Are you neglecting a large portion of those you are trying to reach? If you do not take advantage of the opportunity to interact with your followers through live streaming, you may be missing out.
The data associated with streaming online is remarkable, and if you have not done so already, you should start to feature this way of reaching out in your marketing plan.
Discover how to take advantage of live streaming to generate unprecedented levels of interaction with your viewers.
What Is Live Streaming?
Broadcasting real-time content is an efficacious means of engaging with your intended demographic and customizing your communication in a one-of-a-kind way. It’s a simple process that can have big results.
By making use of your social media presence, you can broadcast live videos to a large number of people and provide your followers with a special view of your organization.
The expansion of live streaming has been huge, having developed from $30 billion in 2016 to an estimated $70 billion in 2021 and is predicted to reach $184 billion by 2027.
That is an exceptionally high increase, thus marketers have to pay attention, with almost a third beginning to put more money into live streaming.
Why Your Company Should Be Using Live Streams
Broadcasting in real-time is an excellent method of establishing a genuine and personal connection with your viewers. Your viewers are able to observe the people and sound behind the company through an authentic platform, which aids in people forming an affiliation with, and being devoted to, the brand.
When it comes to the reasons your company should be using live streams, the numbers speak for themselves:
- Live streaming topped 1.1 billion hours in 2019 (Livestream)
- 80% of audiences prefer to watch live videos than read a blog (Livestream)
- Enjoyment of video increased brand association by 139% (Livestream)
- Consumers are 39% more likely to share video content
- 82% of audiences prefer to watch a live video over standard social media posts
- Live broadcasts account for one in five Facebook videos
- Live broadcasts get 24X as many comments on LinkedIn
Live streaming can be used to establish a close bond with your company, and if you already have various social media accounts, then you can build upon it for your streaming purposes.
Which Social Media Platforms Have Live Streaming?
Businesses that have not begun using live streaming yet would benefit greatly, as it does not require much to begin. You can generally access streaming services through existing social media websites like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more.
Each system has its own individual characteristics and provides users with the possibility of connecting to a distinct group of people.
If you already have a significant presence on social media, you can instantly access a large crowd through streaming online. If you are not widely recognized, live streaming can boost your visibility.
Facebook Live Streaming
According to 99Firms, half of the streaming activity takes place through social media and the most popular platform is Facebook, with a whopping 2.7 billion active users each month. Since its launch in 2016, Facebook Live has had a major influence on the platform.
Live videos generate ten times as many comments as regular videos and are watched for three times as long. This illustrates the effectiveness of using live streams on Facebook, explaining why 42.7% of firms deploy this approach on the site.
Instagram Live Streaming
Instagram has 1.15 billion active users and, even though it’s not as large as Facebook in terms of monthly users, it offers business owners the ability to target a different audience. Instagram Live is very well-received amongst those aged between 18-34, as this feature enables users to capitalize on the application’s main advantage – its ability to showcase imagery in an engaging way.
Although your streaming content is confined to being produced on a mobile device, this presents an extraordinary opportunity to permit your audience to have a very intimate email look into your brand and gives you the capability to customize your content in an appropriate way to your followers.
YouTube Live Streaming
YouTube has been the initial video-sharing service, and in modern times it has a tremendous impact on marketers who transmit live streaming. There are over 2 billion people logging onto the platform every month, making it the second most popular social media site, only behind Facebook. It has also been claimed that it is the world’s number two search engine, second only to Google.
How to Make Engaging Content for Your Live Stream Videos
Your achievements in marketing will hinge on the excellence of your material.
In order to make an impact, it is necessary to be knowledgeable about the people you are trying to connect with, the queries they possess, and the areas in which they could be dealing with difficulty. Once you have a good grasp of who your target viewers are, then you can develop an outline of what you plan to accomplish with your live stream.
Remember these important points:
- Live streaming is an inclusive medium: Engage with your audience before you go live and ask them what they would like to see you address. This can guide the theme of your stream, and help make sure you’re answering people’s questions.
- You should have a rough plan: You need to be prepared enough so that you feel comfortable; however, this is an opportunity to improvise and show your character. People like live video because it’s not staged, and it hasn’t been perfectly optimized and edited. It’s a raw look at you, your brand, and your company, so you need to be flexible.
- Be responsive to your audience: This is an opportunity for your followers to feel truly connected to your brand, and one of the ways you can achieve this is by allowing them to drive the discussion. Be responsive to comments and feedback, and allow them to guide you.
- Remember your goals: The goal of live streaming generally isn’t to push your product; it’s about building valuable relationships. Always be aware of the value you offer the viewer and look to maximize this wherever possible.
Other Tips To Boost Your Engagement For Your Live Streaming
Keep Things Moving
You should be engaging viewers for every second of your live broadcast. If you cannot keep tasks progressing, refer to the first item.
Viewers generally tend to engage with live videos for a lengthier period of time when compared to video-on-demand, with the greatest Facebook Live streams lasting from fifteen to twenty minutes. Viewers have an increasing selection of live videos to pick from on their News Feeds, so it’s important to keep them engaged. If you want to increase Facebook Live viewers instead of losing them halfway through, make sure to:
Adapt to the current circumstances. Stay light and nimble. Swap subjects or routes depending on what is happening close by and how the listener is reacting.
