Must-Have: Livestreaming as Digital Marketing Strategy

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The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed offline mass shopping to potential risks. With conventional e-commerce’s dividend decreasing and the rate of e-commerce user growth falling, the leading e-commerce platforms desperately need content innovation and new flow portals. One of the platforms’ accomplishments has been live e-commerce broadcasting.

When it comes to giving a better community to users, more platforms are adapting to this new trend. Marketers are starting to use live streaming in their digital marketing plans to bring and broadcast user experiences in real-time, generating a feeling of closeness and uniqueness.

This has become a newer form of e-commerce that is changing the way consumers around the globe shop. Unlike conventional purchasing, this new kind of shopping allows businesses of any size to exhibit and display their items to a far bigger audience. Throughout the pandemic, consumers have continued to look for an interactive and personalized experience of shopping—businesses can provide this experience through livestream services such as Facebook, Instagram, or Amazon.

Fast Facts

According to Vimeo:

• 80% of audiences would rather watch a live video from a brand than read a blog.
• 82% prefer live video from a brand to social posts.
• 62% of consumers are more likely to perceive a brand that publishes poor-quality video, negatively.
• The enjoyment of video increased sales intent by 97% and brand association by 139%.
• Video on a landing page can increase conversion by 80% or more.
• After watching a video, 64% of users are more likely to buy a product online.

With the chance to connect with the billions of users on Facebook and Instagram, live video is an opportunity you don’t want to miss out on. If you haven’t yet incorporated live video into your digital marketing strategy, here are a few reasons why it’s time to start.

Live Streaming as Part of Your Digital Marketing Strategy

Authentic User Connection

The genuineness of live videos helps your business interact with your target audience on a more personal level. Unlike YouTube advertising and finely polished Instagram posts, live streams are unedited. Live streaming adds a human element to the operation that no other digital marketing tool can match.

Users are being bombarded with massive amounts of curated content—incorporating genuineness into your marketing mix by providing high-quality live stream videos will be appreciated by your audience.

Improved Content Variety

Because of the casual nature of live streams, marketers may capture or record moments that might otherwise be missed in curated social media content. Here are some other live streaming ideas you can incorporate in your Digital Marketing enumerated by Trapica:

• Announcements — Why release news with a statement or a simple social media post when you can generate a buzz of excitement with a live stream?
• Interviews — Find experts in your niche or influencers and get an exciting interview going.
• Q&As — Your audience is likely to have some questions about your service and products, so an excellent way to get engagement is to give them the platform they need to ask these questions.
• Events — Are you running or attending an event? If so, get one of your employees to livestream it. While some brands stream conferences, others go for product launches, presentations, and talks.
• Behind-the-Scenes — As mentioned earlier, behind-the-scenes streams give consumers insight into the business that wouldn’t have been possible years ago. Why not show off the office or introduce the team? Audiences love to see the real people who make your company tick.
• Customer Support — Like a Q&A, you could also open up the floor to anybody who currently has an issue with products/services. Rather than making customers use the phone or email support, hold one of these live streams once a week for an hour, and it will be easier to keep customers happy.

Increased Brand Awareness

Giving your brand a personality that your audience will remember is an essential aspect of live streaming. In your content, you must show your brand identity. As a result, be sure to add interesting information about your company and tell your audience what makes your brand stand out.

Cost-Effectiveness

Live videos aren’t usually overly produced or contrived. A live broadcast may be created on a minimal budget and yet provide favorable effects. All you need is a solid internet connection and a smartphone with a high-definition camera to get started.

Sense of Community

Live streams allow audience interaction. Your consumers’ experience is improved when they connect through a community. They also become part of your content by commenting on what they see in real-time.

What You Can Do

What can I consider as a piece of helpful advice while developing a Live Streaming strategy for my company?

Know your audience well

You can’t expect fresh leads to proceed into the expected sales funnel if you don’t know who you target. Knowing your target audience thoroughly will aid you in creating unique, relevant, and engaging content. This live streaming technology can help your audience feel more connected to your brand.

Analyze what content is the most appropriate and exciting for your audience

Ask these three questions, and you should be well on your way to creating a video that produces conversions.

• What questions do people ask the most?
• What content gets the most traffic?
• What content gets the most comments/engagement?

Select a Platform

After you’ve decided on your content and format, you’ll need to figure out which platforms are best for your target audience. The most popular sites are Facebook Live and YouTube, although Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram also have live options and are preferable when targeting a younger audience.

Each platform has its own set of benefits and drawbacks, but you should select the platform that your target audience prefers. Or you may also broadcast on many platforms at the same time.

Going Forward

As the world globalizes, a company’s capacity to adapt to new trends and elements on social media platforms is vital.

Livestreaming, like other branding and marketing initiatives, should aim to create an emotional connection with potential customers. Using real-time video to deliver relevant, helpful, and engaging content to consumers’ social media feeds is an excellent method to do just that.

Livestreaming is a must-have in the digital marketing toolbox. Are you ready? Your audiences are.