How SME’s live sellers convince consumers to purchase lifestyle products through social e-commerce

Abstract

The market behavior sways SME’s business in promoting their products in the social e-commerce platform. This study observes and identifies how live sellers on social e-commerce platforms convince consumers to purchase lifestyle products. Live streamers showing and explaining their products in social e-commerce platform becomes a drift of online selling. Targeting the women's consumer segment, live streaming has become a popular but not always successful sales strategy for SMEs. Using a qualitative methodology with netnography and in-depth interviews, the research analyzes the behaviors and messages conveyed by live streamers. The findings indicate that a message's effectiveness in persuading an audience to make a purchase depends on both its content and its delivery. Key factors include the streamer's credibility, established through appearance and product knowledge, and the strategic content of their messages, which often emphasizes price, quality, and materials. The study also highlights that the repetition of certain information is a crucial factor in reinforcing the message's impact and encouraging impulse buys. Other influential elements include special promotional events, the vocal delivery style of the seller, and the use of appealing backgrounds to build trustworthiness.