Introduction to Amazon Live: Transforming Shopping through Live Streaming

In the dynamic world of e-commerce, Amazon Live has emerged as a powerful tool, transforming the way brands connect with their audience. 

A compelling example of this is Maybelline. They’ve seamlessly blended commerce and content to host a makeup tutorial with popular beauty influencers.

Over 50,000 eager viewers tuned in to watch the live tutorial, creating a virtual community of makeup enthusiasts.

The result? 

A remarkable surge in Maybelline’s makeup product sales underscored the impact of Amazon Live as a catalyst for engagement and conversion.

As we delve into Amazon Live, this case study serves as a testament to the platform’s potential in not just showcasing products but in creating immersive, interactive experiences that resonate with audiences and translate into tangible business success. Through this article, you can explore how Amazon Live is redefining the rules of online engagement and propelling brands to new heights.

Quick Guide

1. Big Brands Embraced TikTok’s Influence
2. Amazon’s Live Making Its Way
   • What is Amazon Live
   • What is Amazon Live Creator
3. Benefits of Amazon Live
4. Eligibility for Amazon Live
5. Amazon Live Levels for Influencers
   • Rising Star
   • Insider
   • A-List
6. Guidelines to Stream on Amazon Live
7. Best Strategies for Conducting Live Streams on Amazon
8. Conclusion

Big Brands Embraced TikTok’s Influence

In 2019, TikTok exploded onto the scene, quickly becoming one of the world’s most popular social media platforms. With its short-form videos and addictive format, TikTok was a hit with users of all ages. Brands soon realized the potential of TikTok to reach a large and engaged audience.

In the early days of TikTok, brands were hesitant to get involved. They worried about the platform’s reputation for being associated with Gen Z and its potential for negative PR. However, as TikTok’s popularity grew, brands began experimenting with the platform.

Some of the first brands to embrace TikTok were fashion and beauty brands. These brands found that TikTok was a great way to connect with young consumers and showcase their products in a fun and engaging way. Other brands soon followed suit, and TikTok became a go-to platform for brands of all sizes.

Amazon’s Live Making Its Way

In 2019, Amazon launched Amazon Live, a live shopping platform that allows brands and influencers to stream product demos, tutorials, and Q&A sessions. Amazon Live is similar to other live shopping platforms like China’s Taobao Live, which has been incredibly successful.

Amazon Live is a great way for brands to reach new customers and drive sales. It allows brands to connect with potential customers in real time and answer their questions about products. Amazon Live is also great for building relationships with influencers and leveraging their social media following.

How Amazon Live Came Into the Picture

Amazon Live came into the picture as a way for brands to capitalize on the growing popularity of live shopping. Live shopping is a popular trend in China, generating billions of dollars in sales. Amazon Live is designed to help brands tap into this trend and reach a large and engaged audience.

Amazon Live has been a success for many brands. For example, L’Oréal has used Amazon Live to drive sales of its new mascara. The brand streamed a live demo of the mascara, which generated over 100,000 views.

Key Features of Amazon Live

Here are the key features of Amazon Live

Live Product Demonstrations and Tutorials

Brands have the opportunity to showcase their products in real-time, providing live demonstrations that highlight key features and demonstrate how products can benefit consumers.

Interactive Q&A Sessions

Influencers and brand representatives engage directly with viewers through real-time Q&A sessions. This interactive format allows immediate responses to viewer inquiries, creating a personalized and informative experience.

Shoppable Links

Amazon Live integrates shoppable links within live streams, offering viewers a seamless path to purchase directly on the Amazon platform. This feature enhances the convenience of shopping while watching live content.

Follow Feature

Viewers can stay connected with their favorite brands and influencers by using the ‘Follow’ feature. By doing so, they receive notifications about upcoming live streams, fostering a sense of community and anticipation.

Amazon Live, with its blend of live interactions and e-commerce, not only enriches the shopping experience but also establishes a direct and engaging channel for brands and influencers to connect with their audience in real-time.

What is Amazon Live Creator?

