Tag: Live

How to Use Instagram Live for E-Commerce Sales

Are you looking to boost your social media sales and get the most out of your digital storefront?

Updates to Instagram Live have made it one of the hottest sales trends right now, and Instagram’s e-commerce features plus the high success rate of social media marketing have made digital sales easier than ever.

If you’re ready to start using Instagram for business and start tapping into organic reach, we’ve got the strategy to get you started.

Read on to see how you can get the most out of Instagram Live for e-commerce.

Instagram Usage and E-commerce Stats

You’ve heard about Instagram for business. Maybe you’ve even started playing around with some of their sales functions. If you’re smart, you’ve already got an Instagram business profile and perhaps even a few product tags.

Is it worth all the hassle?

Let’s check out the numbers. According to Hootsuite:

  • One billion people use Instagram every month. 
  • Of those users, 63% log in daily and spend an average of 28 minutes on the app.
  • 200 million users visit at least one business profile every day.
  • Instagram is the second most downloaded free app in the Apple app store.
  • It’s also the 10th most popular Google query.
  • 500 million people use Instagram Stories every single day.
  • One-third of the most viewed stories every day are from businesses.
  • 62% of people say they have become more interested in a brand or product after seeing it in Stories.

What about Instagram Live?

Social media is about being seen. Instagram Live moves your content to the top Stories in your users’ feeds. Plus, followers get notifications telling them when you go live, meaning they’ll immediately be able to see your content in their Stories tabs.

Instagram’s co-founder and CEO, Kevin Systrom, once said, On average, people miss about 70 percent of the posts in their Instagram profile feed.” That means getting to the top of your users’ feeds should be a top priority.

Instagram Live also saw a 70% increase in views from February to March in 2020, making it one of the fastest-growing e-commerce hubs on the internet today.

How can you start making e-commerce sales on Instagram?

Instagram Shop

With the launch of its online shop, Instagram has pushed further into e-commerce.

Instagram Shop has streamlined the way users can find products by making a designated “Shop” tab and other new features for businesses to generate sales.

The new Instagram Shop tab features a “Brand Collections” page that shows curated collections put together by Instagram’s @shop team.

instagram shop live ecommerce

With the addition of Instagram Checkout, US shoppers can simply tap “Buy on Instagram” to make a purchase without ever leaving the app. That means your conversions are quick, precise, and frequent.

Instagram has also been testing replacing the “Activity” tab with a “Shop” tab, which would mean even more daily clicks than before.

Like any social media selling machine, quality content and a killer Instagram following are essential. The best way to continue selling on Instagram is to make sure you’ve got a product people like and the right marketing strategy to sell it.

To get the most out of your e-commerce experience, Instagram suggests posting regularly, revealing the process behind your product creation, and showing variation in your products.

Here are a few more easy tips for marketing your Instagram content.

Instagram Expands Live Shopping, Making It Easier to Shop and Sell

Instagram marketing is a powerful tool. With engagement rates going through the roof, it’s time for your brand to get on board and start making sales with the added ecommerce features across the platform.

Instagram Live Shopping

This feature allows you to make sales while in the middle of a live broadcast.

Instagram Checkout

If you’ve set up your Instagram Shop, you can start promoting and selling your products directly from your video stream with the Instagram Checkout tab. Featured items will appear at the bottom of the screen, and viewers can simply tap to purchase any of the items shown.

Desktop Compatibility

Instagram Live broadcasts can now also be viewed on desktop, making them more accessible and wide-reaching. This feature allows you to take center stage and grab your audience’s attention. It can also help you tap into new markets and expand your content’s reach.

How do you get started?

  1. Determine a purpose for your video. Otherwise, your audience won’t have a reason to keep watching.
  2. Promote your video on your social accounts beforehand so you’ll have someone to sell to once your live video starts rolling.
  3. Upload your products. You can add up to 30 products to a collection. Be sure to do this before you start because Instagram needs to approve your products before you go live.
  4. Pin one item at a time to your video feed when you start broadcasting.

When you’re on Live, you’ll be able to display your products through some of Instagram’s built-in features, which we’ll talk more about down below.

