LOGIE today participated in this year’s Advertising Week Accelerator held in New York City. The program is an annual showcase that provides acceleration opportunities to marketing-related technology firms and startups. Participating companies get to interact and share with some of the world’s leading marketers while also benefiting from the event’s strategic amplification access. Advertising Week is one of the best events of its type for connecting marketing-focused startups with brands, media companies, agencies, investors, and more.
MOHAMMED RAZA (LOGIE’S LEAD ENGINEER) WITH STEVEN LUBIN (ORGANIZER OF THE ADVERTISING WEEK ACCELERATOR PROGRAM)
Event Theme: The Future of Marketing is Quantum
LOGIE’S LEAD ENGINEER IN A GROUP CHAT WITH EVENT PARTICIPANTS
This year’s event focused on how marketing is evolving. Some of the world’s leading global brands, technology executives, and media personalities contributed to this theme. The event focused on technology-oriented companies in AdTech, MarTech, marketing automation and personalization, Web 3, Metaverse, content marketing, CRM, SaaS, data & analytics, and artificial intelligence. Successful creators and thought leaders from across the industry shared their perspective while also interacting with innovators. The long list of featured speakers included familiar faces such as author Deepak Chopra, Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary, and Gary V. – one of the biggest creators of our time.
LOGIE Among 9 Startups Showcased in the Event
SOME MORE TECHY CHAT
The Wednesday event saw LOGIE and 8 other startups showcase their technology and novel approaches to industry problems. LOGIE’s lead engineer, Mohammed Raza, got an opportunity to present the company’s innovations. Mr. Raza also discussed the data and AI-based tech that is helping LOGIE revolutionize creator + brand partnerships for live stream shopping.
“Very Productive Event”
M. RAZA
“This has been a great opportunity for LOGIE and our team. Just over one year old, LOGIE is clearly doing something worth raising an eyebrow for. Our team learned a lot from all the participants and we also interacted with some other upcoming startups in other areas of tech. We got a chance to showcase the immense tools that are making content creators’ work a whole lot easier and democratizing social commerce in the US. AW Accelerate 2022 has been a fantastic opportunity and more so a very productive event,” said Mr. Raza.
Short-video social media platform TikTok may be on the verge of challenging Amazon on its home turf with plans for logistics and fulfillment services. More than a dozen job openings posted on LinkedIn over the last two weeks showed intent for an eCommerce supply-chain system that could directly rival Amazon. The move underscores the company’s commitment to eCommerce as a significant driver for growth.
TikTok’s ads business has recorded explosive growth in the US over the last few years. The firm may now be looking to magnify the TikTok Shop experience by bringing warehousing, delivery, customer service returns, and related services to its customers.
Focus on Cross Border Reach
While the advertised positions are US-based, the company is looking to build an international eCommerce fulfillment system. The recruitment posts cite international warehousing, supply chain systems, and customs clearance for domestic and cross-border eCommerce activities. Further implementations would include parcel consolidation, goods transportation, and managing free returns.
Building its own eCommerce supply chain ecosystem could give the company more control as well as allow it to boost profits within the US and around the world.
“The workflow will be like this. An internationally famous creator has established a major following on the network and is now partnered with manufacturers and wants to give exclusive drops to their fans worldwide. These creators are not necessarily international retailers but need to act like them,” thinks Rick Watson, a Strategy Consultant who analyzed this development on LinkedIn.
Still – it’s not all copycat. It doesn’t appear that the company plans to build a transportation unit like Amazon. This means the future might include partnerships with vendors in order to address shipping, parcel consolidation, and transportation.
The Shift to Social Commerce
Live commerce has been one of the most dominant trends in the eCommerce sector. This technique (which has been fueled by the pandemic since 2020) – entails using content creators and influencers that consumers trust to promote products. Brands that utilize live stream shopping have seen an entertainment-based shopping experience that improves product understanding and engagement. This in turn helps drive sales and brand loyalty for the vendor sponsoring or hosting the live stream.
According to LinkedIn user Brian Eddy, ‘path to purchase’ is one key reason why brands are choosing direct-to-consumer strategies.
Could TikTok succeed where Meta has failed?
For quite some time now, TikTok has been exploring a live shopping launch in the U.S. It made a deal with Shopify last year to pilot a shopping feature in the United States along with Canada and the UK. More recently, there have been reports the firm is looking to partner with U.S. live commerce platform TalkShopLive to launch a similar service in the U.S.