Amazon Live Creator is a mobile app that allows brands and influencers to create, manage, and stream live videos on Amazon.com. It’s a free tool that is available to Amazon Sellers who are enrolled in Amazon’s Brand Registry, Amazon Vendors who have created and published a store on Amazon’s Advertising Console, and influencers in the Amazon Influencer Program.

With Amazon Live Creator, you can:

• Create and schedule live streams: You can create live streams in advance and schedule them to go live at a specific time.
• Add products to your live stream: You can add products to your live stream so that viewers can purchase them directly from Amazon.
• Interact with viewers in real-time: You can interact with viewers in real-time by answering their questions and responding to their comments.
• Track your performance: You can track your live stream performance with Amazon Live Creator’s built-in analytics.

Amazon Live Creator is a valuable tool for brands and influencers of all sizes. It’s a great way to reach a wider audience, drive sales, and build relationships with influencers.

Benefits of Amazon Live

Amazon Live offers a range of benefits for brands. Here are some of the benefits: 

Elevated Brand Awareness and Visibility

Amazon Live serves as a powerful platform for brands to enhance their visibility by showcasing products and services to a vast and engaged audience on Amazon.com. The live format enables brands to capture the attention of potential customers, fostering increased brand awareness.

Deeper Product Understanding and Enhanced Customer Engagement

Through live product demonstrations, tutorials, and interactive Q&A sessions, brands can offer viewers a comprehensive understanding of their products. Real-time interactions allow brands to address viewer questions, provide in-depth information, and offer personalized recommendations, creating a more engaging and informative shopping experience.

Direct Impact on Sales and Revenue

Amazon Live goes beyond traditional advertising by providing a direct avenue for sales. Viewers can seamlessly make purchases while watching the live stream, translating brand engagement into immediate sales and revenue generation.

Improved Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty

The real-time nature of Amazon Live fosters direct interaction between brands and customers. This personalized support during live streams contributes to positive customer experiences, potentially leading to increased brand loyalty and repeat purchases as customers feel more connected and supported in their buying journey.

Valuable Insights from Live Stream Analytics

Amazon Live offers analytics tools that provide brands with crucial data on viewer demographics, interests, and purchasing behavior. This wealth of information empowers brands to gain insights into customer preferences, helping them tailor marketing strategies and product offerings more effectively to meet the needs of their target audience.

In essence, Amazon Live not only expands brand visibility but also creates meaningful opportunities for brands to engage with customers, drive sales, and gather valuable insights for strategic decision-making.

Eligibility for Amazon Live

Eligibility for Amazon Live depends on your role in the Amazon ecosystem:

• Amazon Sellers: Professional sellers enrolled in the Amazon Brand Registry are eligible to use Amazon Live Creator to create and manage live streams.
• Amazon Vendors: Vendors who have created and published a store on Amazon’s Advertising Console can use Amazon Live Creator to create and manage live streams.
• Influencers: Influencers who are part of the Amazon Influencer Program can collaborate with brands to participate in Amazon Live streams.

Amazon Live Levels for Influencers

Amazon Live Levels for Influencers is a tiered system that rewards influencers for their engagement and performance on the platform. As influencers reach certain milestones, they can level up and unlock additional benefits, such as increased visibility, higher commission rates, and access to exclusive opportunities.

Rising Star

The Rising Star level is the starting point for all influencers on Amazon Live. This level serves as a foundational stage for influencers to establish their presence, develop their content strategy, and build their audience on the platform.

Benefits of Rising Star Level:

• Stream using Amazon Live Creator: Rising Stars can create, manage, and schedule live streams using the Amazon Live Creator app.
• Earn commissions through live stream links: Sharing links to live streams from the Amazon Live Creator app enables Rising Stars to earn commissions on qualifying purchases made by viewers who click on those links.
• Participate in the Onsite Associates program: Rising Stars are eligible to participate in Amazon’s Onsite Associates program, allowing them to earn commissions on qualifying purchases made by shoppers who discover them on Amazon through their live streams.
• Receive notifications for Amazon followers: Amazon followers of Rising Stars can opt-in to receive notifications from the Amazon Shopping app when they go live, ensuring that they are informed about upcoming live streams and can join in the real-time engagement.
• Gain visibility on Amazon Live site and Influencer Storefront: Live streams of Rising Stars are automatically eligible to appear on the Amazon Live site, both in relevant product category rows and the ‘Live now’ row. Additionally, their live streams can appear on their Influencer Storefront.

