The best time is when YOUR customers watch
A great product shown at the wrong time makes an empty live. The golden rule: sell when your customers hold their phones — evenings after work, lunch breaks, weekends. Here are the slots that work in West Africa, and how to find yours.
Slots that convert best
- 12pm – 2pm weekdays: perfect for a short live (15-20 min), daily menu or new arrival.
- 7pm – 9:30pm weekdays: the prime slot. Customers are home, relaxed, phone in hand. Save it for bundle and new-collection lives.
- Saturday 10am – 12pm and 4pm – 6pm: ideal for fashion, beauty and try-ons. See selling fashion live.
- Sunday evening: great to prepare the week. Avoid worship hours depending on your audience.
Consistency beats the perfect slot
"Every Tuesday and Friday at 8pm" beats a theoretically perfect but shifting schedule. Customers build the habit and return alone. Announce each live three times and follow a minute-by-minute script to keep the pace.
Special cases: diaspora and holidays
Targeting the diaspora in Europe? Schedule evenings Abidjan time (8pm = 10pm in Paris in winter) and weekends. Before holidays (Tabaski, Ramadan, Christmas), move lives 2-3 weeks earlier: gift budgets are spent then. See holiday season sales.
Find YOUR slot in 3 weeks
- Test 3 different slots with the same format and products.
- Note after each live: viewers, average watch time, sales. Read how to read your stats.
- Keep the winner for a month, then re-test quarterly.
FAQ: live scheduling
How many lives per week?
Two short regular lives beat one monthly marathon. Frequency builds the buying habit.
What is the ideal length?
20 to 45 minutes for 3-5 products. Beyond one hour, attention drops and sales slow.
Should I avoid match days?
Yes if your audience follows them: a big match empties every live. Shift by 24h and warn on WhatsApp.
