The Effects of Anchors’ Multimodal Features on Fan Conversion in Live-streaming E-commerce
Hangsheng Yang, Chuan Luo, and Xin (Robert) Luo
International Journal of Electronic Commerce,
Volume 29, Number 3, 2025, pp. 335-365.
Abstract:
The rising prevalence of live-streaming e-commerce (LSE) has enticed a significant number of viewers, many of whom not only purchase products, but also develop a fandom for the anchors due to their performances in LSE rooms. During live broadcasts, anchors play an indispensable role, with viewers engaging with their multimodal idiosyncrasies, such as speech, voice, and appearance. However, the impact of these multimodal attributes on the conversion of viewers into fans remains starkly unclear. This study employs the heuristic-systematic model to explore the effects of anchors’ multimodal attributes, further analyzing how these effects vary across different types of LSE rooms. To achieve scientific rigor and realism, we collected objective data from 1,470 LSE sessions, comprising 436,734 min of video and audio, 25,756,492 words of text, and 528,204 keyframe images from a leading LSE platform in China. The empirical results reveal that an anchor’s voice pitch, facial attractiveness, sociability, and professionalism positively influence fan conversion, whereas excessive body movement has a detrimental effect. In addition, the impacts of these factors differ depending on the type of LSE room. Our findings offer theoretical insights and practical implications for scholars and practitioners in the LSE paradigm.