212mediastudios.com 574-269-0720 [email protected] & Recommended Tools Marketing: Using LiveVideofor Best Practices Best Practices
Using Live Video for Marketing: Best Practices & Recommended Tools
In April of 2016, more than 750,000 people gathered around their electronic devices to live-view BuzzFeed employees using rubber bands to make a watermelon explode.1 What does this say about the power of the internet? An internet marketing revolution is transpiring, and that revolution is live. Dunkin’ Donuts knew that when it broadcast a live tour of its facilities in February 2016, interviewing staff experts to discuss some of the brand’s most popular and eye-catching products, such as the iced macchiato. Chevrolet was in on the secret, too, creating a buying frenzy for the launch of its all-electric 2017 Bolt EV by streaming video from the consumer electronics trade show, CES 2016, on Facebook Live. Why Video? We’ve known for some time that videos are an essential marketing tool,2 with research showing that 80% of readers find it more convenient to watch videos, rather than reading long articles and blogs. While creating quality blog content is still central, video has become more important today.3 Skilled marketing teams have taken this influential tool to the next level, recognizing the power of “streaming” video. One tool that has made video one of the ideal channels for brand development is the smartphone. Whether showing product reviews, demos, or launches—or running Q&A sessions or B2B webinars—live videos have increasingly become a fundamental part of business marketing strategies. Any company that embraces live video will stand out from the competition, creating a more tangible corporate face and soul. Why Live Video? The reason for the effectiveness of live (sometimes called OTT or “over the top”4) video as a marketing tool is simple: It delivers content in a way that goes above and beyond traditional distribution channels such as TV and film. Tired of generic, impersonal marketing, today’s consumers crave the kind of connection and engagement that live video can offer. Audiences on social platforms will watch live videos an average of three times longer than other video.5 Live video is currently the most talked-about tool among social media marketers, with small businesses to large corporations following the trend with huge success.6
THE STATE OF LIVE VIDEO STREAMING % of respondents who streamed live video on the following platforms
17% 16%
12%
9% 9% 8%
5% tories Live S Others
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What to Consider When Using Livestreaming Video Given the growing universal appeal of video, the number of viewers in the US will surpass 230 million by the year 2021,7 with spending on digital video advertising estimated to be as high as $14.38 billion in 2019. With such a big investment on the line, vloggers must learn to utilize live video streaming to their full advantage, so here are some important tips to keep in mind: 1. Choose the Right Livestreaming Tools and Platforms: Free vs. Paid Subscriptions There are a variety of platforms and tools from which to choose, depending on your preferences, needs, and budget. Let’s first consider services you can access for free: Periscope Twitter became interested in livestreaming tools and features in response to the 2013 protests in Taksim Square, Istanbul—realizing that although users could read live tweets about the protests that were taking place, it would be far better if they could also actually see what was happening in real time. Twitter answered the call and in 2015 acquired Periscope, which can be accessed on both iOS and Android platforms and serves as an excellent content-marketing tool. Many companies use Periscope to livestream Q&As and offer behind-the-scenes looks at how their businesses operate. Their audiences can also participate by commenting through the Periscope app. For any company whose Twitter audience is more engaged than their Facebook base, Periscope might be the way to go. Followers can watch autoplays of Periscope broadcasts right on Twitter without leaving the platform. Facebook Live Facebook has more than 2.20 billion active users, and the current popularity of Facebook Live has risen by 330% since its inception. This free livestreaming tool is a godsend for users who have access to a strong data connection. One built-in advantage is that Facebook followers are notified when a livestream video event occurs. Plus, built-in emoticons gauge audience reactions in real time, while the commenting feature is an easy way to further engage with users and answer questions. While it lacks good analytics, has no feature for adding graphics or titles, and can drain a phone battery, Facebook Live can certainly help users reach larger audiences. YouTube Live Gone are the days when YouTube was only for watching pre-recorded and uploaded videos. Due to the amount of control over live broadcasting YouTube Live allows, its video streaming tool is superior for on-the-ground reporting. YouTube Live is also easy to monetize through advertising and sponsorship, although the downside is that due to the lack of control over ads, an uninterrupted stream is no guarantee.
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Open Broadcast Software (OBS) Because Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube have very little leverage when it comes to digital rights management (DRM), many prefer livestreaming software. Open broadcast software has limited technical support, leaving users to discuss their issues in a community forum. On the other hand, it is free and open-source—one of the most flexible livestreaming software platforms you can use, in fact, allowing users to alter programs and write their own lines of code. StreamNow For users who consider OBS’ lack of formal technical support too nerve-racking, there’s StreamNow, which provides access to monetization features that allow users to charge their audience on a per-video basis or to run a subscription-based service through PayPal, which is conveniently built right into the platform. StreamNow’s peer-to-peer commenting system is similar to the one used by Facebook Live, letting the audience follow broadcasters and receive notifications of upcoming live events. The dedicated administrator’s panel makes it possible to flag, delete, and modify videos.