Why Use Instagram Live for E-commerce?

Live videos are great for forming honest and personable audience interactions. This unedited, raw content can help you connect with your audience and build brand integrity.

Instagram Live also lets your audience submit comments and questions in real time, allowing for natural and immediate interaction on an otherwise one-sided platform. This kind of audience connection enables you to gather feedback straight from your customers.

Using the Instagram Live feature can also help your discoverability, as users will be notified when you go live, and your video will be featured at the front of their Stories tab.

Instagram Live videos stay on your page for 24 hours after you end the broadcast, ensuring more people can see your content in more places.

The benefits of using Instagram Live for e-commerce range from increased brand integrity to real-time sales possibilities, and beyond. We’ve seen more and more brands gravitating towards this platform in recent years because it works.

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to connect, convert, and curate content, Instagram is the place to be.

Live Shopping Features

Instagram Live has completely changed the ways brands communicate with their audiences online.

With new, customizable features and add-ons, there are many ways to connect and convert.

Multiple Broadcast Hosts

If you’re interested in tapping into influencer marketing, or if you want to leverage a brand ambassador’s following, you can invite co-hosts to join you in your live broadcasts.

Video Customization

You can also impose filters, stickers, and custom content directly onto your live video. You can either use Instagram’s presets or create your own branded versions and upload them to your live settings.

Still Images and Videos

You can share images and videos on screen while you broadcast. This allows you to showcase product images or show the product in action, making the purchase more appealing to your audience. You can even add multiple videos and create a slide show while you present.

Audience Interaction

You can add comments and questions directly to your video broadcast. You can also pin them to the screen for all of your viewers to see. This way, you can let your audience know you’re listening and make them feel seen.

All of these features make your content more inviting and exciting for viewers, increasing the possibility for conversions as you dive into Instagram Live for e-commerce.

With a little bit of skill and a whole lot of personality, your brand could be the next big thing on Instagram Live.

How to Use Instagram Live Shopping to Drive Sales

When you use Instagram Live for e-commerce, you can forge connections with your customers, create lasting sales funnels, and boost your online conversions while staying true to your brand.

If you’re going to go live, make sure you do it right and attract people to your products beforehand. No one wants to go live to an empty audience, right?

Here are a few tips to get you started.

Promote Your Instagram Live Stream Beforehand

Promoting your content will ensure people have time to plan to watch you and make sure you get the most out of your live experience.

One way to do this is to share Instagram Stories that tell your audience the details of your Instagram Live experience. You could even use an Instagram Stories countdown sticker to mark the event. This allows others to share the countdown as well, expanding the reach of your audience.

Maintain Instagram Live Focus

Avoid directing traffic to anything that isn’t relevant to your content. Promoting your website instead of a product page is an excellent example of this. You must ensure your audience can easily find your products and purchase quickly. This will increase your chances of selling once you go live.

Offer Live Streaming Quality Content

It’s also important to focus on the quality of your content. If your audience members find your stream boring or uninteresting, they might move on to the next piece of available content. Make sure whoever is hosting your video is practiced, inviting, and uses a breadth of exciting features to keep your audience watching.

Keep it Short

When using Instagram Live for e-commerce, shorter videos work better. Audiences like easy-to-consume content. You can even post multiple short videos to keep your audience coming back for more.

Keep it Simple

Once you go live, speak slowly, speak clearly, and don’t make things too complicated. Like any spot on the internet, Instagram content has fierce competition. If you want to maximize your Instagram Live e-commerce possibilities, you need to be able to hold your audience’s attention for as long as possible.

Using Instagram live for e-commerce, you can position yourself at the top of your audience’s feeds and keep their attention longer.

The more you use Instagram’s built-in features, the better chance your brand will have of ranking on the platform.

Conclusion

If you haven’t figured it out yet, using Instagram Live for e-commerce opens up many new possibilities in the world of social media sales.

Instagram’s latest Shop features let you sell your products directly from the app, instead of fighting for placement in user feeds.

What’s more, e-commerce updates to Instagram Live have paved a whole new way for brands to engage with consumers and get their products into the market.

