equipment for live streaming you will need to use during your live sale. Having it all in one place keeps things from getting messy and tiring.
Quiet Space: Make sure the area you are streaming from is free from noise and other distractions. Before going live, make sure you resolve all situations involving rowdy neighbors, playful dogs, construction equipment, and more. These distractions can throw you off your game and could deter your viewers.
Customized Backdrop: Create ambiance by crafting a thoughtful and branded backdrop. Consider curating your space with colors and imagery that help boost recognition and best represent your business. Just be sure the backdrop isn’t too distracting from you as a host or the items you’re highlighting.
Helping Hands: It’s so much easier (and more fun!) to host a live sale with at least one person running the show from behind the scenes, off camera. This person can read out comments and questions as they come, host trivia while the live sale host changes into outfits or prepares another product demonstration, and keep things organized and viewers engaged.
Stable Internet Connection
The quality of your internet connection can make or break your live sale stream. Make sure you have a high-speed, dependable internet connection. A laggy, stuttering, or poor-quality livestream can deter your viewers from watching your live sale. As such, a stable internet connection is the epitome of equipment for live streaming. We recommend an internet connection that can provide at least 10 Mbps upload speed on your streaming device.
It’s a good idea to do test runs a few days before your live sale to see how well your internet performs. It will also help you identify what things you need to be mindful of during a sale, so you’re not left improvising every step of the way.
You can add to the stability of your livestream by ensuring that no other devices, apart from the ones necessary for the live sale, are using the same internet connection while you stream.
Ethernet Adapter for Your Phone
An ethernet adapter for your phone will ensure better connectivity and stability. We recommend using a 2-in-1 USB-C to ethernet or Lightning to ethernet connector that also comes with phone-charging capabilities. This way, you won’t have to worry about your battery running dry in the middle of the sale and losing viewers and revenue.
Live Selling Software
The right live selling software will make all the difference when it comes to managing front and back-end operations for your live sale.
Videeo serves as the perfect partner for automating your live sales and allowing you to manage all aspects from a single dashboard. Its live overlays display all relevant product information to your audience in real time, making the live sale an engaging experience. All you have to do is concentrate on giving your viewers a nice time each time they watch your live sale.
Ready, Set, Stream!
Once you’ve got the necessary equipment for live streaming, you’re ready to go.
Remember to be consistent with your live sales to build viewer trust and help lock-in repeat purchasers.
The most important thing is to speak authentically to your audience, have fun, and know you can rely on live selling experts like Videeo for robust, enterprise-grade support.
Supercharge Your Sales with Live Commerce
Begin Your Videeo Journey Today
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Essential Equipment for Live Streaming
Shoppable live video is at the core of modern e-commerce. “Live selling” (or “live shopping”) is when businesses showcase and sell their goods in real time through live video streams on social media platforms, e-commerce websites, and retail apps. The real-time communication between sellers and customers instills a sense of community that boosts trust, which, in turn, catapults sales, and enhances consumer loyalty.
The growth and popularity of live video commerce makes this sales strategy a necessary next step if you’re looking to increase revenue and strengthen customer loyalty. 60% of consumers say that live selling improves their shopping experience, and successful live sellers have increased revenue by more than 200%.
Getting Started is Simple
The data alone proves live selling to be a lucrative next step for retailers. Even more, it’s super simple to get started, only requiring a few pieces of equipment for live streaming. All you need is a smartphone, ring light, and laptop to host vibrant live sales.
3 Essential Equipment for Live Streaming​
Doing your very own live sale is much easier than you think and only requires three basic pieces of mobile live streaming equipment.
Smartphone
Whether you use Apple or Android phones, the device you use for the livestream needs to have at least a 12MP front camera. Make sure you are running the latest operating system (OS) updates to ensure the best performance for your live stream.
Use the front camera on your smartphone to capture and broadcast both audio and video to your livestream viewers across multiple channels. Using the front-facing camera will allow you to adjust the framing of your livestream. It also provides a good visual representation of how your live sale will look to viewers and can help you tweak lighting and ambience as needed.
LED Ring Light
An LED ring light is a necessity. Ring lights cast an even light across your face and products, and help reduce shadows to properly highlight the products you showcase to your viewers.