But just how does the company plan to conquer the U.S. market? Especially given its botched live shopping launch in the UK – and more so at a time when both Facebook and Instagram have unceremoniously folded their live-stream shopping ventures.
Dean Ferrari is in charge of product at LOGIE and is excited about developments in the space. He thinks it all narrows down to lessons learned from the success of live commerce in the company’s Chinese backyard.
“When analyzing these developments and other similar news, I think TikTok is trying get ahead of the competition and cut a niche for itself in the social commerce space. Meta’s attempt appeared to be lackluster and not as ‘all-out’ as one would have expected. So, when you think about ByteDance’s (TikTok’s parent company) Chinese grounding; where social commerce has seen immense success and set an example for the world – it makes a lot of sense. I think the company has a strong conviction that this area is going to see massive success in the U.S. and is thus positioning as such,” asserts Mr. Ferrari.
Rick Watson adds via a LinkedIn post that “TikTok will need to set standards and build connectivity to all players — including Amazon Logistics, Shopify Logistics, Maersk, Flexport, and many others.”
Let us know of your thoughts on live commerce and developments that are shaping the industry. Which moves pack the biggest punch? Which players are winning or losing? The comments section below is all yours.
Emerging reports reveal that Tiktok is partnering with TalkShopLive to launch a live shopping service focused on the Noth American market. According to reports from unconfirmed sources, both firms have finalized the agreement but nothing has yet to be signed.
This would be an interesting move given that it follows recent news that the Chinese Big Tech had plans to scrap live shopping launch in the US and Europe. The earlier report had said that the company would abandon expansion plans in the West after a less than impressive test run in the UK.
But the fact that Tiktok decided to collaborate with an existing live shopping app reflects a change of strategy. TalkShopLive is a live streaming buy and sell platform that was launched in 2018. Based in Los Angeles, it enables users to host live shows, sell, and/or buy internationally through an engaging social platform.
While users can already purchase items on Tiktok, it happens through sponsored posts – not live streams. Live shopping has proved to be one of the most disruptive eCommerce trends in recent times. The sector is already generating hundreds of billions of dollars annually in Asia and is expected to pick up in the US and other Western markets.
Tiktok isn’t the only major social media company that has shown interest in live commerce. Meta launched its Facebook Live Shopping and Instagram Live Shopping a few years back. The company however decided to shut both services as it looks to re-align and perhaps even attempt a more strategic re-entry.
Amazon Live – the eCommerce giant’s live shopping platform – is one of the leading social commerce providers in the US. YouTube recently announced that it is partnering with Shopify to build an expansive live shopping ecosystem reaching hundreds of millions of users.
Live shopping is already expected to capture a significant market share of eCommerce retail shopping. It’ll be interesting to see which other companies make a move especially early on when users are just getting accustomed to the trend.
Social media and the live shopping buzz have created a ton of opportunities for influencers and niche leaders. But creating a following and becoming a successful influencer is the hard part to start with. There are tons of challenges to deal with. You’ve got to find the right platform, identify an audience, establish a brand, provide value, and persist through even when things get hard. What’s more? Not to forget the stiff competition you have to contend with in this age and time.
Learning from others is perhaps one of the best ways to improve our own choices and better meet the challenges in our path. If you can master how established creators figured things out – then you do not always have to reinvent the wheel.
In this issue of the LOGIE Weekly Creators’ Highlight, we interviewed Amy Honey. Amy is a super-successful Amazon entrepreneur and product influencer who has also found a lot of success on social media.
When did you start your journey as a creator?
2009
What are the greatest challenges you have faced?
Having to explain what exactly it is we do. Getting brands to understand the value behind it,
Do you have a specific niche or do you promote products across the board?
Feel Good After 50 – Products that Improve Your Life. But pretty much across the board.
What would you say was your ‘Aha’ moment?
Understanding we aren’t just content creators, we are consultants. I love sales, and we can really help brands to create more sales by not just creating content around their products, but, by really understanding their messaging, and helping them to improve their listings, or helping them to understand their market a bit better.
We noted that you brought your husband on board. How did that happen?
He’s so creative! I’m the money gal, I look at pretty much everything and my first question is, ‘how can I monetize that?‘. So, I’ve been staring at my husband since I met him wondering how to monetize him. He’s brilliant!
