Over the last few years brands have really taken to live video streaming, and now see it as a main part of their video marketing strategy. In this blog I’m going to look at why it has become so popular and the video types that work particularly well.
Instant engagement and gratification
Unlike traditional forms of online marketing, live streaming gives your audience the opportunity to engage with you in real time, whilst the action is happening. This is important because it makes the audience feel like they are part of the action and it gives them instant gratification, especially if their question is answered or their commentary is being responded to by other viewers. All of this engagement creates a positive feeling amongst the audience and this is then associated with the brand which is incredibly powerful.
Honesty
Because there is so much choice in the marketplace a strong product or service offering is no longer enough to win new clients/customers. Today it’s important that you supplement your product/service offering with a more human feel. Live streaming is fantastic at this because it can appear to be more off-the-cuff and because the production is usually a lot simpler and there is no ‘editing’ it comes across a lot more real. By watching a live video of someone revealing a new product for example, you can really get a feel for who they are and what they stand for.
Reach a wider audience
If you’re running an event, whether it’s a product launch, a multi day conference or an album launch, it can be quite limiting because it requires your customers to make special plans and to travel in order to attend. If you stream the event live then it suddenly opens up the event to a much wider audience. Surely this can only be a good thing!
Now that we have looked at why live video streaming is such a great idea, below is an outline of the different uses best suited to a live video stream.
Publicity stunts
Publicity stunts are generally organised by large brands who have a customer base across multiple countries and they can take a lot of time, energy and money to put on. They also rely on creating a reaction from the people that are at the stunt. If the stunt was live streamed a wider audience would be able to see it and because they could also see the reactions of the people in attendance it would make it a lot more powerful. Another benefit of a live stream is that it gives your publicity stunt life beyond the event itself and has the chance to go viral.
Product launches
Product launches want to reach as many people as possible so live streaming is a fantastic option. A brand can create a buzz around a product launch in order to pull people in and as the date gets closer this buzz can intensify. As a product launch is the first time many people will be seeing the product a live stream allows a lot more important people to see it and it makes you look like an inclusive brand rather than an exclusive one where only selected people can see the new product for the first time.
Mini series
One of the disadvantages with a live video stream is that it requires the viewer to be available to watch it as it happens. In the current climate this is a bit of a backwards step because we all consume media and especially TV in a very different way. We watch more TV on catch-up than ever before because it fits in with our busy lives. To combat this live streaming platforms such as Facebook and YouTube save the live stream (if chosen to) so viewers can watch it at their pleasure, this is a great option as the video can continue to work once the live stream has finished which will have a positive effect on your ROI. A mini series is a great idea because viewers can ensure that they are free if the live video stream goes out at the same time each week, month etc. The idea of free content is a winner here because during the live streamed episodes a brand could offer the viewers hints, tricks or even tutorials. This helps the brand as it portrays them as caring brand who aren’t just after their customers money!
Conferences
Live streaming a conference can be very good if you need to reach a wide audience that live and work across a country or the world. Even with the best will in the world there are times when people just can’t make a certain date, or are unable to travel, so for them to be able to sit at home or at work and be part of it as it happens would be very important. Imagine if a new piece of research was being unveiled and you wanted the audience to start online conversations and debates about it, the more people who can hear it live the better. If you recorded the event and then put out some post-event videos they would not have the same conversation rates as a live video because things get out dated so quickly in this online world we live in.
News pieces
If you run a sports team or a fashion business, to name just a couple, and have news that your customers may find interesting then live streaming is a great way to go as it can be quick and easy, if just using a mobile phone. I’m an off-shore sailing fan and it’s great to watch a live stream of a sailor coming into port who has just sailed across the Atlantic ocean or even around the world. When this is then followed up with a live interview once the yacht has docked it really makes you feel like you’re part of the action. This is a particularly good example because some of these ports are in far flung places around the world and it’s unlikely that all the fans can travel there, also yachts can come into port at any hour of the day or night so a live stream makes the arrival a lot inclusive.
The techie bit!
As with anything, live streaming can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. On the simpler side of things a live stream could be one person with their mobile phone broadcasting via any of the major social media apps, such as Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. On the other end of the scale, if you’re hosting a large conference, a product launch or a publicity stunt the live stream could be made up of multiple cameras, an editor cutting between each camera live, the slides that are on the large screen and specialist software where viewers can interact with the conference.
Whatever your requirements, we are here to guide you through the different options and then to put them in to action on the day. So, if you are thinking of organising a live video stream and would like to find out how we could help please get in touch with Will or Andy on 01273 911345 or email them here.