By tapping into your live-streaming market, you could not only drive conversions, but you’ll have a chance to speak to a bigger, less saturated audience.

Get creative, get live, and start converting!

Have you had success with Instagram Live marketing for e-commerce? Share your tips in the comments.

The post How to Use Instagram Live for E-Commerce Sales appeared first on Neil Patel.

Best Live Chat Software

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Live chat has quickly become an integral part of customer service in the digital era. 

When a customer or website visitor has a question, complaint, or needs some other type of assistance, they expect to reach your brand via live chat.

In addition to the improved customer experience, live chat is also more efficient for your support team. Service reps can’t field more than one phone call simultaneously, but they can handle multiple live chat conversations at the same time.

Overall, live chat is fast, effective, and more cost-efficient than any other type of customer communication. In terms of consumer preferences, it ranks higher than phone, email, and social media. Every website needs to have live chat.

With that said, there are dozens of different live chat solutions available on the market today. Which one is the best for you and your website? Continue below for my in-depth analysis.

The Top 7 Options For Live Chat Software

  1. Zendesk
  2. JivoChat
  3. Pure Chat
  4. Intercom
  5. LiveChat
  6. Acquire
  7. Smartsupp

How to Choose the Best Live Chat Software For You

As you’re comparing different live chat options, there are certain feature sets and considerations that must be evaluated. I’ll break these factors down in greater detail, so you have a better understanding of what to look for. 

Number of Agents

How big is your support team?

There’s a big difference between businesses with 5, 50, and 500 agents. Most plans will have some limitations on how many support reps can access the software. Other plans will have minimum seat requirements as well. 

It’s also important for you to look down the road as your company grows. Is it easy to add new agents to your plan at scale? Make sure you’re not locked into a plan that restricts your scalability.

Use Cases

Why exactly are you in the market for live chat software?

Sure, there are plenty of general-purpose options out there. But some software is designed to accommodate specific needs and goals. For example, there is live chat software for lead qualification, live chat software for customer engagement, and live chat software for customer support. 

These are just a few of many examples that should be taken into consideration. 

Omnichannel Support

If you’ve got customers reaching out to your brand on different channels, you want to make sure that the software seamlessly integrates with those third-party systems.

For example, you could potentially manage conversations from your website and conversations from Facebook Messenger within the same live chat software. Your service reps can handle everything from a single dashboard, instead of switching screens and being forced to use different platforms. 

Automation

Automation is arguably the most crucial and desirable feature of live chat software. It speeds up service requests significantly, and it’s a cost-effective way to provide assistance 24/7/365.

Chatbots don’t take lunch breaks or sick days. They work nights, weekends, and holidays. So if a website visitor has a question at 2:00 AM on a Saturday, it can potentially be resolved with a self-service chatbot. 

For businesses with multiple departments, chatbots and live chat software can automatically route messages to the right representative. Questions about returns would be sent directly to a support rep, while questions about new products would be routed to a sales rep.

Extras and Bonus Features

Aside from the core live chat software tools, each software will offer additional features with different plans. Not all of these will be a deal-breaker, but it’s helpful to have if you’re going to take advantage of these offerings.

I’m referring to features like CRM integrations, chat history, custom widgets, admin monitoring, helpdesk features, HIPAA-compliance, calendar integrations, appointment scheduling, etc.

The Different Types of Live Chat Software

At its core, live chat software is essentially real-time messaging on a website between a visitor and brand representative from a chatbox on the corner of the page. But within this broad classification, live chat can be segmented into three main categories.

Chatbots

Chatbots use AI technology and automation to solve problems. In many cases, customer inquiries can be resolved without any human interaction if you add chatbots to your website. 

It’s also common for sites to use chatbots initially, before ultimately routing the conversation to a support representative. Chatbots can help qualify the visitor and ultimately get the inquiry resolved faster.

Chatbots typically won’t come standard with basic live chat software plans. These are usually offered as an add-on. Don’t let the price of chatbots scare you away from using them. Over the long-term, it’s much cheaper to use bots than paying for human labor. 

