Live streaming on the rise

Ever wondered how live streaming can be used effectively by businesses? Already, brands have been utilizing the appeal of live broadcasting to target customers. With the recent success of Facebook Live, as well as other live streaming platforms, it is no wonder companies are looking towards the service as an innovative way to reach a wider audience.

2016 saw the rapid emergence of live streaming onto the world of social media. And, while many users enjoyed experimenting with this technology as a great way to communicate directly to their friends and family, many of the world’s most cutting edge businesses discovered the opportunities within.

Why live streaming?

The excitement of going live holds the key to effective audience engagement. Just like watching a live news broadcast, it allows viewers to enter into the experience of the broadcaster. This in turn makes the viewer feel like an active participant, rather than just the passive recipient of a generic post.

Other benefits of live streaming over static posts include:

• Live streams help to personalize your company. People like to bear witness to the imperfections that a live broadcast helps to expose. It makes you seem more human.
• The conversations are in real time. If your live stream involves posing a question to your audience, viewer engagement is likely to be much higher.
• If your live streams are entertaining enough, it ensures your audience is more likely to follow your page regularly in the hope that another live stream appears.

How to live stream effectively

Of course, you need to be careful when live streaming to deliver the right kind of content with the right kind of frequency. Too much ‘fly on the wall’ content could compromise the professionalism and polish that goes into your marketing communications. On the other hand, nobody wants to see another advert for your company. It is important to deliver informative, persuasive content without sounding too corporate.

A great way of driving engagement while making the most of the live stream format is to make sure your topic is current. Whether you’re broadcasting a live panel discussion in response to a news event, or producing your own Mannequin challenge, make sure you stay topical. In order to drive the conversation you must first enter into it.

Above all, make sure you give your audience what they want. Responding to the interests of your customers is after all the priority in all marketing communications. Live streaming has introduced fantastic new ways of speaking to your audience, but you should never lose sight of your values.