How Livestreaming is Reshaping Community Engagement & Sales

In 2024, global live-streaming hours experienced a +21% rise, indicating a growing consumer appetite for real-time content. This upward trend is expected to continue into 2025, with platforms like TikTok and Instagram integrating more interactive features to enhance user engagement.

TikTok and Instagram set themselves apart with instant, highly responsive interactions, allowing audiences to directly influence the direction of live content in real-time. Conversely, platforms like YouTube and Twitch usually feature structured, moderated interactions, catering to viewers who consume content passively. This distinction significantly impacts audience connection and engagement potential. Unlike these traditional streaming platforms, the latest trend prioritizes shorter, spontaneous, and highly interactive content tailored for mobile-first viewers, emphasizing authenticity and immediate engagement.

Do livestreams drive sales?

One of the most significant advantages of live streaming on platforms like TikTok and Instagram is the integration of social commerce, enabling immediate product purchases during streams. This seamless shopping experience not only boosts conversion rates but also allows brands to authentically showcase products, leveraging urgency and exclusivity to drive sales.

With livestream shopping being deeply-rooted and highly interactive live commerce culture in the Asian market, both U.S. and European platforms are increasingly embracing their innovative approach by seamlessly merging livestream experiences with integrated shopping capabilities. 

Social commerce livestreams report conversion rates significantly higher than traditional e-commerce, typically ranging between 9% and 30%, with fashion and beauty segments achieving rates as high as 70%. (Firework, McKinsey, 2024)

How can brands tap in?

Brands looking to leverage live streaming effectively should consider strategic actions on their channels and through influencer marketing.
On their channels, brands can schedule regular live events, utilize built-in social commerce features, offer exclusive promotions, engage directly with audiences, and repurpose successful streams for broader marketing efforts. Influencer marketing opportunities include partnering with influencers who authentically connect with target audiences, equipping them with exclusive offers, facilitating interactive product showcases, amplifying reach, and refining strategies based on live-stream performance analytics.

• Integrate built-in shopping features for instant product purchases.
• Offer exclusive, time-sensitive promotions or discounts during livestreams.
• Encourage audience interaction through real-time Q&A and feedback.
• Potentially repurpose live content highlights across other marketing channels.

Why leverage influencer marketing for this cause?

Influencer-hosted livestreams often outperform brand-hosted streams in terms of conversions due to the trust and authentic relationships influencers cultivate with their followers.

Monetization strategies further highlight the differences between these platforms. TikTok creators benefit from quick and direct monetization methods, such as social commerce integrations, virtual gifting, tipping, and influencer-brand collaborations. In contrast, YouTube offers more diversified revenue streams, including advertisements, sponsorships, affiliate marketing, channel memberships, and Super Chat payments, aligning with its longer-form, structured content approach.

Engagement data suggests influencers generally experience higher engagement rates during livestreams compared to brand-hosted streams. TikTok influencers, particularly those with large followings, regularly attract significant viewership numbers, averaging hundreds of thousands of views per session. Brands typically see fewer views per follower, highlighting the added value influencers bring through their established trust and engaged communities.

• Provide influencers with unique products or offers to showcase live.
• Organize interactive product demonstrations or live Q&A sessions.
• Leverage influencer audiences to expand reach and boost engagement.

To thrive in this evolving landscape, brands must align platform choices with their audience demographics, content strategies, and monetization goals, ultimately leveraging live streaming and social commerce for maximum impact.