Live videos have become a popular tactic in digital marketing because it gives companies a way to better connect to their customers and build better relationships with them. Using live video on social media allows those watching to engage directly, which lets them take an active part in the brand’s storytelling.
Research has shown that 80 percent of people would rather watch a live video about a brand than read a post, 82 percent of people would rather watch a live video than read posts on social media, and 43 percent of viewers are willing to pay for exclusive live videos from speakers or performers.
PREPARING TO STREAM
Before you begin live streaming content, it is important to make sure that you have a good camera and video quality; if the video quality is bad, it can damage how your customers see you, and one bad video can lead to fewer viewers the next time you decide to stream. Once you lose credibility it can be hard to earn it back, so make sure you are streaming a good quality video. Practicing ahead of time will help you make sure you have all the tools you need to make your live video a success.
Anything can happen in a live video, so if you end up ditching the script you prepared in advance, do not worry. Instead of a full script, making a list of the specific points that you want to cover is probably going to be easier on you. While keeping everything on task is important, interacting with your audience is also important, and sometimes it is better to just go with the flow.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT PLATFORM
What platform is your customer base most active on? Not all of your audience is going to be on every social media platform, so when it comes to choosing which platform to stream on, it is important to determine which platform will yield the best results.
PROMOTING IN ADVANCE
Make sure you promote your live streams early to get the word out. If you just begin a live video without any warning, it may not do as well as a well-advertised video. The one exception to this is breaking news, which usually yields a high viewership.
STREAMING FORMATS
There are a number of formats you can use in your video marketing, and it can be difficult to choose which formats to use. These are some popular formats to select, but there are many more available that you can try. If one style does not work well, try a different one. Do not be afraid to try something new if one attempt does not work.
BEHIND-THE-SCENES
According to a study by Livestream, 87 percent of people prefer watching live videos with more behind the scenes content. This is one of the best ways to help your user connect to your brand.
Watching how your content is created is highly popular to watch. Users want to see the interactions between people in your organization, the struggles, the successes. Seeing the people in your company as actual people really helps to connect your customers in a way that pre-recorded videos just cannot do because it allows them to see the genuine people in your company.
A few ways you can try this style of live streaming are: showing the daily activities in your company, or “a day in the life” videos that follow one employee throughout their day; showing your employees having lunch or coffee breaks together is another good way; and offering a behind the scenes look at an event your hosting.
ANNOUNCE NEW PRODUCTS
Announcing a new product in a live video is a great tactic. Showing off the new product and its features through live video can help boost your sales when it released, because the video created hype about it.
People want to see what a product does before they buy it, and this is a great way to show them and get the word out at the same time. Holding a Q&A at the end of the demonstration, or a few days after the launch video, is a good idea because not only does it allow your consumers to gain further information, it also shows you what they are wondering about. This can help you prepare for the launch, and potentially put together an FAQ based upon those questions.
Q&A SESSIONS
Q&A sessions are a popular way to strengthen your connection to your customers. Depending on your products, you can have a regular Q&A session. There are a few ways you can go about this.
The first is you can have your users submit questions during the video stream, which will pop up on your end as they come in. If you are just getting started doing Q&A sessions, this may not be the best approach, as it can become a bit hectic.
Another way is to ask your audience to submit questions in advance, then address them during the video. This allows you to be a little more organized with your session and it is a more comfortable pace for someone who is just started out. Alternatively, if you have an FAQ on your website, you could address those questions during your live stream.