If it wasn’t a live streaming video, did it really happen?
Social media has introduced a new asset to add to your marketing tool belt—live streaming! The phrase “anytime, anywhere” is truer than ever now with live streaming, which brings accessibility to the forefront of a business’s success. Yet, live streaming is one of the most underutilized tools—why?
Part of the reason is that many businesses are unsure how it would be used within their marketing funnel, while others just don’t think it would be a good fit. That’s why we’re here, to give you all the tips and services needed to make your marketing efforts a success! To decide if going live is right for your business, here are 3 factors to consider:
1. What content should your business go live with?
Live streaming is a social media magnet that’s bound to draw views and shares, but with the right kind of content—content that your audience wants to see! So, we’ve broken down two approaches to guide your content strategy for live streaming:
For Entertainment Value
The whole purpose of social media is to share your life with the people you connect with. If you are hosting or attending an event, tradeshow, or conference, your followers want to see it—so live stream it! Give your audience an exclusive, behind-the-scenes view into exciting events happening with your company.
For Educational Value
Does your business receive frequently asked questions? Host a panel of your employees for a live Q&A to address them. Increase your live engagement by prompting your viewers to ask new questions in the comments for an immediate response during the live feed.
Has your company launched a new product or service? Go live with it and offer a tutorial for tips and best practices. This content strategy is beneficial to the B2B industry, but could be applicable for B2C markets where consumers spend a lot of time educating themselves.
If you are capable of executing either of these approaches, live streaming can be a powerful medium to do so. It will make viewers feel involved and part of something exclusive.
2. How strong is your social presence?
To find success in live streaming, the company has to have a strong and engaging social media presence so that your followers have the potential to see the live stream. If you only have a handful of followers when you go live, your return on investment is slim. Don’t let this put a stop to your stream, though! Users that follow you will be notified when you go live, but it’s important to note how engaged your audience is with your brand. Analyze your follower engagement, such as shares, likes, comments, and clicks. If you have followers that engage with your page regularly, you should be live streaming. It will give your followers a chance to engage with your company in real time!
3. Do you have the resources?
Before you consider engaging with live streaming, you have to have a solid social strategy in place. A good live stream is more than just whipping out your camera phone. It requires market research, on-screen talent, strategic planning, video equipment, and creative content.
If you don’t want your first experience in live streaming to go bust and need assistance growing your social presence, shoot a project request our way! We’ll have our social media managers perform a social audit on your pages, then build a coherent strategy for your business. Ready to go live? Get in touch with us here!