You have a vibrant Tiktok following – how did you make that happen
I actually joined a TikTok mastermind with a bunch of kids. I’m 53 years old, these kids had 5 million followers and were making millions, and I don’t even think some of them were old enough to drink yet. They taught me so much, and I just followed their lead. That’s why I joined that mastermind. Of course, I half did it because it was early pandemic, and I was bored. I really miss that group. They stopped offering the classes, or I would still be with them.
What are your best tips for upcoming creators?
I highly recommend staying open, and if you want to learn something, find a mentor, even if that mentor is way younger than you. Find someone doing what you want to do, and reach out to them. And also, figure out how you can add value. Always get creative with how you can help brands. What can you offer them that may be different than other creators?
Users spent more than 550 billion hours watching live-streamed content in 2021 alone. Demand for live streams and other highly personified content-types is going up as shoppers look for help to make better shopping decisions. Similarly, social media platforms are encouraging live content to drive engagement. Creators who are able to nail this emerging trend benefit from a wider reach and more impact compared to those who focus on traditional types of content.
Getting on top of the live streaming trend and becoming a successful creator is never a walk in the park. You have to have an effective strategy to attract your desired audience and proactively overcome challenges that come up along the way. Things can be particularly harder for creators who are just getting started.
In this article, we interviewed a few top LOGIE creators to learn more about what challenges they faced when coming up as creators.
Where to start
According to Tracy, knowing where to start can be a sticking challenge especially if you’re just getting started. There’s a lot to figure out, starting with your audience and the specific scope of your live streaming. Tracy adds that doing proper research and connecting with others is the best way to overcome this challenge. She advises beginner creators and influencers to connect and support each other so everyone can grow.
Tracy Nichols
What was/were the biggest challenge(s) you faced when coming up?
I had a hard time actually understanding and fulfilling the step-by-step process of becoming an influencer, where to start, and what to do. No idea. Secondly, it took ages to talk to brands and actually get them to work with me, create a script, think of a good title for a show, create a thumbnail, and so on.
How did you overcome this/these challenge(s)
I did my research and read a lot of articles and blog posts. I connected with other influencers. With the second part I’m still struggling lol
Please share your best tip for influencers who are currently struggling
My best tip is to connect and support each other.
Nailing the ‘best practices’
A-List creator and influencer Candi Perry thinks that not knowing what the best practices are can be particularly problematic. She adds that there’s no sweet spot when it comes to this issue so the best solution is to keep learning. Candi advises upcoming creators to focus on fulfilling their own goals and dreams.
Candi Perry
What was/were the biggest challenge(s) you faced when coming up?
Not understanding and not having clarity on the “Best Practices”.
How did you overcome this/these challenge(s)
I still haven’t overcome them.
Please share your best tip for influencers who are currently struggling
Do your best and keep focused on the fulfillment of your own dreams and goals.
Holding Back
Serial creator Jim Mullen thinks that holding back can be one of the biggest challenges. He remembers feeling a bit reluctant to be in front of people especially when he didn’t know everything. But Jim adds that just starting before you are ready can help a lot. He advises upcoming creators to appreciate that mistakes happen and are a real part of the learning process. Jim thinks that even if everything isn’t perfect when you’re getting started, at least people will love you for being real – being your authentic self.
Jim Mullen
What was/were the biggest challenge(s) you faced when coming up?
Fear Of Being Live In Front Of people not knowing everything
How did you overcome this/these challenge(s)
I jumped off the cliff…. someone said “start before you’re ready” so I did
Please share your best tip for influencers who are currently struggling
Mistakes happen, it makes it real. People love when you’re real. You Be You
Transitioning
Lucia Grillo of Lucia’s Vegan Lifestyle says that transitioning from a different background was one of her most glaring challenges. She had a lot time pushing back the perfection expected in film & TV and trying to adopt a more ‘casual’ approach. Lucia also needed to do a lot of research work on brands and products, as well as figure out the financial aspect of her new business as a creator. She emphasizes the value of continuous learning and taking action, and advices upcoming creators to take a leap and ‘just do it’.
Lucia Grillo
What was/were the biggest challenge(s) you faced when coming up?
Coming from film & TV, being more “casual” about posting things and realizing they didn’t have to be award-winning films. Also, since my platform is an ethical vegan one, researching brands and products is paramount. Additionally, I needed the financial aspect, i.e. rates and commissions: what influencers make and how my unique niche could be brought into the mix (vegan brands have very little financing in place for marketing, and that is just slowly starting to change).
