Scroll, Watch, Shop: The new era of influencer Live Shopping

As we scroll, watch and shop simultaneously, content and ecommerce are becoming increasingly intertwined, and Live Shopping is leading the charge. Turning entertainment into direct sales, the dynamic storytelling format is powering full-funnel impact.

Already mainstream in China via Douyin, Live Shopping is now rapidly reshaping shopping behaviours in the UK, Europe, and the US. In 2024 alone, TikTok UK reported a 131% rise in in-app purchases. So, what does this mean for brands? Growing consumer appetite for live shopping, and most importantly, high buying intent.

Spanning both high-street and luxury, we’ve seen brands like Made by Mitchell and The Cirkel successfully integrating live shopping into their media mix, driving substantial sales.  

Live Shopping delivers what today’s audiences crave most. Authenticity, immediacy and connection.

Ready to go Live? Our top tips to get started:

1. Choose the right platform for your brand

While TikTok often leads the conversation around live shopping, platforms like Instagram and YouTube are rapidly catching up. In our recent campaign with John Lewis, fashion creator Polly Sayer hosted a one-hour Instagram Live to showcase the SS25 Reiss collection with shoppable links on her personal Instagram. Her authentic voice drove both awareness and conversion, showing how the right platform, and most importantly, the right creator, can turn interest into action.

2. Choose the right presenter

Your host is the face, and voice, of your brand. Their tone, values, and audience should feel like a natural extension of your identity. Set the stage early by activating their communities with countdowns, polls, and Q&As. The more invested the audience feels before the broadcast, the more likely they are to show up, interact, and convert.

3. Make it feel native

Just like user-generated content drives feed engagement, Live shopping works best when it feels like real content first, commerce second. Formats like tutorials, Q&As, and unboxings resonate because they’re unscripted and authentic. Just take P.Louise with the massive success of their 24-hour live session on TikTok last year, thanks to a steady mix of exclusive product drops, real-time reviews, and expert tutorials. The key? Blending entertainment with value to keep audiences watching and shopping.

4. Let influencers co-create the format

Treat influencers like collaborators, not just presenters. Involve them in shaping the show’s structure from choosing featured products to scripting key talking points and content style to match their niche.

5. Encourage interaction during the stream

Interaction is what sets live shopping apart. Encourage your host to ask questions, run polls, and invite real-time feedback. When influencers actively engage with their audience, it builds intimacy, trust, and a sense of community. Think of it as a live focus group, rich in both feedback and conversion data. Wellness brand Nature Spell does this brilliantly, using Q&As and live demos to make their ingredient-first skincare feel accessible for all.

Looking to integrate influencer-led Live Shopping into your omni-channel brand strategy? Get in touch.