Social media platforms have evolved.
Today, you can do much more than just write posts, comments, upload pictures, and videos.
Now you have the option to live stream with your audience.
It’s a cool concept, but should you be doing this?
Absolutely.
People love videos.
But you just need to make sure you’re effectively using live stream to your advantage.
Over 90% of Internet traffic comes from video content.
Facebook is one of the top options for you to consider for broadcasting live content.
Since Facebook Live launched in 2015, its search popularity rose over 330% in the last two years.
What’s this information tell you?
Not only do people love watching videos, but also they are actively searching for more.
The number of comments can show the popularity of live videos on Facebook too.
Facebook users comment on these videos at 10 times the rate of regular videos.
Keep an eye on these comments.
Reply to your viewers if you can.
You can reply verbally, or type the responses.
It’s a great way to interact with your customers and keep them engaged.
Here are some psychological behaviors that impact and create engagement.
- Curiosity
- Desire to be recognized
- Create a sense of belonging
- Control
- Exclusivity
We’ll discuss these in more detail as we go through some examples, but here is a quick overview of each emotion.
People are curious by nature.
You can use this information to your advantage while you’re streaming a live video.
People also want to be recognized.
Mention them by name or username.
If a user makes a comment, acknowledge it.
Say thank you or give them a shout out.
This will also give them a sense of control if their comment affects your decision.
Since live videos don’t last long, it’s an exclusive feeling for the viewers.
They are part of a smaller group as opposed to just one of the thousands of followers you may have.
Here are some effective ways to implement live video to your business.
Stream live events
Streaming an event can have a positive impact on your sales.
Take a look at these numbers.
Two-thirds of viewers have a greater chance of buying a ticket to an event after seeing a live video of something similar online.
That number is on the rise.
Over 80% of people watched more live videos last year than the previous year.
It’s clear that those numbers are trending upward.
Your business needs to stay up to date with current trends.
Use this strategy to promote events for your company.
This works especially well if you’re trying to endorse similar events in the future and drive ticket sales or attendance numbers.
You can also stream videos from events you’re attending as opposed to just hosting.
Let your customers know if you’re attending a conference or business expo.
Ask them if there are certain booths or displays that they want to see.
This all relates back to that feeling of exclusivity.
Your viewers can feel like they are at a special event, even if they weren’t invited or don’t have a ticket.
Host a live interview
Set up an interview or discussion with a client or employee.
This discussion can establish you as an authoritative source in your field, which is a great way to generate a social proof of concept.
Focus the interview questions on educational information for your viewers.
The conversational structure of an interview may be less formal and more entertaining than just a presentation with one person.
Try to get your customers involved with the line of questioning as well.
Remember, you want them to be engaged.
Allow some time during the interview to field some questions directly from your live audience.
Like we said earlier, always acknowledge the user by their name.
It will make them feel like they are contributing, which is a psychological way to connect with your customers.
Show the customers how your product creation process works
If you’re selling a product, use a live video to show your customers how you make things.
For safety and practicality purposes, it may be unreasonable to offer tours of your production facility.
However, you can take your customers on a virtual tour with a live video stream.
Walk them through your building and explain how the process works.
Take them through each step of your production.
This is a great chance to showcase your quality.
It holds you and your employees accountable as well.
You wouldn’t want to show customers a dirty or dangerous production facility.
A live video gives you a chance to tighten up your quality control and do some thorough cleaning of your building if you’ve been slacking with tidiness.
Give your viewers a behind the scenes sneak preview
Behind the scenes, live videos trigger some of the emotions that we discussed earlier.
- Curiosity
- Sense of belonging
- Exclusivity
This is a great technique for certain businesses such as:
- Photographers
- Filmmakers
- Tattoo artists
- Hair stylists
- Media companies
It will give your viewers access to areas that they normally wouldn’t be able to see.
A photographer or movie producer wouldn’t let just anyone come stand behind the camera while they’re working.
But live videos can give fans a sneak preview of what they’ll see when the final product is released.
Live videos temporarily remove the “off limits” feeling that your customers may be experiencing.
Take a look at how media publishers are using live videos.
Compared to other industries, media pages are using live video the most.
Consider giving your viewers access to a news anchor or reporter preparing to go on TV.
Even if you’re not part of the media, you can still use live videos.
As we mentioned earlier, the notion is trending upward.
Provide training seminars
Make sure you’re streaming high quality live videos.
You’ll need a strong Internet connection.
Quality is the most important aspect of live videos, according to 67% of viewers.
This is especially important if you’re broadcasting a “how to” video.
It’s vital that your customers can clearly see what you’re doing.
Make sure your training videos are informative.
Keeping your customers informed is a great way to increase customer retention.
Let’s take a look at some of the top perceived benefits of live videos.
Creating a more authentic interaction with the audience is number one on this list.
A training seminar is a great way to accomplish this.
