In today’s digital landscape, there’s an endless sea of premium video content out there competing for consumer’s attention and wallets. In order to successfully build and retain an audience, content owners can no longer expect their audience to come to them, they must reach and engage viewers on the platforms where they already are, including social media.
The authentic, first-hand experience of live video engages viewers in a way that its on-demand counterpart can not. Live video provides a personal touch which opens up a dialogue and interaction with viewers. It’s this interactive quality that makes it an incredibly powerful tool to engage and build an online audience. If you aren’t already live streaming, here are 5 good reasons to start.
Zype makes it incredibly simple for content owners to expand distribution across every platform, and that includes social media. We recently released Live Multicasting, which enables you to push a single live broadcast to multiple destinations in the cloud, including Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter/Periscope.
We demoed live multicasting at NAB Show in Vegas a few weeks ago a live broadcast of the Zype booth. Each day, our team, customers, and prospects that didn’t make it to the show were able to join in the fun at NAB by tuning in LIVE on Facebook, YouTube, and our demo WordPress Plugin site. Learn more about multicasting from our CEO, Ed by checking out his interview at NAB with Streaming Media.
Now that every major social platform has integrated live video, it’s easier than ever to connect directly with viewers all over the world. For any brand or organization already publishing video, it’s also an opportunity to reach an incredibly wide, yet targeted audience.
Looking at the numbers, why wouldn’t you expand live distribution to social channels? People are watching 100 million hours of video on Facebook every day, and that’s just one platform. That said, don’t forget that the real power of live video doesn’t lie in the number of views, it’s the engagement that it sparks. Use these simple, yet powerful tactics to effectively engage and attract audiences with live video, across any social platform.
When you’re live, there’s no room for error….and a lot can go wrong. Whether you are just starting out or a seasoned pro, ALWAYS take the time to test your equipment and the internet connection beforehand to ensure your live event runs smoothly. You only have one chance to make a good first impression, and delivering a professional stream is key to keep users engaged and coming back to watch more content.
In order to get people to tune in, you have to promote your live stream like you would any other live event.
Think about the audience you are trying to reach and be strategic with promotion. You want to reach your entire established audience, as well as any potential viewer, subscriber, donor, or customer who may not have heard of you before.
Think about your distribution strategy. Would anyone be interested in your live event? Or are you trying to target a specific audience? Use social media, email, and broadcasts leading up to the event to let your audience know when you’ll be live. Magnify your reach further by asking your partners to share the event on their social pages or boosting your own promotional social posts. Most social networks notify followers right when you go live, but it’s also a good idea to send out a reminder email and social post in the final hours leading up to the broadcast.
Of course, you always want to remarket your live stream as on-demand content, but you also need to give viewers a reason to watch it while you’re live. Make live viewers feel included by opening up a dialogue and encouraging people to participate. Incentivize viewers to tune in live with an exclusive online Q&A, behind the scenes content, or discount code.
If you’re already hosting live events, your audience is physically limited by the venue and location. Live streaming is a great way to reach people who can’t make it, even if they live out of town or tickets are sold out, they can still participate. It’s important to make your live viewers feel as though they are there.
Remember, the value of live streaming isn’t necessarily about the views, it’s the opportunity to engage directly with your audience. People have the opportunity to react, like, share and comment in real time, but in order to be effective, you’ve got to be an active participant in the conversation. Keep live viewers engaged by having someone responding to comments while you’re live and following up with your audience afterward.
Always give viewers a clear call to action at the end of the live stream. Tell them exactly when and where they can find you, as well as dates of future broadcasts and additional content. Since you can’t monetize directly on social platforms, your goal is to redirect viewers to your website and encourage them to subscribe, donate or purchase tickets. If your goal is driving brand awareness, tell people where they can follow you on social media and encourage them to share the video with friends.
Live broadcasts are an effective, no-pressure strategy to convert viewers into paying customers by allowing them to “try before they buy”. Sports teams can live stream games or behind the scenes content to engage fans and drive future ticket sales. Religious organizations can live stream their services to connect with their community, build their congregation and encourage donations. Fitness brands can drive people to subscribe by streaming a live work out class. Whatever your content is, live streaming to social is a golden opportunity to connect with viewers, new and old.
Get more live streaming tips and best practices from the experts at Zype, register here for our webinar with Videoink : Mastering the Ins & Outs of Live Streaming on Thursday, April 26 at 4 pm ET.