An 18-inch ring light is a great starter light. It will give you wide-area illumination and ample space to mount your phone. Depending on your setup and ambience, you may need to add some extra lighting to your surroundings—play around with the lighting to see what setup works best for your viewers.
Laptop
A laptop is another crucial piece of equipment for live streaming that allows hosts to moderate and manage the live video stream.
Being able to watch viewer counts, viewer comments, incoming sales, and real-time inventory updates on a device other than your cell phone means you won’t be juggling through apps, or squirting to read the phone you’re streaming from.
You do not need to go all out on an expensive laptop for this; just something that enables you to browse with a couple of tabs and applications open. Look for a laptop with at least 8GB RAM and an SSD.
Additional Equipment for Live Streaming
Take your live sales to the next level with these additional mobile live streaming equipment reccomendations
A Second Smartphone
One phone is necessary, but with two smartphones, you can use the higher-quality back-facing camera on one device for top-notch video quality on your live sale. This will be your primary phone that will capture and broadcast both audio and video to your livestream viewers.
Use the front-facing camera on the second phone to adjust the framing of your livestream. The front-facing device will show you how the live sale looks to viewers.
Adjustable Ring Light With Dual Phone Holders
Use a tall, height-adjustable ring light that comes with two phone holders.
A ring light with a tripod stand is stable enough to support both of your mobile devices. It will also help minimize wobble, which is important for creating a crisp video stream. This type of ring light will also let you adjust the height as needed, perfect the lighting, and create framing that supports your live sale aesthetic.
32-Inch TV
We suggest using a TV with a screen size of 32 inches (or larger!) and an HDMI cable to connect to your laptop. This will allow you to use the TV as a large monitor.
With live sale information clearly displayed on a large screen, live sale hosts can engage with products without having to strain their eyes by squinting at smartphones or bending over a laptop. Not having to walk off-screen to read and answer viewer comments will also make for a more consistent viewing experience. This saves hosts a ton of energy and time, resources that are better spent entertaining viewers to scale your business.
Barcode Scanner
Barcode scanners aren’t just for inventory management—they are also a helpful piece of equipment for live streaming. Use a barcode scanner to scan and add products to the sale instantly! A platform like Videeo can use this to automatically update your live sale overlay with the product information in real time.
Room Essentials
Your live sale studio will play a large role in how prepared you feel and comfortable you are when going live. Below are our recommended must-haves:
Stable Internet Connection
The quality of your internet connection can make or break your live sale stream. Make sure you have a high-speed, dependable internet connection. A laggy, stuttering, or poor-quality livestream can deter your viewers from watching your live sale. As such, a stable internet connection is the epitome of equipment for live streaming. We recommend an internet connection that can provide at least 10 Mbps upload speed on your streaming device.
It’s a good idea to do test runs a few days before your live sale to see how well your internet performs. It will also help you identify what things you need to be mindful of during a sale, so you’re not left improvising every step of the way.
You can add to the stability of your livestream by ensuring that no other devices, apart from the ones necessary for the live sale, are using the same internet connection while you stream.
Ethernet Adapter for Your Phone
An ethernet adapter for your phone will ensure better connectivity and stability. We recommend using a 2-in-1 USB-C to ethernet or Lightning to ethernet connector that also comes with phone-charging capabilities. This way, you won’t have to worry about your battery running dry in the middle of the sale and losing viewers and revenue.
Live Selling Software
The right live selling software will make all the difference when it comes to managing front and back-end operations for your live sale.
Videeo serves as the perfect partner for automating your live sales and allowing you to manage all aspects from a single dashboard. Its live overlays display all relevant product information to your audience in real time, making the live sale an engaging experience. All you have to do is concentrate on giving your viewers a nice time each time they watch your live sale.
Ready, Set, Stream!
Once you’ve got the necessary equipment for live streaming, you’re ready to go.
Remember to be consistent with your live sales to build viewer trust and help lock-in repeat purchasers.
The most important thing is to speak authentically to your audience, have fun, and know you can rely on live selling experts like Videeo for robust, enterprise-grade support.
Supercharge Your Sales with Live Commerce Begin Your Videeo Journey Today
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