8 Ways Your Business Can Harness the Power of Live Streaming
Live streaming is quickly gearing up to be the next big thing for companies around the world looking to connect with their customers, investors, employees, and everyone in between. What was once a popular format among video gamers and social media users has evolved into an effective marketing strategy and communication tool for businesses of all shapes and sizes.
A 2020 report showed that live video grew by 99% in just a year and is expected to grow into a $184 billion industry by 2027. If you’re wondering how your company can get in on this growing video trend, we have answers. Here’s what you need to know about live streaming and how your business can use it to its advantage.
What is event live streaming?
In short, live streaming is a way to send video content to your audience in real-time. Instead of being recorded, stored, and played back at a later date, live streaming gives your audiences the opportunity to see things as they happen. Streams can be public and available to the masses or private, just for those whom you grant access.
As a business owner or marketer, this gives you the power to connect, communicate, and engage your audiences across the globe.
Why is live streaming beneficial for businesses?
Live streaming can be a great marketing tool for businesses of any size, across any industry. There are a few reasons why live streaming is such a formidable content format.
It is cost-effective. Live streaming can be a great cost-cutter. Instead of traveling to different locations or hosting large in-person events, you can effectively reach the same people right in your office.
It allows you to reach larger audiences. With live streaming, you are no longer limited by physical space or distance. They can be accessed across the globe by hundreds, or even thousands, of people.
It is accessible. Since live streams can be accessed anywhere you have a good internet connection, they are highly accessible to those who might not otherwise be able to attend. With third-party services and software, live streams can also be remotely captioned or translated to any language.
It is interactive. Live streaming does not have to be a one-way form of communication. Many streaming platforms have interactive capabilities that allow your audiences to interact with your stream in real-time.
It is evergreen. Yes, you can turn your live events into evergreen content! Any live stream can be recorded, saved, and repurposed elsewhere for your brand. For example, a live educational event can be published on your website for your customers to access at a later date.
Many companies turned to live streaming as a solution to limits on in-person gathering during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many plan to continue utilizing the format thanks to the world of possibilities that it offers.
Live Streaming Ideas for Your Business
Not sure how your business can use live streaming? Here are a few ideas to consider.
1. Product Launches & Demos
Does your business have a new product or service that you’re excited to release? Hype up your audience with a live product launch event. Showcase your new product to customers, influencers, investors and create a buzz that can boost your initial sales.
Similarly, a product demonstration stream can show your existing products in action. A product demo video can engage audiences in a way that text alone can’t achieve. It serves as proof that your product does what you say it will and gives you an opportunity to go into depth about features and benefits without boring your audience.
And best of all, after the stream, you can keep the demo videos and incorporate them into your other marketing strategies so that all visitors can see what your product can do.
2. Interviews with Industry Leaders
Conversations with industry experts, thought leaders, and influencers within your niche are a fantastic way to raise brand awareness for your company and provide your audience with valuable insights.
3. Training Seminars & Continuing Education
Live streaming isn’t just for external audiences— it’s something that your company can take advantage of internally. Training seminars, onboarding processes, and continuing education courses can be streamlined company-wide with the help of live video content.
Instead of having a team travel to different locations to meet with new hires, bring the training to your employees’ desktops or mobile devices. Similar to an in-person training session, your employees can ask questions and get answers from training personnel.
4. Conferences
Does your company host an annual conference, expo, or meet-up? Live streams can be a great way to host virtual gatherings or supplement in-person events. Host expert panels, informative classes, and more— just as you would with a traditional conference.
Conference and event live streaming opens the doors to people who otherwise could not have made it, while still enabling your company to monetize the event, should you choose to do so.
5. Weekly Shows
Looking to create a steady stream of content? Try creating a weekly show centered around your business or employees. Each week, you can take your audience on a journey with episodes that cover things like:
Days in the life of your employees
Behind-the-scenes peeks at how your products get made
How-to tutorial series
The latest happenings in your industry
Of course, you could do them however often you want — biweekly, weekly, monthly, or whatever you have the bandwidth to do. Regardless, this type of consistent content can give audiences something to look forward to and keep them coming back to your social media pages or website.
6. Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is used to gain credibility, pique interest, and boost audience engagement. According to a 2019 report, one in five American consumers have purchased something based on an influencer recommendation.
A stream is the perfect place to feature an influencer in an interview or host an influencer takeover. Because of its fleeting, real-time nature, live video creates an intimate viewing experience that builds on the trust that the influencer develops with your customers.
7. Q&As and Educational Events
Take advantage of live streaming’s interactive capabilities with an audience Q&A. Respond to questions your customers may have about your products, brand, or how you got to where you are today. This can be held after another live stream event or as standalone content.
You can also give your audience the gift of knowledge with tutorials, how-to demonstrations, and other types of educational events related to your industry. These streams especially lend themselves well to being repurposed and reused across platforms. For instance, you could post the video and written content on your blog, build a “How-to Playlist” on YouTube, and share bite-size breakdowns on your Instagram.
8. Vlog-style Entertainment
You may want to do a fun live stream that is purely for entertainment purposes. Perhaps you have lively employees that want to interact and engage with customers, a fun office event planned, or a special pop-up that is open to the public. The sky's the limit with live event streaming— don’t be afraid to try new things.
Using a Live Streaming Company for Your Video Content
The great thing about live streaming is that it can be adapted for every budget. Even the smallest businesses with little to no marketing budgets can utilize the rudimentary live streaming capabilities of social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Companies that have more resources can enlist the help of a live streaming production company. When you hire a professional team, you ensure that:
You can incorporate whatever outside materials you need. If you have photos, graphics, logos, pre-recorded videos, or other visual or audio assets that you want to include, live event production companies can ensure those make it into your stream at the right time.
Your image looks great. With professional lights and camera equipment, you can be sure that your image looks good, even when compressed through a streaming platform.
The visuals are dynamic. When you hire a professional live streaming production team for your event, don’t expect an iPhone sitting on a tripod. Depending on the event, multiple cameras may be used to get several angles on your subject. The live stream team will seamlessly switch between angles during the stream for a more dynamic viewing experience.
Stream audio is clear. For the best quality audio, your team will ensure that all speakers are properly mic’ed and that audio signals are clear.
There are few technical problems. A live stream team will be knowledgeable in all things tech-related on your shoot. If technical difficulties arise, they should be able to troubleshoot them quickly.
Perhaps best of all, hiring a live stream production company takes all of the stress out of your hands so you can focus on what you’re conveying to your audiences.
Get Started with Live Streaming
There’s so much opportunity for content creation with live stream video. Whether you’re looking to host events, connect with customers using influencers, or produce engaging videos that can serve multiple purposes, live streaming is a great cost-effective option that can reach all audiences.