On-Air: Your Essential Guide to Live Streaming for Your Business

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guide to live streaming

By April 2016, everyone with a Facebook account had the ability to stream live videos. And, while Facebook wasn’t the first, they certainly seemed to perfect social media streaming.

Teens, preteens, and millennials may love their Snapchat stories and getting those Instagram live views, but Facebook Live is tailor-made for businesses.

It may seem intimidating at first or like a waste of time. After all, opening an app and clicking “record” doesn’t seem like it would be a great marketing tool for your brand.

There’s actually a little more to it, though. In this guide, we’re going over everything you need to know about live streaming.

Guide to Live Streaming: The Benefits

Marketing your brand is important.

You give out promotional material and involve yourself in community events. You’ve focused on digital marketing. You started a blog and opened social media accounts to share your content on the different platforms.

You’ve done everything right, so why should you start live streaming?

Adding live video streaming adds benefits you can’t get from blogging or simply having a site.

Here are five benefits to live streaming.

Unique Content

Understand the importance of unique content for SEO purposes. You also know it helps your brand stand out from the rest.

Broadcasting live video ups the ante. Even if all 1.9 billion websites start live streaming at the same time, you’ll still have your own unique content. It will be in your delivery, your message, and your production.

Cost-Effective

Live streaming costs you next to nothing. You don’t need a fancy studio or expensive equipment. You only need a camera, an internet connection, and a quiet space to film.

Generates Excitement

Launching a product? Want to show off all the activity at a local event?

Live streaming helps you do that. Your audience gets a notification that you’ve gone live and if you phrase your message effectively, they’ll be intrigued to watch.

Connects with Your Audience

Eighty-one percent of Internet users say they watched more live streaming in 2016 than they did the previous year. That alone opens up a whole path of getting new customers.

You’ll be able to see how many are watching and if you enable it, you’ll see their comments in real time.

Drives Traffic

Using Facebook Live as an example — after your live streaming ends, it automatically gets posted to your page. This allows people who weren’t able to watch live have a chance to catch a glimpse at your awesome content.

Users can share your video or tag their friends, which drives organic traffic to your page. Once there, you now have the opportunity to grow your audience.

What to Stream

Regardless of what platform you use, you’ll want to follow the same outline for producing great video content.

Customer Testimonials

Talk to some of your customers that are vocal about their support for your business. Ask them if they’re willing to “go live” with you to talk about their experience.

Eighty-four percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as their friends’ suggestions. What better review than a customer testimonial?

Share Product Demos or New Releases

Whether you want to feature an existing product or announce a new one, live streaming is an effective way to drum up excitement.

You can make product demos or tutorials so people can see how it works.

For new products, this is an excellent way to show off your creative and innovative side. These will be more of an announcement, but you can still show what your new product does.

Give a Presentation or Company Update

If you’re making some changes at your company and want to explain them in a clear and concise way, live streaming is one avenue to use.

You can even share an update on product sales, moving or opening a new location, or highlight a community event you’ll be a part of.

This introduces your brand to people who aren’t familiar with your company. It also awakens past or current customers and lets them know, “Hey! We’re still here!”

Hold a Q&A Session

If your customer service reps tell you they’re getting asked the same questions over and over, you’re a candidate for a Q&A stream.

You’ll need a little more prep for this one, so your audience can prepare for your stream and log into it.

Have the most common questions written down and at the ready. This way, if your viewership isn’t as large as you hope, you’ll still have questions you can answer without a ton of dead air.

Behind-the-Scenes or Event Content

As we mentioned, live streaming a community event you’re involved in is unique content that generates excitement. But you can also go behind the scenes of your company and introduce them to the different players on staff.

For instance, if you get a lot of positive feedback about Maria in customer service — introduce her via a live stream. Your audience will already feel connected to Maria and she’ll be able to say “Hi” to the customers she’s helped.

Behind-the-scenes videos are a fantastic way to spread brand awareness.

And, it’s cost-effective, too!

Tips to Get the Most out of Your Live Stream

There are a couple of tips to keep in mind when you’re going live. The first thing is to figure out what the purpose of your video is. Do you want to highlight a product or hold a Q&A session?

After you decide on your content, keep these things in mind.

Find a Location That Works

If you’re live streaming from an event, make sure you pick a spot where people can hear you. Start closer to your booth and introduce yourself and why you’re there. Then, you can start moving toward the crowd or activity.

If you’re holding a Q&A or product demo, make sure you’re in a room with good lighting. You’ll also want it to be quiet so your audience can hear you. Try and stay away from outside windows or in places that echo.

Let People Know You’re Going Live

Send a few messages out to your followers and fans so they know ahead of time that you’re live streaming. Even if your streaming on Facebook or YouTube, make sure you send the message across all your social media platforms.

Include a link to your account page and let them know what time you’re going live. Don’t forget to tell them what you’re streaming about!

Make Sure You Have a Strong Connection

You should test out the connection ahead of time from the spot you plan on streaming from. The last thing you want is a dropped connection while you’re live.

Write a Great Description

Entice people by your description. Be simple, but add more than, “We’re live.” Make sure you’re creative without being too wordy. Your description is what will attract people to your live stream.

Address Your Audience Personally

When people comment, address them by name. This will make them feel more connected to you and your brand. In a way, it’s like a shout-out.

Always thank them for logging on and watching.

Get the Most Out of the Internet

After reading our guide to live streaming, you now know why it’s important and how to make great content.

We’ve given you some examples of content ideas and tips to remember when you’re about to go live.

We have much more info to share, so check out how to monetize your website in four easy steps.