How did you overcome this/these challenge(s)
The “just do it” attitude, studying a lot, and learning – from my generous influencer colleagues, as well as from brands by working with them.
Please share your best tip for influencers who are currently struggling
You are not stuck here. If you love it, enjoy it and do not be afraid – of anything! If it’s making you unhappy, there is a plethora of careers that can fulfill you.
Conclusion
In addition to these key challenges, other top creators have reported challenges identifying the right platforms to publish their content. Driving engagement appears to be another common issue. Learning from others and engaging your followers in Q & As can help solve some of these problems. All said and done, joining fellow creators on social media and contributing actively appears to be the best way to learn and grow. Upcoming creators can benefit a lot from this.
Did you have a different type of challenge in the early stages of your influencer journey? Let us know what it was and how you were able to overcome it.
Conferences and events can be an excellent way to share with your peers and followers. These events enable personalized education and relationship-building experience. They make it possible for attendees to celebrate and grow from collective intelligence. And this is more so true when the event is focused on a specific niche where hyper-personalization delivers a delightful experience with high engagement.
In this episode of the LOGIE Weekly Creators’ Highlight, we interviewed Kimberly Millionaire. Kimberly is an accomplished Amazon A-list Influencer who partnered with Logie to host a super-successful summit earlier in September 2022.
What was the scope of this conference and why did you decide to produce it in the first place?
As we are seeing more and more each day, capturing events as they happen and sharing them with the world via social media is super normalized, and allow us to connect, learn and grow from each other in ways we’ve never imagined before. Along with that growing trend is the ability to monetize our social media platforms in a very organic way and easy-to-implement way.
After finding my own level of monetization success with the Amazon Associate and Influencer programs, I wanted to share with my community the opportunity that could change their very lives. Hosting a summit allowed me to do that. Surprisingly, it was much more far-reaching than I planned! People traveled from various locations across the United States to participate, and that felt really good!
In conjunction with this, I had the wonderful experience of partnering with the Logie team, which helps Amazon influencers maximize their earning potential and brings such awesome value to its users. The software explains sales data in a way that can be easily analyzed, which is incredibly helpful for creators like myself who aren’t analytically adept.
What (if any) challenges did you experience when organizing this event?
I’ve worked in this space before, so for me, it was super simple to organize and host the event. It would have been amazing to have a fully sponsored event, but I need to grow in the area of securing sponsors. There’s definitely room to exercise that muscle should there be an upcoming event. It definitely was an event where I gave to the community in a very literal sense! LOL!
Briefly describe the audience
I was so honored to meet the most amazing people who trusted me and my influence enough to attend. By far and large, they were new Amazon Associates and Influencers who are learning the power of social media and how transformational it can be in producing income. What was most amazing to watch was how nearly 75 people all connected and fostered what is sure to be long-lasting friendships, accountability partners, and colleagues who can now stay connected for a lifetime.
Who spoke during the conference and what did they touch on?
There were such amazingly talented and brilliant speakers! Outside of myself and in no particular order, there was an in-depth introduction to Logie where we shared with participants how to better understand algorithm strategy. Chris Stone from Dealcasters offered must-have tools and methods to assist in creating content that will last forever. Melody Johnson helped us to realize that community is at the core of our success; without an audience, our efforts are moot. Ellarese Harvey encouraged participants to embrace their uniqueness and show up as their authentic selves. Kirk Nugent, who is a master producer, left us with so many ways to bring quality to our live streams and content by taking care of important pre-show execution tasks. And one of the most powerful speakers was none other than Felton Hawkins who kicked off the event in a way that knocked our socks off and literally brought tears to the eyes of many who were present as he helped us to re-discover our value and reminded us just how much the world needs us.
Please share a few photo highlights by uploading a couple of images and telling us what was happening at that time
Live the LIVE Life 2022 Group PhotoParticipant Kris DeLoach sharing a TikTok strategy with the others.The Event SpeakersSummit Emcees, Avery and Mel Belton
Do you believe the conference was a success based on your initial goals?
Indeed! It was two days jammed-packed with learning, interaction, mingling, implementing, music, clapping, laughing prizes, and EVERYTHING I wanted it to be! I had an opportunity to rally my friend and change lives. I think we did that. I’m proud of us.
In your opinion, what does the future hold?
There are demands for and talks of a 2023 summit… I’m excited about it. We will see what happens!