Live Chat For Sales

There are lots of great sales-specific live chat solutions out there. This type of live chat software will include built-in CRM tools (or integrate with the CRM you’re already using), lead qualification features, and customer engagement tools.

Your sales agents will have a much easier time closing leads if you’re leveraging live chat software built for sales. 

Customer Support Software

Live chat is a common component of helpdesk software. Lots of customer service software on the market will have features for things like ticket support and team collaboration, but the best ones will also include live chat. 

Not every live chat software is built specifically for customer support. So if this is the primary feature that you’re looking for, make sure you choose a solution with those helpdesk features and support tools. 

#1 – Zendesk Review — Best For Customer Engagement

Zendesk is a versatile live chat software trusted by 200,000+ businesses worldwide. They have solutions for sales, support, and customer engagement. 

One of the reasons why Zendesk ranks so high on my list is because of its simplicity. The software is easy to use, and you can deploy it within hours of signing up.

Zendesk is used by some big names and industry leaders, like Shopify, Slack, Uber, Venmo, and more. Here are some of the top reasons why I recommend it:

  • Reach out to customers with proactive engagement before they land on your site
  • Powerful analytics customer satisfaction, agent performance, and other KPIs
  • Omnichannel support with email, social, phone, and live chat
  • Self-service and knowledge base tools in 40+ languages
  • AI suggestions and machine learning from context clues

Zendesk Chat starts at $14 per agent per month. 

But I recommend the Zendesk Support Suite. This package comes with features for chat, support, messaging, and voice, starting at $89 per month. It’s also worth noting that Zendesk has a Sales Suite to consider as well. 

Try any Zendesk plan free for 30 days. 

#2 – JivoChat Review — Best Cross-Platform Live Chat Software

JivoChat is branded as an all-in-one business messaging solution. It allows you to communicate with customers via phone, email, social, and of course, live chat—all from a single platform.

It seamlessly integrates with popular tools and services that you’re already using, like Slack, Weebly, WordPress, Wix, Pipedrive, Zapier, Shopify, and more.

More than 284,000 websites worldwide rely on JivoChat for their live chat needs, making it one of the most popular solutions on the market today. Here’s a quick overview and explanation of why the software is so popular:

  • Compatible with Facebook, WhatsApp, Apple Business Chat, Telegram, Email, etc.
  • All customer communication is managed from a single window
  • The live chat widget works on every device, browser, and operating system
  • It’s customizable and has the ability to be translated into 20 different languages
  • Automatic proactive messages based on custom triggers
  • CRM integrations and visitor’s information (like location and click source)
  • Chat logs and reports between customers and agents

JivoChat offers unlimited chats and websites on every plan, including the free version.

The software and its basic features are free for your first five agents. Pricing starts at $13 per month per agent, which gives you access to all of JivoChat’s features. Try it free for 14 days.

#3 – Pure Chat Review — The Best Live Chat Features

Pure Chat is an excellent live chat solution for small and medium-sized teams. 

Compared to other solutions on the market today, Pure Chat is one of the most feature-rich live chat tools that you’ll come across. Even better, all of these features are included with every plan.

Let’s take a closer look at Pure Chat’s extensive feature list:

  • Unlimited chats
  • Advanced widget customization
  • Security roles (for admins, operators, power users)
  • Chat notifications
  • Canned responses
  • File transfers
  • Trigger-based actions
  • Real-time analytics and visitor tracking

There are two different Pure Chat plans for you to choose from—Growth and Pro. These start at $39 and $79 per month, respectively. The Growth plan comes with four users, and the Pro plan comes with ten. Additional users cost extra.

For most businesses, I’d recommend the Pro plan. It gives you the ability to remove Pure Chat’s branding from your widget, and you can use it on an unlimited number of websites.

Try either of these Pure Chat plans free for 30 days to access all of the features.

#4 – Intercom Review — The Best For Lead Qualifications

Intercom is branded as a “conversational relationship platform.” It’s a clever way to say it helps you build customer relationships through messaging and live chat.

The software is trusted by 30,000+ companies across the globe, including Microsoft, IBM, Udemy, and Sotheby’s.

