Live Video Marketing: Yes, There’s a Right Way To Do It. Unlike other types of social content, you can only stream live to one channel at a time. Rather than trying to create content that can be repurposed, it’s better to make video experiences that are as channel specific as possible. Facebook, as in so many other forms of social media marketing, has quickly established itself as the most indispensable platform for creating live video. It’s two types of video content for two different channels, each offering its own experience. Most platforms offer instant feedback in various forms: Facebook lets users Like and comment as the session takes place, creating a conversation between the video host and his or her audience. Testing is critical because, as Forbes pointed out, not every brand will have success with the same types of live content. 0 comments Comments The Content Standard Community Login Disqus Facebook Twitter Google 1 Recommend Recommended Discussion Recommended! Attach Log in with or sign up with Disqus or pick a name Disqus is a discussion network Disqus never moderates or censors. Load more comments Powered by Disqus Subscribe Add Disqus to your site Add Disqus Add Privacy SECURITY WARNING: Please treat the URL above as you would your password and do not share it with anyone.
Everyone’s talking about live video, and many brands are trying to get in on the action. From major media organizations like NPR to independent beauty product sellers, streaming video’s potential for reaching an engaged, real-time audience has made it a new frontier for warfare among the various social media platforms. After Twitter blazed trails with Periscope, Facebook built its own live-video experience into its News Feed, while Snapchat and Instagram have also invested heavily into storytelling experiences build around streaming video.
By now, many companies have asked their marketing departments to give this new channel a try. The results have been mixed: while some companies instantly found audiences waiting for them online, others have failed to gain the traction they might have anticipated. Their frustrations are compounded when those marketers who are hard pressed for streaming video results follow the advice of live video tip sheets to a T, only to have their efforts rewarded with tiny audiences and paltry engagement.
The problem is with the prescription being handed out: like other digital channels, live video marketing is poorly served by a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead of being handed a tip sheet of what to do to improve your results, marketers would be better served by a guide to the decision-making process when building a live strategy—a road map for building their own customized campaigns.
So let’s get started.
Choose Your Platform
Where you do your video marketing will dictate much of your approach. Unlike other types of social content, you can only stream live to one channel at a time. Rather than trying to create content that can be repurposed, it’s better to make video experiences that are as channel specific as possible.
Facebook, as in so many other forms of social media marketing, has quickly established itself as the most indispensable platform for creating live video. It offers significant reach, provides multiple methods of user engagement and sharing, and gives brands several methods of extending their reach through user notifications and saving live sessions as video to your brand page. There are exceptions to its marketing power, such as when you’re targeting a young audience that prefers visual social networks like Snapchat, but Facebook is generally a good place for live streaming video marketing to start.
But if you have a highly engaged Twitter following, Periscope shouldn’t be discounted. And certain forms of storytelling can be much more effective on Instagram and Snapchat, particularly when you’re trying to create intimate user experiences—this is one advantage those platforms have over Facebook.
Brands could even consider using multiple channels simultaneously, and creating content that leverages those experiences. As an example, a company could host a live Q&A session on Facebook, while another member of the marketing team runs a Snapchat live stream that goes behind-the-scenes in showing how the video is being produced. It’s two types of video content for two different channels, each offering its own experience.
Learn on the Fly
Marketers creating livestreaming video should embrace its opportunity for learning on the go, and making quick changes to improve those experiences as they’re taking place. Most platforms offer instant feedback in various forms: Facebook lets users Like and comment as the session takes place, creating a conversation between the video host and his or her audience. Periscope offers…
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