Have you ever watched a live broadcast of a car chase, sporting event or natural disaster?
We all have. Now think about it. Even now, you can probably still remember obscure details from these live broadcasts (but you can’t remember what you had for dinner last night). This is because live video is exciting.
Television news channels have long benefited from live streams. And now, you can also use these proven engagement tactics in your digital marketing strategy. According to Livestream and New York Magazine Survey, 80% of your audience would rather watch live video from a brand than read a blog. If you’re a business owner, get ready to learn how to leverage live video in your next marketing campaign.
Think Like a Broadcaster while Planning the Content
Every live video has a plan behind it, even though some sections are improvised. Still, to plan well, you have to think like a broadcaster. In other words, find out what are the top qualities of a presenter and try to perfect them.
The first rule of being a great broadcaster is to communicate the idea effectively. If your brand voice is confusing, not many people will stop and listen. Be clear, concise, and focus on explaining how your product is going to make your customer’s life easier.
Next, you will have to construct a personality that’s in line with your brand and build trust with the viewers. Try to plan a video where the broadcaster will use natural body language and smile to build a rapport.
Third, you will have to show extraordinary presentation skills. Even if it’s not the product you’re talking about, make sure the presenter or the narrator knows enough about the technical aspect of the product and the event itself.
Last, make sure your live video is accurate. Any wrong piece of information that you stream via live video is spread instantly, and you can’t undo it.
Types of Live Video Content
When you decide how you’re going to broadcast the video, your plan needs to include the type of video content. Take a look at your business calendar; do you have any events coming up? Do you plan to release a new product in the following months? Or are you thinking of interviewing a satisfied customer? All of these happenings could turn into a live video.
With internet video streaming predicted to grow more than 82% by 2022, now is the perfect time to start.
Live Stream Your Company’s Events
Events are an excellent opportunity to stream live. You can share a video of a product release and turn it into an educational video.
Sometimes your company will get a visit from a well-known name in your niche. Make sure to film it all. People build trust in your brand when they see you connect with renowned personalities.
If you’re a guest at an event, look around. What would your viewers like to see? Is it the products in your booth or your neighbor’s booth? Go and stream it all.
Lastly, you can take an opportunity and live stream behind the scenes video. It can occur before, during, or after you film new promotional material or any other type of video.
Create an Exciting Story
The traditional one-way TV ad-type of communication should stay where it belongs: behind TV screens. Instead of telling the viewer about your product, interact with them directly. For example, organize a live video with the viewer’s participation. It can be an interview with existing customers. Ask them how their life has changed after using your product.
You can also interview the influential people in the niche. Ask them about their life, about the current trends in business, or a different topic your viewers find exciting.
Live Video is also an effective way to encourage user-generated content. Create a contest where the viewers can film themselves talking about your product in a live video through one of the platforms we’ll mention later. It’s a win-win situation; the customer that gets the most views can win a prize of your choice, and you get to promote your brand with a testimonial.
Creating a story worth watching doesn’t always include interviews or testimonials. A fun way for your audience to interact with your brand is to create a live conflict on social media. Remember Buzzfeed’s Watermelon and rubber bands test? It got a staggering 11 million views during the broadcast.
Apart from streaming the video, viewers can directly interact with you through comments on social media, and you can answer them in real-time.
Related post: The Simple Guide to Creating Your First Engaging Video for Digital Marketing
Frequently Asked Questions, Tips & Tricks, Q&As and Tutorials
The final type of live video you can implement in your marketing strategy is the product instruction video. It can be a FAQ video, tips and tricks about the product, a Q&A with one of your employees or a tutorial on how to use the product.
Once you stream the video, viewers can reach out via comments. This is essential in FAQs and tutorials, where the viewer is looking to receive instant answers to any of their additional questions.
How to Implement Live Video in Your Marketing Campaign
Adding a live video to your campaign depends on the channels your audience use. The following are the three most popular platforms for live videos;
1. Facebook Live Video
The single most used platform for streaming video content is Facebook. With 2.38 billion monthly active users, the platform is a perfect choice if your audience has a Facebook profile and if you want to connect in real-time.
2. Instagram Stories
Most brands that target a younger audience have a presence on Instagram. You can easily stream live stories straight from your smartphone.
3. YouTube Live
The last on our list is YouTube Live. You can access it through “Live events” in your account. You can reply to the viewers’ questions directly in the comments section.
Do You Use Live Video in Your Marketing Strategy?
Live news can excite the viewer and grab their attention. If you ever considered including live video into your marketing campaigns, now is the time to start testing. Have you used live video in your marketing strategy? Let us know how it went in the comments section below.