What makes Intercom so great? Let’s take a closer look at the software highlights:

  • Boost site conversions with targeted messages, bots, and real-time chat
  • Onboard, activate, and re-engage customers with outbound communication
  • Proactive support tools and self-help features
  • Manage customer interactions across all channels from a single dashboard
  • 250+ integrations out-of-the-box and APIs for custom integrations

The software starts at $39 per month for basic live chat and outbound messaging features. 

To take advantage of automation and managing lead qualifications at scale, I recommend the Accelerate plan. It starts at $499 per month and includes ten seats. This comes with awesome features like custom bots, team inboxes, and more. 

Try Intercom for free with a 14-day trial.

#5 – LiveChat Review — The Most Versatile Live Chat Software

With a brand name like LiveChat, it’s no surprise to see this software rank so high on my list. This tool is trusted by 30,000+ businesses in over 150 countries, including names like PayPal, McDonald’s, Adobe, and Mercedes-Benz.

The software is used for online chat, multichannel support, lead generation, online surveys, in-app support, net promoter score, and more—making it one of the most versatile solutions on the market today.

Here’s a brief overview of the features, benefits, and noteworthy highlights of LiveChat:

  • Add product cards to live chat conversations
  • Use custom forms and AI chatbots to qualify your leads
  • Automatically track sales and KPIs to monitor the effectiveness
  • Automatic agent routing
  • Automatic ticket creation
  • Segment visitors based on their behavior on your site
  • 170+ integrations (Dropbox, BigCommerce, MailChimp, Shopify, Salesforce, etc.)

LiveChat is easy to use and set up as well. Plans start at $16 per agent per month, and you can try it free for 14 days; no credit card required. 

#6 – Acquire Review — Best Live Chat Software For Chatbots

Acquire isn’t the most popular live chat software on the market today. But it’s still trusted by large organizations like Lexus, Audi, the US Air Force, Discover, and more. It’s an all-in-one solution for omnichannel support, knowledge base, video chat, VoIP phone, and more.

For those of you looking to add the most advanced chatbots to your website, Acquire is my top recommendation.

Let’s take a closer look at what makes Acquire stand out from the crowd:

  • Automate routine questions with AI chatbots
  • Sync your knowledge base articles with chatbots
  • Route chats to human agents when bots can’t provide a solution
  • No coding needed or developers required to deploy bots
  • Manage all email, social, live chat, and other channels from a single inbox
  • Team collaboration tools
  • Co-browsing software for troubleshooting with on-page markups
  • Video chat with customers

Another reason why I like Acquire is because the company provides exceptional customer support. It’s a growing brand, but their team is still available to accommodate your needs, 24/7.

Pricing is not available online. Contact the Acquire sales team for more information.

#7 – Smartsupp Review — Best For Monitoring Visitor Behavior

Smartsupp is another live chat software with omnichannel capabilities. The solution is used by over 425,000 websites.

It’s a great way to increase customer loyalty, drive conversions, and improve engagement with live chat and bots.

Smartsupp has one of the most unique features of all live chat software on the market today. It has built-in video recordings that give your agents a deeper understanding of how each visitor is moving around on your site. This gives you agents the ability to discover where people are getting lost, so they can provide better support. 

You’ll also benefit from top features like:

  • Out-of-the-box integrations and APIs
  • Analytics and customer satisfaction ratings
  • Create personalized automated messages with smart rules
  • Communicate with customers while on the go from Smartsupp’s mobile app
  • Web dashboard with analytics about customers
  • Customize the look and colors of chat box
  • Add personalized photos to support agent names in the chat widget

For smaller websites with basic needs, Smartsupp is free forever for your first three agents. Paid plans start at $10 per month. 

You can try Smartsupp today by creating a free account. 

Summary

There are lots of great live chat solutions available. But the seven recommended in this guide are definitely my favorite.

Which one is the best option for your website?

Be sure to follow the methodology I outlined earlier in this guide. This will make it much easier for you to narrow down your options. 

The post Best Live Chat Software appeared first on Neil Patel.