Till recent dates, the term- ‘ corporate social media’ was defined as a refined, sophisticated profile of a brand and cautiously generated posts. The fundamental objective of the corporate social media was to build influence, promote brand recognition and eventually to sell the products or services. Though the concept of corporate social media hasn’t changed, the procedure has undoubtedly transformed. With the advancements in technology, social media has become more potent with trends like live video streaming. Live broadcasting means the transmission of real-time, continuous video over social media websites or a dedicated streaming platform. With the emergence of Facebook Live, Instagram Live Stories, Snapchat, etc. many people are now familiar with the live broadcasting.
Let’s have a look at different aspects of live streaming step by step.
Live streaming and business – Leveraging live streaming videos for business purpose merits it in multiple ways. Live broadcast allows the sellers to interact virtually with the buyers and that too in real time with the minimum cost. The unedited and natural feel of the content helps to connect with the viewers providing them a personal experience. Videos broadcasted on social media makes the business viral as its reach is way broader than other mediums. When a video is live streamed on social media, it keeps on trending as the viewers keep commenting, liking and sharing it if they wish so. A steady internet bandwidth, a good camera, and enough talent are all you need to create live videos. Hence, the cost involved in it is very minimal. Once the live streaming is done, you can use it to make a content marketing catalogue. The video content can prove to be extremely useful for promotional purposes such as testimonials, websites, social media marketing and so on. Live videos are boon for those entrepreneurs who are seeking an enormous market exposure around the world.
Ideal practices for live streaming – First, you need to focus on the preparation of your live streaming video. Scribble a basic format of your video or program; be it scripted or an extempore. Chalk out the execution methods and likely issues. Finally, make a complete plan of production taking into account adjacent aspects of infrastructure, workforce, finance, etc. Secondly, never compromise on video quality. As per your budget, seek for the best possible equipment to conduct a shoot. Technology and resources utilized in the production and post-production of your video decide the future of your live stream videos; so never overlook it.
Once you are done with the production, look for its promotion. You must treat the live videos as live shows. Opt for promotional efforts like emailers, social or digital commercials, teaser videos and so on. Create excitement about your upcoming live video so that you already start gathering the audience. Build a sound strategy to boost your marketing initiatives depending on the results you are expecting. Keep brainstorming for innovative ideas and concepts that are likely to appeal the viewers.
Before you step ahead to make your video live stream; think carefully about the desired platform. As discussed, you can live stream the video on any platform of your choice; however, you also need to consider specifications of your requirements. For instance, the purpose of your video, target audience, a changed perspective to attract potential customers, method, and scope for interactivity and compatibility with the platform. Once you understand what exactly your video needs to reach out to the world; you can quickly pick up the best platform. There are many streaming apps that allow you to live stream your video on multiple social networking platforms at a time.
Tricks for a kick-start streaming strategy – You can keep closed sessions such as customers Q & A, experts Q & A for spinning your video to a great extent. When customers interact with each other regarding the content; sharing of experiences and feedbacks takes place. Influencers and industry experts too can involve in the process to clarify the doubts of the viewers. Product launch or product demos are likely to get massive publicity if conducted in a live broadcasting video format. They create an excitement and engagement extravaganza about whatever you are launching or showing it to the buyers. Events, campaigns or contests when supported by social media, get excellent responses. A strategy made with considering pros and cons of the live video you are making is known to be the most feasible and successful one.
To summarize this topic, the suggestion is to focus on the interest elements of your target audience. Fun has to be included in an innovative way that will blend the desired message or information within your video. Each of your live streaming videos will be undoubtedly a learning experience for you! Keep creating, keep streaming!