YouTube has revealed a new monetization opportunity for Shorts creators. This move can be seen as a direct intervention to avert Tiktok’s explosive expansion in the US. It will allow creators recording short-form videos earn bonuses so they can stay motivated to keep publishing.
Video Monetization
YouTube is incredibly popular as the first platform that ever allowed creators to earn a living by publishing video content on the web. The company launched their Partner Program only three years after it was founded, giving as much as 55% of its advertising revenue to creators. YouTube still accounts for the largest share of revenue earned publishing videos. But monetization has been limited to long-form videos where adverts can be embedded just before or when a video is being watched.
The rise of short videos created a monetization quagmire for YouTube and other video content platforms. It’s tricky to determine how to fairly share revenue on a feed of short videos selected by an algorithm. It’s not possible to embed an ad in the middle of a short video so ads are typically placed in between videos. But still, how do you decide which creator to pay? Do you compensate the person whose video showed before the ad or the person whose video appears after the ad?
Tiktok’s Creator Fund
To mitigate this problem (that is specific to short videos), Tiktok introduced its Creator Fund in the summer of 2020. This was a $200 million kitty that would be used to issue bonuses to creators on the platform. The company also revealed plans to expand the pool to roughly $1 billion in the next three years and then double that internationally.
While the Tiktok fund is nothing close to the $30 billion worth of ad revenue that YouTube paid to creators over the last three years, it’s done a lot to encourage talented users on the platform.
YouTube Shorts Fund
Eligible YouTube creators will be able to get a portion of the firm’s ad revenue generated from Shorts starting next year.
“Creator funds can’t keep up with the incredible growth that we’re seeing in short-form video,” said Neal Mohan, the company’s chief product officer.
YouTube apparently hopes to ensure that creators of short videos get to grow with the platform.
The company’s newly created YouTube Shorts Fund will reward creators of quick-hit short videos on the platform. An interesting thing is that this new revenue sharing plan for short videos is designed to be a more permanent strategy.
How much will be paid – however – remains to be seen. This move can be seen as its biggest swing (thus far) at Tiktok.
Analysts say that we can expect to see similar as Big Tech players realign to adapt to a decentralized web and other trends that are taking over the industry as we know it.
Live Shopping – the newest trend in eCommerce marketing – gives you the ability to advertise products to a live online audience. It empowers brands to combine the convenience of eCommerce with the human element of real-life shopping – thus creating delightful new experiences for consumers.
Social commerce has especially been massive in China, where Covid-19 lockdowns fueled unprecedented levels of growth. About 47% of Chinese internet users have used live shopping at some point, and the industry is expected to grow from an impressive 176 billion USD in 2020 to a whopping 700 billion USD in 2023.
The status of live shopping in the US and Europe
Unlike the Asian market, social commerce has been slow to pick up in the US. Platforms such as Facebook and Tiktok are already rolling back updates they’d made to capture this trend. Many people believe that these companies are simply taking a break so they can refine their strategy. Furthermore, industry experts have projected a very promising future for the sector. The US live shopping market grew from 7.5 billion USD in 2018 to 16.3 billion USD in 2020. Some big tech companies are also making a long-term move to position for a local boom. Shopify recently announced plans to integrate with YouTube in order to reach as many as 2 billion monthly users with live stream shopping.
The situation is not much different in the European market. More and more companies are adopting the trend – despite Tiktok announcing plans to hold back on a planned live shopping expansion after a dismal performance in the UK. L’Oreal, the global fashion brand – for instance – has hosted a wide range of live shopping events to drive sales and engagement. German beauty retailer Douglas also streams a number of shows each week – engaging influencers to help increase conversion rates by up to 40 percent. It’s only natural that more brands – both small and big – will make use of live shopping especially as the Christmas season draws close (and through the foreseeable future).
The role of influencers
One key reason why live shopping seems to work so well is because of its utilization of influencers. Creators are able to engage customers by describing product features, showcasing items in use, and answering questions all while portraying enthusiasm.
Learn how this school teacher quit her job and became a successful influencer
Melody Johnson
Influencers with specialist areas of focus (e.g., beauty) are particularly very effective because they already have an established following and can bring their audience to the table. While seasoned influencers and celebrities are changing minds and hearts through social commerce, analysts predict that the majority of movers will be new presenters and niche influencers who are able to carve out a reputation due to their product knowledge and ability to convince audiences.
Here’s what Melody Johnson thinks about the importance of influencers finding their niche.
