What live selling is and why it works
Live selling means selling during a live stream on Facebook. You show a product live, and customers order it with a comment — they type your selling word and the product code. It works because people see the item in motion, hear you talk about it, can ask questions on the spot and watch the pieces sell out. Buying like that is quick and personal, which is exactly what an online shop with a photo on a white background can't offer.
This guide walks you through everything a successful stream takes: the preparation, the live itself and what comes after it.
What you need before your first stream
- A Facebook business Page. Meta doesn't give selling tools access to comments on a personal profile or in a group. If you sell in a group, use order links in your post — more on that on the Sell on Facebook page.
- A phone and a tripod. An ordinary phone with a rear camera is all you need, mounted on a tripod at eye level. Stream in portrait mode, the way people watch.
- Light. Face a window or use one soft light from the front. Colours and fabrics have to look exactly as they are — otherwise the returns will follow.
- A stable internet connection. Wi-Fi with room to spare, not mobile data on one bar of signal.
- Products with codes. Every product and variant needs a short code, such as 1001 or 1002. The code has to be visible next to the product, ideally on a card.
- A selling word. One word the customer types before the code, for example "sold 1001". It keeps orders from getting mixed up with ordinary comments.
How to prepare your lineup
Fewer pieces, more sales
Your first stream doesn't have to be a marathon. Pick fewer products and prepare two or three sentences for each: fabric, sizes, who it suits, price. Go through your stock carefully, too, so you don't sell something you no longer have.
The order matters
Open with something eye-catching that draws people in, and save your strongest pieces for the middle of the stream, when the most viewers have joined. Close with a quick recap of everything you showed.
Write the rules down in advance
In the stream description and in the first comment, spell out how to order, how to pay, which delivery options there are and by when an order has to be paid. It will save you dozens of identical questions.
How to run the live itself
- Start with a hello and the rules. People are still joining in the first few minutes, so repeat the rules later on.
- Show the details. Zoom in on the fabric, the seams, the print, the inside of the bag. Mention the sizes and how the item fits.
- Repeat the code and the price. At least twice for every product, out loud and on the card.
- Reply to comments by name. "Jenny, that one's yours, thank you!" — people see that ordering works, and they join in.
- Keep the pace up. A few minutes per piece is enough. When interest drops, move on and come back to the product at the end.
- Keep reminding people how to order. New viewers arrive throughout the stream.
What to do after the stream
The selling doesn't stop when the stream ends — what decides the result is whether you see every order through to payment.
- A link to finish the purchase. Every customer should get a summary of what they ordered right away, with a link where they fill in their address and pay.
- Reminders. Anyone who hasn't paid gets a reminder. Without one, some orders simply get forgotten.
- Labels and shipping. The sooner a parcel goes out, the fewer "when will it arrive?" questions you get, and the more happy customers show up for your next stream.
- A message to everyone. A short bulk message after the stream: a thank-you, what's still available, when the next live is. Mind Meta's rule, though: on Messenger you can only write to people who messaged or commented in the last 24 hours. There is more on that on the bulk messaging page.
The most common mistakes
- Copying comments out by hand. With dozens of orders, something always gets lost or doubled, and you spend the evening on a spreadsheet instead of preparing your next stream.
- An unclear code. A code nobody can see, or similar codes on similar products, leads to mix-ups.
- No payment rules. Without a payment deadline, reservations are left hanging and you can't sell the items to anyone else.
- Streams that run too long. Shorter and regular beats three hours every now and then.
How Streamo helps
Streamo turns comments into orders automatically. When a customer types the selling word and a code, the item is reserved right away and added to their cart, and the customer gets a message with a link to finish the purchase. During the stream you see orders and reservations live; afterwards, bank transfers are matched to their orders, invoices are issued and you print the labels in one click. You'll find how it works step by step on the live selling on Facebook page.
Selling on Instagram too? There, Streamo takes orders from direct messages — see Sell on Instagram. The first 7 days are free, and no credit card is required.