Provide context. People tuning into your live stream may not remain for very long if they can’t tell quickly what is happening. Regularly giving “recaps”, where show hosts inform the listeners what the show is about and who the guest and topic are, is helpful to those who have just tuned in.
You can also employ your equipment to provide context; as an illustration, a kitchen full of components outlines a cooking clip, while two seats situated across from each other implies a talk session.
Pre-source questions. It’s a good idea to have several questions ready ahead of time for any Q&A or “ask me anything” sessions to avoid any silence or uncomfortable pauses. Record inquiries and who is making them when using advertising posts days or weeks before the occasion.
Embrace Imperfection
Authenticity and unpredictability are the names of the game. It is unavoidable that some issues will arise – however, so long as it does not disrupt your show/transmission/program, that is fine. Embracing imperfection can actually make your video more compelling.
“Steer clear of the traditional media phrase “Quiet on the set”. This doesn’t align with the optimal approach to using Facebook Live.” Urge both cast and crew to converse, giggle and enjoy a joke together. Invite any celeb or influencer with a large following to participate in your conversation to make it more genuine.
Host games and activities. Doing something on the screen can be an exciting method of adding unexpectedness. Rather than beginning with a Q&A, try hosting an interactive game with the online viewers, such as truth or dare, Pictionary, or “how well do you know your castmate.” You can also increase engagement by organizing a competition with some giveaway prizes.
Just act natural. Don’t try to dictate the action. Keep things loose, fun, and organic. If it’s important that the message be precisely maintained and you’d rather not risk having a mistake become public knowledge or leaving the door open for criticism from the audience, then do not use live broadcasting.
Plan Your Failure Scenarios
Incorrect circumstances, unanticipated reactions from the viewers, and even difficulties occurring can add to the amusement—except if the live broadcast crashes. When we talk about accepting imperfection, it doesn’t mean tolerating weak links or inferior work; that is where “unpredictability” becomes “unprofessional”.
Always have two of everything. What if your equipment, like the camera, the mixer, or the encoder, stops working during the broadcast? It is advisable to have a plan B ready for each component in the workflow, such as an alternate camera or a computer program that has already been set for the proper configurations.
Have multiple plans in place. You might want to devise various strategies depending on how the broadcast could be messed up. If it’s at the start, you may want to erase the post and start over again. If it’s halfway done, it may be a good idea to address the issue and keep going. Be sure to have the right authorizations and passwords on hand in the event you need to log back in.
Redundancy, redundancy, redundancy. Your configuration needs to be sufficiently secure that if the place where your broadcast is taking place shuts down, the streaming will still continue. Have a backup Wi-Fi router or bonded system readily available in case your internet service or the building’s power fails.
When sending a transmission from expansive venues or large, important occasions, the range of data can be too much for even a combined connection to handle. In these cases, using a satellite truck is a great way to provide backup. This feature gives you the possibility of transmitting your active streaming without the use of the internet connection where you are located and makes the encoding process occur in a place where the service available is more dependable.
Test and troubleshoot onsite. Check all parts of your system before you start streaming from anyplace new. Understand the rate of your internet connection and the way your equipment is linked to it. Be sure to keep the contact info for the sound and video tech easily accessible if you are attending a studio or a show in a performance venue. Notify your 24/7 support vendor ahead of time with your encoder ID number and other applicable data.
Before you start broadcasting, try to make the environment resemble where you will be performing and fix any problems. Have the cameraperson line up the shot, have a person represent your hosts to make sure they appear clear in the picture, make sure the lighting is appropriate for the set, and get the sound levels balanced correctly. Test all the connections in your workflow. Do not mess with anything unless it’s indicated to get ready to broadcast. Alternatively, incorporate a coder that communicates with the Facebook Live interface in order to constantly update video and audio levels.
Team Up With an Influencer or Partner
A great technique to broaden your audience base is to collaborate with a partner, public figure, or company that your followers are familiar with and fond of, to broadcast a joint transmission. This will not just expand your reach to twice the size, but many of these viewers could turn into long-term followers if they enjoy what they witness.
Leverage B2B co-marketing. Collaborate with a partner company that also specializes in B2B (business-to-business) transactions in order to demonstrate how your respective products or services can complement each other. Interactive collective webinars permit you to advertise mutually over a period of time preceding the event since these have to be planned in advance. By distributing the captured webinar and placing it on your web pages, you can reach an even larger audience.
Connect with B2C influencers. Work for a B2C (business-to-consumer) company? Collaborate with a renowned figure in your industry or field. If you are in the business of selling kitchen wares, hire a famous culinary expert to demonstrate ways to use them in a cooking demonstration. If you are a bookstore proprietor, consider inviting a traveling author for a discussion. If you are the owner of a gym, you should broadcast a physical exercise session online with a well-known local fitness expert.
Conclusion
Live streaming is becoming more widespread, no coincidence; this technology is great at captivating specific groups of people and improve your promotion strategy. Businesses around the globe are keen to maximize their potential.
Restream makes it quite simple, to begin with, live streaming and there is a variety of ways to connect with a large group of people. It is essential to bear in mind that not only the live stream is significant. To use this resource to its fullest potential, you must focus on enlarging your fanbase and that demands qualified social media marketing.
Incorporating live streaming into your social media marketing plan can have a big impact on expanding your brand’s reach, so it is a strategy that should be seriously considered.
Leave a Reply