You can establish a regular viewing audience and host a live video like this on a weekly basis.
It gives your customers a reason to keep coming back.
Do a live Q & A segment
Question and answer sessions are a great way to establish trust with your customers.
You want your customers to trust you because it shows that you care about them.
If your customers don’t think that you care, chances are they will leave you for another company.
In fact, based on the graphic above, it’s the number one reason why customers stop using your service.
You need to provide and emphasize excellent customer service.
Amazing customer service can help you double your revenue.
Your customers have questions.
You need to be there to answer them.
Hosting a live question and answer session is a great time to do this.
Plus, you can do it at a time that’s convenient for you.
Encourage customers to ask questions.
I’m sure lots of people have similar questions, so by answering them in front of an audience, you won’t have to keep repeating yourself.
This is more effective than taking calls from one customer at a time.
Use a live stream to run a contest for the viewers
Everyone loves to get something for free.
Live videos are a great time to give away gifts and prizes to your customers.
Promote the event and say that a winner will be randomly selected from the live viewing list.
You can use this as an opportunity to promote and market other aspects of your company.
Let’s take a look at some numbers.
Viewers watch live videos for 3 times longer than they watch pre-recorded videos.
How can you use this to your advantage?
The key is to get your customers to view your live video initially.
Once they start watching, they will watch for a long time.
Using a free gift or giveaway promotion is a great way to drive views to your live stream.
Based on the what you’re promoting during the stream, those views can ultimately generate leads, clicks, and conversions on your website.
Get feedback for your new products or services
Use your live video stream to hear from your customers.
In the past, I’ve explained ways to understand your customer.
Surveys and interviews are a highly effective method.
Earlier I suggested that you use a live question and answer forum for your customers.
This is similar, but the roles will be reversed.
You’ll be asking the questions, and the customers will provide feedback.
Have you ever used a focus group?
Look at this graph.
Focus groups are expensive.
You can use a live video for free to connect with your customers and ask them questions.
The only cost of this is your time.
And trust me, it’s well worth it.
You can gain valuable information about your products and services by asking your customers directly.
Your customers have an opinion, but they may not share that opinion if they aren’t asked.
Use this information to make your business better.
Take the customer feedback seriously and apply the necessary changes moving forward.
You can do this on a regular basis, but it’s especially effective right after a new product launch.
Launch a new product
Speaking of new products, use a live video to create a buzz about something new.
Tell your social media followers that you have a special announcement on a certain day and time.
Stimulate curiosity.
Don’t give it all away ahead of time.
Make them attend the live video to hear the announcement.
You don’t have to come up with a completely new product.
Try making announcing a product extension instead.
Look at this growth model.
Extensions can improve the life cycle of a product and prevent a decline over time.
Launching something new is a great way to get your customers excited.
Again, this relates back to that feeling of exclusivity.
First, you get them curious by saying you have a special announcement.
Then, you get them enthusiastic about a release.
During the live video stream, you can even give away a couple of products for free as we discussed earlier.
This is a great way to make sure people keep tuning in to your live events in the future as well.
Be personal and make a connection with your customers
It’s important to show your face and let your customers and subscribers know that you’re a real person.
I’ve explained how you should be personal with your email marketing tactics.
The same idea can be applied to your live videos.
Have a sense of humor.
Just stay away from discussing or making jokes about taboo subjects like politics, race, or religion.
Make sure that you’re providing the viewers with compelling content.
Look at some of these statistics.
Interesting content was the number one reason why customers viewed a live video.
What else stands out to you?
25% of people watched a live video because a family member or friend recommended it.
If you use personalization techniques during your video streams, your customers will like you more.
As a result, your customers will recommend you and your brand to their loved ones.
Introduce the viewers to your staff as well.
Don’t underestimate the value of being personable.
Conclusion
Should you be using live videos to promote your brand and business?
In short, yes.
Just make sure you’re doing this in an appropriate fashion.
You don’t need to live stream every aspect of your personal day-to-day life.
However, there are definitely ways to use live video to your advantage.
I’d recommend using the tactics that we discussed above.
So, what platforms should you use to stream live videos?
Facebook Live and YouTube were the two most popular, but you can do independent research to find out which platforms your customers use the most.
Stream live events.
If you’re going to host similar events in the future, this is a great way to increase ticket sales.
Host live interviews and training seminars.
Provide question and answer segments.
These sessions will showcase your authority and knowledge within your industry.
You also want to stimulate curiosity and customer engagement.
Running contests, giving away items for free, and launching new products will get viewers excited.
Create a feeling of exclusivity by giving people a behind the scenes look at your production process.
Use live videos to get feedback about your products and services.
Be personal.
Try to stimulate certain emotions that develop a bond and relationship with your viewers.
Respond to their comments and call them out by name.
What tactic will you use during your next live video stream to connect and establish trust with your viewers?