Obtaining new products is a key part of a live shopping business. However, when those new products arrive, a strategy needs to exist for creating content with each new product. This post is intended to be a content strategy for products. It will act as a guideline for Live Shopping Community and, hopefully, a resource for others.
Step 1 of Content Strategy for Products
Post a photo of the unopened product to social media to let the audience know about an upcoming product to appear on the live show. Twitter and Instagram Stories are a good option for these posts. These should be quick and simple. Do not spend too much time here.
Step 2 of Content Strategy for Products
The product needs to make at least one appearance on the live shopping show. For a live shopping business, the live show is the main event. Ideally, a great product can make many appearances on live shopping shows. Here are some topics examples:
- Box Opening – People love to see what is inside a box. Bonus Points if you are able to put the item back inside the box for multiple box openings.
- Configure the Tech – Many tech products have a infinite amount of settings. Demonstrate what the settings are and how changes in settings affect the outcome.
- Build It – Show how to build the product. Put it together. People want to know how simple or complicated it is. For example, I have assembled chairs and hung TV wall mounts on live shows. This also works well for kids toys, Legos, dressers, and anything where assembly is required.
- Before & After – What is it like before using the product and after using the product. This works well if you can instantly show the contrasting options. It is great for lighting, cameras, microphones, and decorations.
- Everyday Use – Use the product as you would in a normal day. I have an electric kettle in my office and I frequently use it to heat up hot water for hot cocoa during the show.
Step 3 of Content Strategy for Products
The following are optional but they are part of a long-term strategy. They consist of more permanent forms of content. These are pieces of content which can be searched and discovered on the web. Do not miss this step as it is important for growth. The more effort put into this phase means more passive income (income you can earn while not actively working). Note: make sure all of the following include affiliate links to the products. Here are some examples of permanent forms of content:
- Blog Post – Write a review of the product. Show what comes in the box, how to use it, and/or why you love it.
- Youtube Video – Often times people want to hear a product or see it in action. This is when video rules.
- Photo Gallery – Some products do not need words, they just need pictures. These can be posted on a blog, Facebook page, Instagram, Flickr, or Twitter.
- Audio – Create a podcast episode. This one is less clear for me. I am still testing the idea of using audio to discuss products. Stay tuned.
- Amazon Influencer Video Short – These are short 1-5 minute videos to appear on the product page on Amazon.
For Step 3, it is important to remember that not all of the content forms will make sense. Also, do the ones you know you can complete well. Nobody has infinite time and resources. Pick the content forms you can finish.
Now, go Crush It!
Conclusion
This post is intended to be a living a document. It will (hopefully) be updated as things change and live shopping evolves.
Please leave a comment if you think I am missing something in the content strategy for products.