Over the past few months, we’ve really ramped up our Live Video Broadcasts. In these broadcasts our CEO, Craig, talks about current marketing trends and educates service professionals on some simple steps they can take with their marketing.
For those of you who haven’t caught one, these videos are streamed live from Craig’s office to viewers who are watching at the same time. The video is later archived, but the event only happens once at a specified time.
Live Video Broadcasts are just one of the ways marketers are using streaming video in their content strategies. While a few years ago seminars may have been the trend, today more and more viewers enjoy watching a broadcast in the comfort of their home or office.
So how can you start streaming?
Video Marketing Versus Live Video Streaming
You’ve probably already heard of the benefits of video marketing, which is when companies use video on their websites, social media profiles, and advertisements. Videos are engaging, easy to produce, and on the rise.
In comparison, live video streaming is when a professional films themselves doing something, viewers tune in at the same time, and there is no editing involved. This can be both a blessing and a curse. Some of the pros and cons of live video marketing are:
Pros:
- They create hype around an “event”
- They motivate people to watch because they don’t want to miss out
- They are quicker to produce
- They are more realistic
- They are a new and fresh marketing trend
Cons:
- They’re live, so there are no retakes
- They require more preparation and practice
- They are limited by technology
- Service professionals must feel comfortable in front of a camera and audience
Depending on the individual, live video streaming may be a good way to spruce up your marketing efforts and provide new content for your visitors.
What to Stream
Just like video marketing, the options for live video marketing are endless. Some marketing companies, like FMG Suite, enjoy sharing their expertise on a variety of topics. Some of our past Live Video Broadcasts have included information on thought leadership, FMG case studies, automated marketing, and a lot more. All of these topics are general enough to attract a wide audience, but specific enough to add value to viewers’ marketing knowledge.
Some ideas for live streaming for service professionals may be:
- Demonstrating a new product, such as Riskalyze or Retire Up
- Giving a virtual tour of the office
- Sharing anonymous case studies from clients
- Video of a team activity, such as a volunteer or charity event
- Live streaming from an out-of-town conference
Because live video streaming is a relatively new practice, there are no right or wrong ways to do it. There are a variety of examples all over the Internet of marketers playing around with live video streaming.
How to Live Stream
Technology is changing rapidly and it seems like every month there is a new live video service. From Snapchat to Periscope to Facebook Live, producing and presenting a live video is easier than ever. Let’s look at some of the most common platforms.
Facebook Live
Facebook Live is one of Facebook’s newest offerings and allows individuals and businesses to live stream themselves to their friends and followers. Just like other live videos, viewers can tune in at a specific time and see a video in real time. Once the event is over, the video is archived on the presenter’s page for viewing later. Facebook Live might be a good option for a more casual video because, like other social media, it is informal and friendly. (Check out our blog post all about Facebook Live here)
Periscope
Periscope is one of the first live video streaming apps and allows users to view things happening all around the world. For example, you can view sporting events, concerts, and more right from your smartphone. Although Periscope is a handy app to have for entertainment purposes, it might be catered to too young of a demographic for most service professionals.
Livestream
Livestream is a web service that a lot of marketers use for their larger and more formal events. With Livestream, you can create a landing page, broadcast your video, and view analytics based on its performance. Web-based streaming services like Livestream are great for service professionals that want to take their seminars and presentations live and start regularly producing video broadcasts.
Promoting Your Live Video
Just like a real-life event, marketing your live video is one of the most important steps. You wouldn’t go to all the effort of holding a retirement planning seminar, complete with dinner and a presentation, without advertising and holding a live video isn’t any different.
Depending on the platform and the video content itself, there are multiple ways to advertise your event. Some strategies we use when letting clients know about our Live Video Broadcasts are:
- Sending out a reminder email about a week before with an RSVP form
- Adding multiple sections on our website where viewers can sign up
- Reaching out to specific service professionals that we think may be interested in attending
- Sharing the date, time, and link on all of our social media handles, including our company’s profiles, as well as the presenter’s
These are just some of the ways to promote your broadcast. And remember: content marketing takes patience! You may not have hundreds of people sign up for your first live video, but with dedication and practice, the interest will grow.
