9 Killer Ways to Leverage Live Video for Your Small Business
I’m going to share a tip with you, well 9 to be exact. These are 9 ways that you can leverage live video for your small business to increase both awareness and sales!
You are struggling to get more people to buy your product or service, aren’t you? Well, not necessarily to buy it, but to at least discover your business in some way. However, for your business, nothing seems to work anymore. At least not as well as it does for your competitors. You’ve tried everything from sharing your most surefire headlines to paying for promotional ads on Facebook, Twitter, and spending a lot of time interacting with your customers. And yet, you are not getting enough traffic…sound familiar?
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But did you know that most of the popular social media platforms have developed a new way of helping you connect with your audience?
The phenomenon is known as live streaming video, which took off exceptionally well last year on the web. Facebook has it, Twitter has it, and the same goes for YouTube, Meer Kat, and many other platforms. In a nutshell, a live video is a real-time video post that allows followers to watch and comment while it’s being transmitted. It doesn’t require any editing at all, and it remains on your fan page even after you’re done streaming to engage new visitors.
So, you may be wondering, why does this particular technique work so well? Why are social media platforms so thrilled to have introduced it?
As statistics show, this new type of promotion is going to boost the sales not only for you but also for the host platform.
Because reading takes more time and involves an active process of the brain, which makes it a more complex activity. And since the Internet is always buzzing with new information, people don’t want you to waste their precious time.
Plus, the host platform usually includes ads after you have finished your streaming and the video has been published on your page. Consequently, the technique will increase the revenue for that particular platform.
In such a scenario, we can say that live video may be the future of social media. Your competitors use it, and you should too.
However, this method requires a lot of creativity in the first place if you want to get results. I have put together a list of 9 killer ways to use live streaming and boost the traffic on your social media accounts. Did I miss any? Let me know in the comments below.
When you are recording yourself or your team live, you have to get your followers excited and curious about what you are about to show them. The information has to be good enough to keep them interested throughout the entire video.
And one of the best ways you can do that is by inviting them to take part in your secret projects, the ones that not everybody gets to see.
Of course, you can’t give away everything because you don’t want your competitors to find out about things they shouldn’t know.
However, you can still film behind the scenes and show your audience how you create your products, what a typical day looks like for your team or anything that they usually don’t get to see.
Everybody wants to feel included, and this is your chance to help your fans feel that way.
Teach a Valuable Lesson
It doesn’t matter what your business is about. If you have knowledge in that particular industry, you can start building credibility as an authority by sharing what you know with your fans.
For instance, before you start your live video, create a short outline and give your fans a few tips or techniques on how to do what you do.
You can offer advice on any topic as long as you know what you are talking about and it relates to your business.
Your audience will appreciate it, and they will start to look at you as an authority since you hold a lot of valuable information.
Organize Live Giveaways
Live giveaways will not bring you instant sales. However, they will create a lot of engagement, which will inevitably raise the awareness for your business.
By streaming contests in real-time, you will convey a sense of excitement and expectation to hook your audience. In return, they will start tagging friends, sharing or commenting on your live video, which will grab the attention of even more potential customers.
Debate Hot Topics
Strong beliefs are at the foundation of every great business.
In 2009, Simon Sinek gave an impressive speech at TED in which he said, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” And it’s true.
Apart from knowing your audience and understanding their needs, you have to appear human in front of them. Everybody is sick of marketers who are always trying to shove products down their throats.
To develop this part of your business through live streaming, you can discuss the most recent and disputed topics of the time. Offer people your honest opinion so they can trust you. Plus, hot subjects strike curiosity and whip up interaction on your social media page.
You can even invite more people to join the debate, which brings me to the next tip on leveraging live video streaming for your business.
Organize Authority Panels
Even though you are the leader of your live video, inviting more authorities to join you in front of the camera is an excellent way to engage your audience.
You are not just asking random individuals to rattle about irrelevant subjects. You are inviting influential people with a high level of education in a particular field.
This way, not only will you bring diversity to the table with lots of perspectives and tips but you will also keep things spontaneous. Your followers will always be surprised by the new guests at the panel.
And remember, the goal is to keep them curious and excited.
As a business owner, it is your job to keep your customers informed. With live video, you can now make announcements and updates on your company in real-time. Tell your audience when to expect it to make sure they will be there on time.
When they find out about the new updates, they may start asking questions about it. Make sure you answer as many as you can during the live stream. They will feel valued and listened to, which will result in their return to your social media page.
Introduce Your Audience to Important Events
Live streaming an event you are attending or hosting will raise the awareness among your followers. Maybe they wanted to be there, but they couldn’t make it. Or maybe they just want to know what is happening.
Keep them entertained by introducing them to other personalities who are present there, show them around or record one of the most exciting parts of the event.
If you want, you can even make a profit out of this particular type of live video. You can set up virtual tickets and allow only those who buy one to watch the event. Or you can make it free to attend for everybody.
Interview Your Employees
Inviting personalities to join your live streaming can be a great source of entertainment for your audience. But so is inviting your employees.
They are the ones who know all about your company. And instead of just explaining to your followers what you do and how you do it, you can add some spark by interviewing your team.
By asking them the right questions, your audience will learn more about the business and will get a better insight of what it’s like to work there, of your beliefs, and your plans for the future.
Test Your Product Live
Even with all those testimonials who say that your product has completely changed so many people’s lives, your future customers may still be a little hesitant.
They would rather believe what they see than what they hear or read. Therefore, reviewing and testing your product in front of your viewers, in real-time, will provide more of an impact than just reading a testimonial on your website.
Brainstorm some ways in which you can use your product or service, and demonstrate that for a live audience. To add even more uniqueness to your live video, you can invite former customers to test the product or services themselves.
Social media platforms evolve more and more every day. Marketers and business owners have to keep up with the latest techniques to bring in more customers and bigger profits.
Live video is more than just a new update, considering the number of benefits it provides.
Giving your content a sense of urgency, attracting more followers, and boosting the interaction between your potential clients is now at only one click away. And with all the tips above, you can now successfully step ahead of your competition!
Live video might not be the only marketing technique that you need to master, but it is one Ace that you should keep up your sleeve.
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Are you currently using Live Video for your small business? Do you plan on using it in the near future? Let me know in the comments below.