Insider

To reach the Insider level, influencers must meet specific performance benchmarks, demonstrating their ability to engage viewers, generate sales, and maintain a consistent presence on Amazon Live.

Benefits of Insider Level:

• Continued Rising Star benefits: Insiders retain all the benefits of the Rising Star level.
• Top of page placement on Amazon.com/Live: Insider live streams become eligible to automatically play in the top of page placement on Amazon.com/Live, increasing their visibility and potential viewership.
• Product detail page visibility for featured products: Influencer live streams of Insiders are eligible to appear on the product detail pages for the first 10 products featured in the Amazon Live product carousel.

A-List

The A-List level represents the pinnacle of achievement for Amazon Live influencers. This level is reserved for those who have consistently demonstrated exceptional performance, engagement, and influence on the platform.

Benefits of A-List Level:

• Continued Rising and Insider benefits: A-List influencers retain all the benefits of the Rising and Insider level.
• Enhanced visibility and placements: A-list live streams receive the most prominent placements on Amazon.com, including the Amazon.com home page.
• Highest commission rates: A-list influencers earn the highest commission rates on sales generated from their live streams.
• Exclusive opportunities and partnerships: A-list influencers gain access to exclusive opportunities to work with top brands and collaborate on high-profile campaigns on Amazon.

By progressing through the Amazon Live Levels for Influencers, influencers can unlock greater visibility, earning potential, and opportunities to collaborate with leading brands on Amazon. This tiered system incentivizes influencers to consistently deliver high-quality content, engage with their audience, and drive sales, contributing to the overall success of the Amazon Live platform.

Guidelines to Stream on Amazon Live

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to stream on Amazon Live:

Set Up Your Streaming Equipment

Before you start streaming, ensure you have the necessary equipment to deliver a high-quality live stream. This includes:

• A stable and reliable internet connection
• A high-quality camera that can capture clear video footage
• A good quality microphone for clear audio
• Adequate lighting to properly illuminate your streaming area

Create a Seller or Vendor Account

If you haven’t already, create an Amazon Seller or Vendor account. This will allow you to manage your products and inventory, set up pricing, and handle customer orders.

Enroll in the Amazon Influencer Program

If you’re an influencer, you’ll need to enroll in the Amazon Influencer Program to stream on Amazon Live. This program allows you to promote products and earn commissions on sales generated through your live streams.

Download the Amazon Live Creator App

The Amazon Live Creator App. It allows you to create, manage, and schedule live streams directly from your smartphone or tablet. Download the app from the App Store or Google Play.

Sign In with Your Amazon Seller or Vendor Account

Once you’ve downloaded the Amazon Live Creator App, sign in using your Amazon Seller or Vendor account credentials. This will connect the app to your Amazon account and allow you to manage your live streams.

Choose the Brand You Want to Represent

If you have multiple brands or products, select the brand you want to represent during your live stream. This will help viewers understand the focus of your stream and the products you’ll be showcasing.

Select Your Streaming Source

Choose whether you want to stream using your phone’s camera or an external camera. If using an external camera, you’ll need to use broadcasting software to connect it to Amazon Live Creator.

Add Products to Your Product Carousel

Add the products you’ll be featuring during your live stream to the product carousel. This will allow viewers to easily see the products and purchase them directly from the live stream.

Select a Stream Title

Choose a clear and engaging title for your live stream that accurately reflects the products you’ll be showcasing and the content you’ll be sharing.

