How to live-stream with confidence
In a world where taking events to the digital space is a major step in staying relevant, live-streaming has been a key tool in keeping up. From live-streamed concerts to paint-and-sips to workouts, organizations worldwide are proving that streaming is the secret to success right now.
Why should my organization hop on the bandwagon?
For starters, tools such as Facebook Live see three times the amount of engagements than typical posts shared on social media. On Facebook alone, live-streaming also generates more than 3,000 years of watch time every day.
Additionally, now more than ever, it’s crucial to communicate with your audience. Social media usage has skyrocketed during the pandemic, so this may be one of the best times to reach your followers online.
Can I live-stream on every platform?
Live-streaming is available on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (via Periscope), YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Not every page or user can live-stream on LinkedIn, but you can apply to be a live broadcaster to access the capability. Only a limited number of broadcasters get accepted.
Making the most of live-streaming for B2B marketing
Livestream.com says that 73% of B2B businesses report seeing positive results from live-streaming, and 28% of marketers are investing more of their budget in it. Streaming humanizes the brand and creates a new, modern way to connect with clients from the palm of their hands. Here are a few opportunities for brands to use these tools:
- Kicking slideshows to the curb and going live to announce new product launches. By doing so, you’ll show transparency, have the opportunity to offer demonstrations, receive immediate feedback, and answer questions live.
- Make your followers feel exclusive by giving them a behind-the-scenes look at notable industry events your team is attending.
- Record “how-to” videos and allow your audience to ask any questions that they may have on the spot.
- Offer webinars to drive people to your social channels. After all, the intent of social media is to share helpful and insightful content.
- Hold a live Q&A with industry influencers. By having them as a digital guest speaker, their audience will watch and visit your page—and hopefully end up as new followers. Influencer speakers will also help establish your credibility.
With the growing popularity of Facebook Groups, organizations can stream events, webinars, and conferences for employees that cannot attend due to geographical barriers. Giving employees the opportunity to engage via live-steam keeps them connected from anywhere.
Interested in more tips on keeping your social media up-to-date?
Check out this blog on social media trends for 2020.
Getting started
We recommend testing the feature on different platforms to see if the tool is right for your audience and where they deliver the most engagement. If you have never gone live before, it is beneficial to use the “me only” mode on Facebook to practice using the tool before going live publicly. If your audience doesn’t respond immediately, don’t give up! Remember: Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Here are a few best practices to keep in mind:
- Dig into the analytics of your profiles and find when your audience is the most active. Try broadcasting during these times — after all, you don’t want to stream when your audience is offline.
- If you’re streaming from a phone, we recommend investing in a tabletop tripod. The price is minuscule, but a stable video can make all the difference.
- Address your audience’s questions and comments. Social media is supposed to be social, and no one likes a one-way conversation. As a bonus, engaging with your audience will help get your videos more views and, in turn, more organic reach on your video.
- Promote your plan to live-stream across channels. By driving your followers to your other platforms, you will increase your follower counts and get as many of your existing audience to tune in.
- Stay on topic. It’s easy to get distracted when you’re live-streaming, but be sure your audience gets what they came for or else viewers will begin to drop off. Tip: rehearse your talking points on a notecard beforehand, or purchase an inexpensive teleprompter for your live broadcasts to help you stay on topic!
- Save the video and promote it on your other profiles as it seems appropriate. Be sure to tell viewers the next time they can tune in live so that they join in next time. Posting the video to your page allows people that have a conflict in their schedule to watch your video at their convenience.
- Relax and have fun! People enjoy listening to people, rather than corporate robots. Use this tool to show the human side of your business and get to know your audience.
Live-streaming is soaring in 2020, and we hope you can take these tools and lead the pack for B2B marketers ready to get on board. For more social media tips, check out our blogs here.
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