Optimizing influencer mix strategies for livestream commerce : insights from China

China has revolutionized online shopping through livestream commerce. Influencers offer engaging and interactive live experiences and promote products in a fusion of commerce and entertainment. Tailoring livestream campaigns to the type of influencer and product strategy is essential. We discuss the impact of several key factors, such as price discounts, product categories and the number of products promoted in a single livestream. Also, the types of influencers and how they are combined are essential. Mega influencers, with their vast followings, are ideal for building brand awareness, while smaller influencers, with their close relationships with their loyal audiences, excel at driving engagement. However, combining big and small influencers does not always lead to better results. If smaller influencers promote a product in advance, mega influencers can lose trustworthiness, resulting in lower sales. In contrast, starting with a mega influencer and then introducing smaller influencers can improve overall campaign performance.