Live broadcasting offers businesses a way to give customers an inside look at their brand and tell their story in a little more interesting and engaging way. Companies of all sizes and social media budgets need to consider taking advantage of live streaming’s unique capabilities to provide timely content that captivates followers. This type of content is where all the growth is expected to happen over the next couple of years and therefore, stands to reason that it will boost a company’s growth strategy on social media as well.
What is Live Broadcasting
Live broadcasting can be done through these main social media platforms: Facebook Live, YouTube Live, Instagram Live or Twitter’s Periscope. Live broadcasting allows for real-time conversations with a company’s customers. Viewers are able to interact by asking questions, making comments or liking while watching the live footage. Your community is reacting and giving you the opportunity to respond to them directly during the live feed. Truly two-way communication.
Note: If there is reluctance from executives about the possibility of experiencing trolls or abusive comments during a live broadcast, assure them that platforms take action against this type of content. In 2018 Twitter suspended nearly 70 millions accounts between May and June to purge fake users. Twitter is committed to reviewing and suspending repeatedly abusive accounts. If other followers agree that an abusive comment is made during a live video, a user’s chat capabilities will be temporarily disabled during the broadcast.
Why Companies Should Participate
The statistics tell the story.
- According to Tubular Insights, viewers spend 8X longer with live video than on-demand – 42.8 minutes for live video compared to 5.1 minutes for on-demand.
- Livestream reported that 81 percent of Internet users said they watched more live-streamed content in 2016 than the year prior.
- Live broadcasting outpaces other types of online video growth, with more than 100% increase in ad growth year-over-year.
- People watch live video 3x longer than prerecorded video.
- Users comment on Facebook live videos 10x more than on regular videos.
It’s a Cost Effective Strategy
Smaller companies can make this work on a tight budget. Instagram Live and Facebook Live make it very easy to add quality video content to their platforms. While just a person with a phone can do the trick, it’s better to have a plan in place. Really work out the location and make sure there is an eye-catching background. A strong wifi connection is needed and not too much background noise. Remember to engage audiences with an experience or interview or product launch that is done in a unique way. In other words think through how the video should play out including an introduction, the event or experience and a call to action.
Consider spending $50 – $100 to purchase a tripod to steady the phone, a set of lapel microphones for greater sound quality, and a handheld light to brighten up the space. Now an interesting, polished view of your brand can be seen that is different than your website and email marketing.
Types of Marketing Utilization
Broadcast an Event – New location opening? Broadcast it live and give followers a preview of what to expect when they visit you.
Host Interviews – Sit with the head of product development and let followers know why a new product or service will help them.
Host Webinars – With Facebook Live choose a relevant topic to your follower community, promote your webinar, educate them on what you said you would, and then drive them to a landing page where they can sign up for a quote or consultation.
Conduct How-to or Demonstrations – Maybe your industry relies heavily on tradeshows or homeshows. Try a live video describing how to setup a booth, including how to utilize space with for a display, marketing materials, products, and technology.
Social media is a powerful tool, and live broadcasting is its newest addition for attracting and retaining customers. The nature of live video allows for a little longer engagement period and emphasizes accountability for delivering relevant content that tells your brand’s important story.
