Live streaming commerce from the sellers’ perspective: implications for online relationship marketing

TLDR

Live streaming has become a popular direct‑selling channel that offers sellers unprecedented consumer interaction, yet research has largely focused on consumer motivations, leaving the seller perspective and varying success levels underexplored. The study aims to analyze Facebook data from live‑streaming sellers to evaluate engagement metrics and outline the dynamic, interactive sales process. Using a mixed quantitative and qualitative approach, the authors identified four sales approaches and twelve customer‑acquisition and retention strategies. The resulting typology of seller‑focused sales approaches was mapped onto relationship‑building processes and outcomes, yielding a framework for understanding relationship mechanisms in live‑streaming commerce.

Abstract

Live streaming has recently become a popular direct selling channel which offers small, self-employed sellers unseen levels of consumer interaction and engagement. While the extant research focused on consumer motivation and intention to shop via live streaming, little is known from the seller’s perspective. Indeed, the potential advantages of live streaming commerce are accessible to everyone, but sellers experience different levels of success with this medium. Using a mixed quantitative and qualitative approach, this study analyses Facebook data of live streaming sellers to assess the nature and extent of engagement metrics, and delineate the dynamic, interactive live streaming sales process. We identify four sales approaches and twelve strategies adopted in acquiring and retaining customers. This typology of sales approach representing seller-focused antecedents is mapped against the relationship process and outcomes to provide a framework for understanding relationship mechanisms in live streaming commerce.