While these are great at getting your brand in front of fresh eyes, they don’t necessarily hold engagement for long. Amazon Live, on the other hand, goes beyond static advertising to engage your customers in real time.

What is Amazon Live?
Launched in early 2019, Amazon Live is a free live streaming and video service. Originally created exclusively for US vendors and Brand Registered sellers, today Amazon Live gives sellers around the world a platform to showcase their products via a live stream or pre-recorded video session.

During live sessions, vendors are able to directly communicate and engage with potential customers on video while promoting their products. Users that tune into a live stream will also be able to view products displayed in the video, making for a seamless buying experience.

How does Amazon Live promote discovery?
What sets Amazon Live apart from other advertising strategies is its engagement factor. Customers can still engage with you via Instagram comments, DMs, and email. But there’s something special about a platform that enables sellers to speak directly to their buyers live. It’s similar to the ‘show-and-tell’ aspect of infomercials like QVC and gives buyers a chance to ask questions live in the moment and better understand your product from a verified source.

Live stream sessions give sellers a chance to get more creative and directly involved in their marketing. Unlike a slogan or a few words strewn across a banner ad, videos give you a chance to really express your brand personality to the world. Customers have never liked being sold to – at least not explicitly – and Amazon Live makes it easier than ever before to subtly weave in your brand messaging in a fun and interactive way.

Products that are displayed in live streams and pre-recorded sessions are easily accessible to viewers via the video player icon. This aids product discovery in a seamless way and helps drive engagement with new and existing customers.

How to use Amazon Live
Before you can start making videos on Amazon Live, there are a few things you’ll need to do to get set up:

Download the Amazon Live Creator App

At the moment, Amazon Live is only available on iOS, so you’ll need an Apple device to get started. Click here to download the app.

Set up a ‘seller central’ account in the app

Enter your seller username and password to connect to your account.

Start producing content

Now that your account is set up, it’s time to start making videos. Whether you opt for a live stream or pre-recorded session, make sure you have all the necessary equipment to hand. To go live, hit the plus button (bottom, centre) and you’ll be redirected to a page where you can name your video and select a live streaming time.

Add products to your video

Click on the ‘Add Products’ button to transfer all the products that you’ll be talking about into your video’s description. This will make it super simple for viewers to make a purchase while scrolling or watching your video.

Amazon Live best practices
As with any marketing medium, there are lots of things you can do to maximise the success of your Amazon Live streams. Here are just a few best practices to follow:

Live stream for at least 30 minutes: The longer you stream, the more time users will have to discover your video and engage with your products.

Encourage interaction: Talk to your audience, not at them. You want your videos to be as entertaining as possible, so encourage interaction. Run polls and quizzes, prompt users to ask questions, and add a storytelling element to your demos. This is your chance to get creative.

Share your live stream link: Spread awareness about your live stream sessions by using the ‘Engage with Viewers’ feature. Amazon will send you your own unique video link that can be shared with followers and subscribers on your social media and mailing lists.

Use Amazon’s ‘Boost your Live stream’ feature: While Amazon Live is free, you can pay extra to ‘boost’ your videos and expand your reach. This means you’ll be discovered by even more users in a shorter period of time.

Remember, while it’s great to make the most of what Amazon Live has to offer, don’t focus all your attention on a single marketing channel – make sure you’ve got all your bases covered. So while you’re setting up Amazon Live, keep running ads, keep optimising your listings with SEO, and before long you’ll have a truly cohesive customer experience.

Keep on top of your entire marketing strategy, from top to bottom, with our Amazon Partner services. Discover new ways to enhance your content, leverage SEO, and navigate Amazon Live smoothly with one of our experts today.