Whether you’re just getting started or have been working with live shopping for a while, having the right studio setup can dramatically boost your results, as it directly reflects your level of professionalism.
A good studio will impact everything from engagement to sales, and also help you keep up with that constant demand for new content, by providing an easy plug-and-play space for you to record.
Today, we will break down our recommendations for what equipment you need at each stage, from beginner to advanced. However, some might choose to purposefully keep production value low, to stay cost conscious as well as keep that approachable, authentic look a smartphone production gives.
Beginner: Getting Started with Live Shopping on a Budget
Your first live shopping studio can be as minimal or professional as you like. However, from experience we know that customers often opt for a simple setup for a few reasons:
- Cost
- Ease of use
In the beginning, you might just be testing the live shopping-waters before committing to a full-scale professional studio. Also, your employees might have never worked with video production before, thus making recording easier by keeping the studio equipment simple.
Here is what we would recommend:
- Smartphone (iPhone or Android): Today’s smartphones shoot high-quality video and are a great choice to get started with live shopping. You don’t need to buy additional cameras, actually.
- Tripod with phone mount: A good tripod ensures stability and can easily be adjusted to give you the perfect framing.
- Ringlight: While you can get away with natural lighting in the beginning, a ringlight is cheap and offers way more flexibility - allowing you to stream in the evenings, for example.
- Backdrop: We recommend starting with a simple background. It can be a dedicated backdrop, a high quality curtain or a simple shelf setup to make your products pop.
Pro Tip:
It’s important to test your studio! Do a few trial-runs at different times of day, to see what the lighting looks like, whether the studio is well-isolated from outside noise and that the internet runs smoothly.
Intermediate: Upgrade Production Value Easily
When your live shopping channel is gaining traction and you’re starting to build a real audience, it might be time for an upgrade! Taking your studio to the next level can help you seem more professional, differentiate you in the social commerce market and underline your unique brand identity.
We recommend you build on the equipment you already have from the previous step, but a few smart additions can really transform your video quality for the better.
Here is what we recommend you add to your studio:
- LED Lighting Kit: Giving your lightening source an upgrade doesn’t have to be expensive, but it makes all the difference. Add a few LED lights to your setup, in order to properly light up your background and eliminate any unflattering shadows.
- Wireless Lavalier Mic or USB Mic: Clear audio is important, and at this stage in your video commerce journey, you might want to upgrade from your phone’s built-in mic to a wearable one which will give you beautiful, crisp sound.
- Monitors or tablet: As your shows grow in popularity, so does the amount of comments you get. A monitor or a tablet to act as a monitor will be super helpful in keeping up with comments and communicating with your moderators.
- Moderator: Speaking of moderator, right about now you might need one. They will help answer questions, filter relevant ones to the studio and just aid with general housekeeping of the livestream.
- Branded backdrop: An easy way for your audience to experience an upgrade in production value is by spicing up your background. Maybe it’s time to build our a slightly more intricate setup than the simple one you started with? Think themed decor, brand colors and vibes.
Pro Tip:
Time to brand your streams! Sneak your brand colors into your setup, use it in your general content creation for that air of recognisability and shoot a few high quality pictures of your live shopping hosts to showcase in your social commerce universe.
Advanced: A Full-On Command Center
When live shopping is an integral part of your business with multiple streams per week - or even per day - it’s time to level up to the final boss of studios: Your very own command center!
When you’re comfortable working with more advanced tech and you have a team running the operations, you can do even more for your production value with upgraded visuals to follow. Think of it as a mini TV studio designed for conversions!
Our recommendations for the final upgrade:
- DSLR or Mirrorless Camera(s): If you want that crystal clear image and you don’t think your phone is cutting it anymore, think about upgrading to an actual camera. DSLR or mirrorless - it’s completely up to you - but a high end camera will give you a lot more flexibility to play around with lighting, depth of field and much more, for that polished and professional look. You may even want to invest in several cameras to switch between angles during the stream, bringing a dynamic element to your shows.
- 3-Point lighting setup: The gold standard for lighting a scene. Make sure you have a key light, fill light, and back light for depth and polish. Build on the lighting sources you already own!
- Dedicated studio: Maybe you’ve recorded in stores, in a meeting room or even from home up until now. Get ready to build out a dedicated studio just for streaming! This will allow you to play around with new ideas and test as you go, without the stress of interruptions. It will also allow you to design a space to fit all your needs down to every last detail.
- Teleprompter: Large productions often require teleprompters, as it’s near impossible to learn long scripts by heart. A teleprompter allows you to go through all your talking points without breaking eye contact with the audience.
- Upgraded internet or fiber internet: Prevent lag and keep your stream rock solid! A dedicated network with super high upload speed will support your added picture quality nicely.
- On-site assistant: Advanced equipment will require more hands to operate. At this point, you might need a dedicated runner or assistant, who can monitor the stream as you’re live, help moderate comments and act general tech support, even ensuring your have all your necessary props.
Pro Tip:
By now, live shopping is an integral part of your business, and you probably spend a lot of resources promoting and developing the concept. The easiest way to instantly stand out as a professional is to optimize your set design. Consider playing around with different sets as the seasons change or even to match the topic of the day.
Start Simple, Scale Smart
We hope this guide was helpful! We can’t wait to see what magic you will create in your brand new studios, as we know our clients always push creativity and results to the next level.
Remember, whether you’re selling beauty, fashion, consumer electronics or rental properties, your setup tells your story. Make sure it’s one your customers want to keep coming back to.
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