Niching down allows you to be the expert in your space. People trust that you know what you know because you are focused on one thing. An example would be if I know someone is an architect. If that is their only job, I know they will know more about that field than someone that has multiple jobs and does architecture. I will believe that they can create a great foundation for a building. But if I have someone that is a plumber, electrician, construction worker, and architect trying to do it ALL, I won’t feel they know everything they need because you will have “holes” in your learning.
How eCommerce brands are using live shopping to create value
Vendors are using social commerce to achieve key market goals.
→ Digitize the Brick and Mortar Experience
The gold-old-fashioned brick-and-mortar shopping experience still appears to a lot of people. This is so because it enables shoppers to interact with fellow human being before making a purchase. Think about visiting a discount store and exploring countless interesting products all while getting your questions answered in real time by a friendly shopping assistant. This is an experience that previously couldn’t be replicated online. But livestreaming commerce is bringing customers closer to the vendor and enabling traditional retail stores to digitize their workflows and benefit from eCommerce. Similar to a traditional shopping experience – live streaming hosts can show how products work, make demonstrations of qualities and attributes, and give close-up views to satisfy a consumer’s curiosity. The digital experience in many cases even works better especially when brands use seasoned influencers to do the selling.
→ Generate Enormous Sales
More vendors and eCommerce marketers are realizing the value of social commerce when it comes to generating enormous sales within a relatively short duration of time. This can be more so true during peak shopping seasons. Product owners only need to provide an exciting experience by using a seasoned host. Customers are then allowed to ask questions and complete their purchase as they enjoy the interaction.
→ Drive Impulse Buying
Livestream shopping is just as much a show as it is a shopping event. People like to join because they feel engaged. The experience also triggers the fear of missing out, thus helping drive impulse sales. Think about this way – people have more than one reason for purchasing your product during a live shopping video. For one, they see other people buying it, and secondly – they want to take advantage of any discounts or offers you are giving. Consumers who order from your brand during a shoppable video stream are also more likely to bring their friends along and join your consumer community.
→ Cultivate Brand Awareness
Associating your wares with established influencers is perhaps one of the best ways to build brand awareness. Many creators have a loyal following that is more likely to purchase the product(s) they recommend. The key here – for vendors – is to choose the right influencer. LOGIE is helping eCommerce entrepreneurs due this by using Big Data and artificial intelligence to match each product SKU or ASIN with the best-placed creator for the job. This helps maximize results and remove the hassle associated with searching for influencers.
→ Boost Sales
If you are looking to move products that have piled up in your warehouse, then live shopping is one of the best ways to go about it. The selected live shopping host can focus on positive attributes of your products in order to drive sales. Furthermore, combining products into special packages or discounts that are only available during the eCommerce live event can help. This approach delivers results faster compared to other eCommerce marketing technique!
How LOGIE is enabling seamless live shopping experiences
LOGIE is pioneering the US live commerce market by using cutting edge technology to deliver seamless experiences for both creators and vendors. Our technology enables brands to find the best influencer for each product so they can get the maximum bang from their marketing budget. Creators, on the other hand, are empowered with content creation and live streaming tools. LOGIE’s novel approach is making it super easy for vendors to adopt social commerce while also giving creators some of the highest commissions.
What does the future hold?
Live shopping may have first started strong in China, but it’s quickly becoming a trend that eCommerce entrepreneurs around the world must master. Consumers are increasingly reliant on online shopping, and live shopping is making the customer experience a whole lot easier. Brands that start early will obviously have enough time to learn what works and get ahead of the competition.
Over the last couple of weeks, Meta has revealed that it plans to scrap Facebook live shopping starting October 1, 2022. The company also recently said that it was stepping back from Instagram shopping. Tiktok also abandoned plans to expand its livestream shopping initiative to the US and the rest of Europe after an unsuccessful test run in the UK. These developments have left industry insiders wondering what could be driving these behaviors.
In this blog post, we analyze the live shopping trend and argue some of the reasons why these platforms may have slowed down their adoption of social commerce.
Why Meta and Tiktok have not nailed social commerce yet
Below are some of the reasons why both Meta and Tiktok may have scaled back from live shopping.
1. They haven’t made it easy for customers
Usability is key when it comes to driving shifts in consumer behavior. Both Meta and Tiktok may have moved faster than customers were comfortable with. For the most part, the overall checkout experience hasn’t been as streamlined as needed. Ecommerce brands using Facebook’s live shopping features and Instagram shopping have actually argued that Meta has been more focused on its own financial goals than on delivering a nearly effortless work process.
