In fact, people spend more time watching live videos than pre-recorded videos. Here’s how to leverage live video content on Facebook Live, YouTube Live, and more. Live video allows them to connect with your brand in ways that blog posts or pre-recorded videos simply can’t. Try showing more behind-the-scenes content with your live video streaming.
Finding new tactics to grow your business is tough.
It’s especially difficult when your competitors are trying the exact same things.
But you need to differentiate yourself.
The same old marketing tactics won’t help you stand out.
One of the best ways to attract potential customers is to use new platforms.
That’s where live video comes into play.
Live video is slowly but surely becoming the future of online video marketing.
It’s no secret that videos, in general, generate tons of traffic, views, and engagement.
People are now watching billions of hours of video daily on platforms like Facebook and YouTube. While pre-recorded video still dominates the space, live video is catching up.
In fact, people spend more time watching live videos than pre-recorded videos.
You can’t risk waiting any longer to start using live video.
Thankfully, there are a few brands that are already leading the way with live video marketing.
Here’s why you need live video and how you can use it to dominate the competition.
Why you need to use live video
It’s no secret that pre-recorded video is on pace to become more widely used among marketers than blog content.
It drives more engagement, views, and traffic.
Live video is already more desirable than blog content.
In fact, Livestream just conducted a study with New York Magazine and revealed how live video will dominate marketing.
Currently, 80% of users would rather watch live video from a brand than read their content marketing posts:
People want to see your company produce live content more than they want to read your posts.
Think about it: Would you rather watch and hear about actionable data or spend 25 minutes reading text?
If you put yourself in the shoes of the end user, you’ll see how live video can be beneficial.
People process video and images faster than text-based content.
In fact, people retain 80% of what they see and only 20% of what they read.
And the year-over-year growth is incredible for live video content right now:
More people are tuning into live video than ever before.
And its popularity is growing each and every year.
Conversion rates are relatively high on live stream events, too:
67% of those who watch a live stream make a purchase. That is a huge conversion rate when compared to bringing in inbound traffic with a blog post.
Most sites will only convert blog traffic at a few percent.
On top of that, people will spend 3x longer viewing video that is live compared to video that is pre-recorded.
Live videos get more shares, comments, and interaction than those that are no longer live.
Brands can see unprecedented levels of engagement with live video content.
So, what platforms should you use?
According to the study by Livestream and New York Magazine, the most popular live video platforms are Facebook and YouTube:
And it makes sense when you look at the user base of each platform:
Currently, YouTube has over one billion active users.
Facebook has over two billion monthly active users.
Here’s how to leverage live video content on Facebook Live, YouTube Live, and more.
At the same time, you can also dominate the competition.
How to start sharing live videos
There are tons of platforms you can use to share live video.
You’ve got Facebook Live, Twitter live streaming, YouTube Live, Livestream, and others.
But where are the most live fans hanging out?
The previous Livestream study found that Facebook and YouTube were the top sites, and the following study confirms that data too.
According to Statista and Business Insider, here are the most popular platforms:
You should focus your time and efforts on one or two of these platforms to avoid spreading resources too thin.
If you want to optimize your marketing plan and put all your efforts into one basket, Facebook Live is the place to be.
They have the biggest monthly active user base of over 2 billion people and more live video watchers than any other platform.
Plus, it’s simple to start live streaming.
You can go live on mobile or desktop. And if you want to up your production value, you can even connect external cameras and microphones.
To get started, head to your company Facebook Page and select “Live Video” from the posting options:
From here, you can choose between two live streaming options:
Connect your external camera or a gaming live stream.
If you want to connect a camera, select the camera option and start streaming instantly.
It’s that easy!
If you want to stream on YouTube, it’s also incredibly simple. Head to your creator studio and click “Stream now” under the live streaming tab:
Then click “Get started” and verify your account:
Once you verify your account, you can go live immediately.
Or you can first edit your stream settings and review YouTube’s tips for going live fast:
Live streaming on these social platforms is one of the easiest things you can do for your marketing strategy.
Now that you know how to live stream video content, here are some best practices to keep in mind.
Show behind-the-scenes content
According to Livestream’s latest study, 87% of people would prefer to watch live video if it meant seeing more behind-the-scenes content.
Behind-the-scenes content is one of the best ways to connect users to your brand.
Think about it:
Bloopers are one of the most highly-watched forms of content on YouTube.
Search for videos of TV show bloopers. Many of them have millions of views:
People enjoy behind-the-scenes videos that show how the creators produced the content.
They want to know how your business functions. They want to see the struggles, the hard times, and the real interactions between employees.
Personalization is huge, and seeing behind-the-scenes content is a form of personal interaction with your audience.
Live video allows them to connect with…
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