Schedule Your Live Stream (Optional)

If you want to schedule your live stream for a specific time in advance, you can do so using the Amazon Live Creator App. This will allow you to promote your stream in advance and build anticipation among your audience.

Start Your Live Stream

When you’re ready to go live, click the “Start Streaming” button in the Amazon Live Creator App. Your live stream will start broadcasting to Amazon.com, and viewers will be able to join in.

Engage with Viewers

During your live stream, interact with your viewers by answering their questions, responding to their comments, and addressing their feedback. This will help you build a connection with your audience and make your livestream more engaging.

Promote Your Live Stream

Share the link to your live stream on social media, your website, and through email campaigns to attract viewers and increase your reach.

Track Your Performance

Use Amazon Live Creator analytics to track your livestream performance, including viewership, engagement metrics, and sales generated. This will help you identify areas for improvement and optimize your future live streams.

Best Strategies for Conducting Live Streams on Amazon

Amazon Live is a powerful tool for businesses to connect with potential customers and drive sales. By following these best practices, you can maximize the effectiveness of your live streams and achieve your business goals.

Planning and Preparation

• Plan your content: Have a clear idea of what you want to showcase in your live stream. Whether it’s product demonstrations, customer testimonials, or behind-the-scenes glimpses, make sure your content is relevant to your target audience and aligns with your overall brand identity.
• Promote your live stream: Spread the word about your upcoming live stream through social media, email marketing, and other channels. Create eye-catching visuals and engaging copy to entice viewers and drive traffic to your stream.
• Choose the right time: Consider the time zones and schedules of your target audience when scheduling your live stream. Avoid streaming during peak hours when people are typically less available to watch.

Technical Setup

• Ensure high-quality audio and video: Use a good camera and microphone to capture clear and engaging visuals and audio. Invest in lighting and soundproofing, if necessary, to enhance the overall production quality.
• Test your setup beforehand: Familiarize yourself with the Amazon Live Creator app or streaming software you’ll be using. Run a test stream to ensure everything is working properly and troubleshoot any potential issues before going live.
• Maintain a stable internet connection: A reliable internet connection is crucial for a smooth and uninterrupted live stream. Check your internet speed and stability beforehand to avoid buffering or connectivity issues.

During the Live Stream

• Be engaging and interactive: Greet your viewers warmly and introduce yourself. Encourage interaction by responding to comments and questions in real-time. Host Q&A sessions and polls to keep the audience engaged.
• Showcase your products and brand effectively: Use demos, tutorials, and storytelling to showcase your products’ features and benefits. Highlight your brand’s unique selling proposition and establish a connection with your audience.
• Offer exclusive deals and promotions: Create a sense of urgency and encourage immediate purchases by offering exclusive deals or limited-time promotions during your live stream.
• Call to action: Remind viewers to visit your store, follow your brand, or make a purchase at the end of your live stream. Provide clear instructions and make it easy for them to take action.

Post-Livestream Follow-up

• Analyze your performance: Review your livestream analytics to understand viewership, engagement, and conversion rates. Identify areas for improvement and refine your strategy for future live streams.
• Share your recorded stream: Repurpose your live stream content by sharing it on social media, your website, and other channels. This extends the reach of your content and allows you to attract new viewers.
• Nurture your audience: Engage with your viewers after the live stream by responding to comments, answering questions, and addressing any concerns. Foster a sense of community and keep them informed about upcoming live streams and promotions.

Conclusion

Amazon Live is your brand’s secret weapon for online success. It’s like having a live showcase where you can show your product, answer questions, and connect with shoppers in real-time. This isn’t just about selling – it’s about creating a buzz and making your brand unforgettable.

So, if you’re ready to boost your brand’s visibility, connect with your audience, and make sales in a whole new way, Amazon Live is your go-to. It’s not just a tool; it’s a game-changer for brands like yours looking to stand out in the crowded online marketplace. 

Get ready to go live and show the world what your brand is all about!

Additional read:

How to Join Amazon’s Small Business Academy

What was Amazon Smile?

Amazon Advertising Audit Checklist