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The direct selling industry is undergoing a significant transformation. Shifts in consumer behavior observed during the pandemic, coupled with the natural progression of technology, fundamentally altered the way consumers and brands engage with one another. The use of video and adoption of new technologies are becoming increasingly crucial for interacting with customers.
Direct Selling companies, like businesses in most industries right now, are being urged to embrace digital-first strategies to keep up with the trends and stay relevant. Companies need to find ways to adapt and engage with their customers in new and exciting ways before they get left behind. Despite the changes we’re seeing, however, many are seemingly hesitant to dip their toes in and invest in the latest tools. The more these new digital advancements become mainstream, the more companies will start to embrace the shift, but nobody wants to be the first.
We first noticed a transition to digital-first with livestream shopping in Asia. Due to their earlier adoption of live shopping technology, they understood how to leverage the power of social media to better engage with their customers and distributors—to build their businesses and showcase products. We witnessed “live events” becoming a prominent method for consumers to discover new brands, and ultimately buy from them.
Livestream shopping and long form video content, although successful and effective for some business models, can feel daunting and challenging to replicate—especially for those who aren’t comfortable in front of the camera. While live events offer a dynamic, and often interactive shopping experience, they can sometimes lack the sense of connection that is so fundamental to the world of direct sales. Whether it be a distracted audience or picking the wrong time of day to go live, there are many factors that can impede the success of this approach.
In North America, we want to mirror the triumphs of live shopping in Asia. As our consumer behavior and habits differ from theirs, it makes it difficult to achieve the same level of success. What is apparent in North America though is that TikTok videos and Instagram Reels are really taking off. With our short attention spans and need for instant gratification, we are becoming infatuated with and addicted to the idea of swiping and scrolling on our handheld devices.
We’ve noticed that as opposed to live selling, short form pre-created content is not only more digestible for consumers, but more natural for the user. Going live can sometimes take away from authenticity, while creators seem to have an easier time staying true to themselves and their brand identity when creating shorter form content. This plays into direct selling, and the rapidly changing digital landscape within the industry.
It became clear that a platform needed to be created that capitalizes on the North American trends of social selling; providing distributors with an affordable mobile tool that is purpose built for direct sales. Direct selling is all about relationship building, therefore it is an industry that can benefit the most from personalized messaging and storytelling.
With that in mind, we created StreamStyle to address the needs of the evolving industry, adapted to be better suited to the North American market and more approachable for both distributors and shoppers.
StreamStyle empowers distributors and their dynamic sales forces to leverage short form content to showcase their brand and amazing products—in the form of shoppable videos called PopStreams. PopStreams are not only simple to use, but also fun to create. Directly integrated into a distributor’s back office, customers can shop directly on the video experience, with built-in sales attribution, rewards and coupons, and customer data at your fingertips.
StreamStyle doubles as both an engagement and sales tool. Driving the sale home is an important part of the journey, but building the relationship with the customers is even more paramount. The continuous use of PopStreams help distributors showcase their personalities, and true passion for their brand and products.
Did you know that 88% of consumers prioritize authenticity when choosing brands to support?
People buy YOU before they buy your products. Building your personal brand to relate to your customers and introducing that same warm, fuzzy feeling from in-person connections is the surefire way to develop deeper connections and drive more sales.
We’ve seen this firsthand in the age of TikTok and it translates to our industry as well. It’s all about people. It’s individuals who build followings and attract fans, who cultivate relationships, grow audiences and generate sales by exuding personality, likeability and relatability. Whether you’re trying to sell the most revolutionary product or the most mundane and basic one, what matters most is the person sharing it with the world.
User-generated content (UGC)—authentic reviews through video—has been proven to increase conversion by as much as 161%.
Our mission stems from the thought that if you can use social media platforms like Instagram or TikTok to create UGC content, you will have no trouble using our app. So why use StreamStyle over traditional social media? Well, simply put, direct selling companies have been struggling with social media platforms. They want to use it to increase brand awareness and generate more sales but between shadowbanning, sudden algorithm changes, and not being able to own their own data, oftentimes it can hurt more than it helps. We’ve worked hard to eliminate some of these obstacles with our platform.
Whether you’ve been in the direct selling business for decades, or you’re just getting started, it’s clear that the industry is in need of a digital transformation. However, it’s important to recognize that it’s not a one-size-fits all approach. And while not every new technology will be suitable for every company, we’re excited to see more businesses investing in their digital strategy and experimenting with new ways to enhance their brand visibility.
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Written by Sami Chazonoff and Ryan Litwin of StreamStyle. StreamStyle is a marketing and sales engagement tool built by direct sellers for direct sellers. Click here to book a demo or contact Ryan Litwin to learn more!
Ryan Litwin: ryan@revovideo.com +1 (514) 885-2388
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