2. Recession fears may have slowed down growth
Some analysts have argued that inflation and recession fears, especially triggered by rising energy prices and the war in Ukraine, have had an impact on diverse industries. This means that companies such as Meta and Tiktok have not seen the kind of adoption they anticipated when they launched social commerce in the first place. Stakeholders (including brands and consumers) could be reluctant of adopting new purchase habits with costs of living going over the roof.
3. Marketers are still defining social commerce
While live shopping has been awesome in Asia, some marketers in the West are still trying to define how they can best utilize this trend. Some perceive social commerce as allowing customers to purchase everything in-app while others think including shoppable tags in content is simply enough. This only means that brands need time to catch up and agree on a uniform, workable approach.
4. Native checkout isn’t really great
Social media firms are focused on owning first-party data. This explains why they been trying to capitalize on the social commerce trend by getting customers to complete purchases from within native social media apps. The problem with this is that the checkout experience hasn’t really been great. Perhaps more could have been done to create a seamless experience for both brands and creators.
LOGIE’s novel approach to social commerce
LOGIE is the world’s first startup that’s using the power of big data and artificial intelligence to create streamlined social commerce experiences for both eCommerce marketers and content creators. Our platform – now being used by thousands of users across the United States – enables brands to use cutting edge technology to find the right influencer for each product (or category). This helps maximize marketing expenditure while also ensuring that creators attain maximum revenues by focusing exclusively on products within their selected/preferred niche.
Conclusion
While it’s clear that Meta and Tiktok have frozen their shoppable video plans, that may just be temporary. Data shows that the industry will continue to grow at a steady rate over the coming years. A report by Forbes predicted that social commerce will grow faster than e-Commerce and become a 1.2 trillion dollar industry by 2025. There’s a big likelihood that both Meta and Tiktok are not quitting but rather taking a break so they can re-strategize. More so, companies such as Shopify are making big moves to make social commerce a reality for their user base. The e-Commerce platform partnered with YouTube to create an integrated shoppable experience that can reach up to 2 billion monthly users.
Becoming a successful creator is so much more than simply cultivating scores of followers. You’ve got to create educational or entertaining content that caters to the needs and interests of your target audience. More so – creators need to contend with a multitude of challenges especially when they are just getting started. These could range from procrastination to identifying the right platform, keeping up with constant motivation, finding the right voice, and staying authentic.
Oftentimes, finding success has a lot to do with creating a coherent strategy and backing it up with determination and consistency. Budding creators can benefit a lot by learning from those who have already made the journey.
In this issue of the Logie Weekly Creators’ Highlight, we talked to Melody Johnson, a former school teacher who started from scratch and built a successful and influential career as a creator in less than 2 years.
How does a teacher become a live-streamer???
Making a MAJOR shift in mindset. I figured since I teach others, I can teach myself to grow and have the freedom to be with my family. I read often. I decided to shift my teaching to a different place. First thing I did was quit my job. I knew if I stayed there my dreams would die because all I would hear from others was “I used to want to…” or ” A long time ago I used to do that.” or “When I started teaching…” Not entirely abandoning the teaching profession, but I wanted something that was flexible, and allowed me to take care of my family and my own mental health. But I knew staying there would influence me to give up on my dreams of working at home, so I quit. At that time, I had $20.00 in my bank account when I quit on the spot. Now, as a full disclaimer, I cannot recommend this to anyone– being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. But for me, it’s what I needed to do to reach my goal.
I decided to start a company called, Loving Literacy, which is a reading intervention company that I still run for kids that struggle with reading. I then started a YouTube channel and knew I needed help, so I saw one of Monte’s (an influencer friend) videos online and reached out to him. Found out he had a YouTube class, immediately took the last bit of my money from a credit card I had, and signed up for his class. At this point, I said to myself, ” I can’t fail. I have a duty and responsibility to my family to make this work.” After many failed attempts to complete the YouTube videos (I just was not growing), Monte introduced me to Amazon Live. A month later I got approved! Started streaming a month later. I gave myself a month to learn everything I could about live streaming and I knew NOTHING about live streaming. Once I started live streaming for Amazon, I knew this was something I will always want to do! I got to learn more about the people I talk to daily, I connected with pretty awesome people and loved doing what I like–such as talking about finding deals. I realized a year later, that I needed to rebrand since I was not talking about literacy anymore, and “Deals with Mel” was born!