StreamNow is available for both iOS and Android. Three of the top livestreaming services for marketing are DaCast, IBM Cloud Video, and Livestream, but keep in mind that you get what you pay for; unlike with the above-mentioned tools, to use these online video platforms (OVPs) for video hosting or livestreaming services requires a paid subscription. However, because these platforms provide all the tools necessary to livestream—as well as upload, manage, and organize videos—many businesses find them well worth the investment. DaCast Founded in 2008, DaCast focuses on the professional market and has more than 100,000 broadcaster subscribers across many industries, including media, online learning and education businesses, faith and religious groups, governments, and sports-related streamers. TV and radio stations appreciate the affordable bulk livestreaming pricing and high-end features like powerful video API for high-volume, 24/7 streaming. This service also features strong internal analytics and the ability to connect with Google Analytics, as well as features that allow users to not only customize videos with their logos and branding but also package several videos and streams together, add live viewer counters to streams, and embed video anywhere, including on social platforms. IBM Cloud Video Livestreaming services provider IBM Cloud Video, originally called Ustream, was first developed as a video chat service for members of the U.S. military. Today it provides not only livestreaming services but also AI, storage, and GPU computing—to a customer base of Enterprise users such as film production studios, TV stations, and creative online education hubs. Aside from video hosting and livestreaming, some of the valuable marketing features it offers include the ability to embed videos anywhere, a viewer counter, an analytics platform, full branding control, and support packages.
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Livestream
This New York company, originally called Mogulus when it was founded in 2007, was acquired by Vimeo in 2017 and now provides livestreaming services to more than 10,000 clients, focusing on the high-end business market that includes media companies and major brands like Spotify, iHeartRadio, and USA Today.
In addition to livestreaming and video hosting, Livestream’s other important marketing features include ad-free, customized logos and branding; video embedding; live and on-demand video content bundling; a video-player-integrated viewer counter; and analytics that can also connect to Google. 2. Promote Your Broadcast in Advance You won’t have an audience for your live video if no one knows about it. Facebook Live and Periscope can alert followers when your broadcast starts. However, you should also consider posting images and listing your livestream’s topic, platform, date, and time on your blog and other social media, as well as via email, before it happens. 3. Create an Engagement Plan Viewers will want to connect and ask questions, and they see live video as the perfect opportunity to interact with the people behind the brand.
Be prepared with a list of talking points and questions to cover in case viewers don’t jump in right away, and be available to answer queries as they arise. When possible, greet viewers by name as they tune in, and ask them to post in the comments where they’re watching from. This is a great way to start a broadcast and break the ice. 4. Include a Call to Action Make sure your valuable content also contains links for viewers to access informational videos, follow your business on social media, subscribe to your newsletter, get free downloads, or sign up to be on your email list. Keep them coming back for more! 5. Measure the Effectiveness and ROI One great advantage of using livestreaming video for marketing is that the benefits are measurable. User data and modern analytics make it easy to quantify the ROI and effectiveness of a campaign. The analytics tools that most video livestreaming services offer can often be integrated into media workflows, and data can be exported and manipulated according to each company’s needs.
In addition to ROI, some of the important information that can be gathered and analyzed includes the number of viewers, average view time, conversions, demographic information (including geographic location), pages visited, and videos viewed, as well as which device, operating system, and browser was used.
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User data and modern analytics make it easy to quantify the ROI and effectiveness of a campaign.
6. Extend Your Livestream’s Shelf Life Just because your livestream broadcast ends doesn’t mean its effectiveness can’t continue. Although Periscope videos disappear within 24 hours, the autosave feature allows users to record the broadcast via phone for future use, and Facebook Live automatically saves videos to users’ profiles. They can also be uploaded to YouTube.
Once a video is saved, make sure followers can view what they missed by linking to it or embedding it into your blog, social media posts, and email newsletters. You can even recap the topic of your video and spread the word through all of your marketing tools.
If you’re using Facebook Live, make your videos easy to find by creating a special playlist. You can also monetize OTT video, making the video itself the product. 7. Invest in Top-Quality Help Live video is a powerful marketing tool. If you’re not using it already, you should be! However, there is a significant learning curve. Investing in software with advanced features and seeking expert marketing advice can boost your ROI. If you’re ready to take that next step, consider starting a meaningful partnership with 212 Media Studios today. Just call us at (574) 269-0720 or fill out this online form. We’ll listen to your business’ needs and help you plan a winning strategy!
References: 1. https://www.jeffbullas.com/live-video-content-marketing/
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L21OwSpaXNc
3. https://thenextscoop.com/small-business-trends-2018/
4. https://www.dacast.com/blog/ott-video-services/
5. https://www.dacast.com/blog/best-live-streaming-services-for-video-marketing/
6. https://blogs.constantcontact.com/use-livestreaming-video/
7. https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2018/06/top-5-software-tools-to-livestream-your-event-online-2018.html
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