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Influencing mechanisms of live streamer's language strategies on product sales

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  • Ma, Xiangyang
  • Ren, Jiawen
  • Khor, Xianghui
  • Wang, Ruina
  • Li, Tieshan
  • Lang, Xiaoping

Abstract

Live-streaming e-commerce has experienced rapid growth in recent years. Drawing on Hovland's persuasion theory and Aristotle's rhetorical theory, this study categorizes streamers' persuasive linguistic strategies into six types: rewards and exaggeration, rewards and logic, rewards and emotion, credibility and exaggeration, credibility and logic, and credibility and emotion. Through text analysis and statistical modeling, the results show that "rewards and exaggeration," and "credibility and exaggeration," positively influence sales, while "credibility and logic" has a negative impact on sales. The study further finds that customer engagement mediates the relationship between most linguistic strategies and sales, while electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) amplifies the influence of customer engagement on sales. This research enriches theoretical insights into persuasive language use in live-streaming e-commerce and provides practical recommendations for streamers aiming to optimize engagement and boost sales performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Ma, Xiangyang & Ren, Jiawen & Khor, Xianghui & Wang, Ruina & Li, Tieshan & Lang, Xiaoping, 2025. "Influencing mechanisms of live streamer's language strategies on product sales," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:85:y:2025:i:c:s0969698925000700
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104291
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