You mentioned you did a lot of free trainings – which ones were the best?
I had one with my Mentor, Greg Reid, from the Napoleon Hill Foundation. Many of his friends (That are now my friends) were participating in a COVID relief summit online and I got to speak ONE ON ONE with almost all of the speakers. (I really think they talk to each other–because never in my life had I had an opportunity like this). I got the chance to speak with one person, and they told me, “I bet you, I could tell you what is in your bank account right now if I met your friends.” I told him the truth at the time – which was I really did not have any friends. He guessed the money amount I had and was off by ONLY $3.00. I asked him, “How on earth did you figure this out???” He said, “Based on the verbiage I was using, my body posture and my closest connections on Facebook”. Yes, he did a Google search and a Facebook search. Then he said with the most serious face, “Your network is your net worth. Remember that.”
After that, I vowed to only surround myself around people that excel. People that don’t just say, but do what they say and people that like to learn and grow constantly will call you out if you are not doing the same. Accountability partners. Anyway, my consultation with this mentor was only supposed to be 20 minutes but we ended up speaking for TWO HOURS. He then told me that I had the ability to grow further than I could and because I was asking the right questions, his door would always be open to me. He said he only met 2 people–myself and another person during this summit that were taking the training seriously to heart and he loved the passion because it reminded him of when he started. The summit lasted 5 days with over 1,000 people in attendance online. Something I did caught his attention – which is not an easy thing to do for someone on his level. Maybe because I was also humble and asked questions that you could not find online. The fact that this person, a billionaire, gave me the time of day to tell me tips people pay thousands of dollars for simply humbled me. It made me realize the importance of pouring into others, believing in myself, and only surrounding myself around people that choose to achieve their dreams instead of making up excuses. (Cause we all know where excuses get us…nowhere.) It also helped give me opportunities that I would not have normally had access to. Always invest in yourself.
What are the biggest pointers you’ve learned from the training you took?
Find friends that value what you do. Get rid of the word “can’t”. Replace it with, “How can I…” Invest with every free seminar that you will use. Learn it and apply it immediately. But remember free will only take you so far. Always reinvest in yourself. Connect and collaborate with others you like. When you do business with people, do business with friends. Support businesses you care about, including your friends. Always sign and READ THE CONTRACT. Even with friends. Be decisive and upfront. It’s either a “YES” or a “NO” (Think of it this way, “Do you want to get paid today? You want a straight answer when it comes to that! Never the word maybe.) Be true to your own values. Don’t have values? Create them.
What did you feel when you got your first paycheck as an influencer?
A sense of relief, joy, and happiness. I cried with joy. Relief knowing that I can earn a living and LOVE what I do.
How did you become the Amazon Live Creator group moderator and how has it affected your journey?
I and fellow creators Monte and Chris wanted a space where creators can connect with each other and ask questions if they are stuck on something or really need quick help. We created a Facebook group and it was just us for a while. Then Ehud Segev came along!
Explain a bit more about why choosing a niche is so important
Niching down allows you to be the expert in your space. People trust that you know what you know because you are focused on one thing. An example would be if I know someone is an architect. If that is their only job, I know they will know more about that field than someone that has multiple jobs and does architecture. I will believe that they can create a great foundation for a building. But if I have someone that is a plumber, electrician, construction worker, and architect trying to do it ALL, I won’t feel they know everything they need because you will have “holes” in your learning.
What did you learn from the challenges you faced on the way to A-list?
Stay focused and consistent. Focus on what YOU do best. Show up when you’re supposed to show up.
What’s your best piece of advice for brand-new streamers?
Take it one step at a time. Always have ongoing personal development for yourself. If you need more help, you can certainly go to my website and get the help you need in my personal community,
Share the template on how to know who you are and what you’re offering
I offer_______________ so that _________, _________ and _________ can _______.
What’s the biggest tip for our community’s creators?
Stay focused. People will always be doing things you do or don’t like. Just stay focused on what you do and do it to the best of your ability. Don’t worry about what others do. Ask yourself these three questions:
#1 “Did I bring value to my audience today?”
#2 “Did I bring value to my clients today?”
#3 “What tasks did I finish?”
If you answer no to these questions, think about how you can plan your days out so you can say yes to at least one of these questions.
