7 Reasons Why You Need To Start Live Streaming
There are many fantastic benefits to live streaming, especially in times of events being cancelled, travel restricted and social lock-down, a live stream can keep you connected with your audience around the globe.
Live streaming isn’t new, but it is growing. Live video is contributing to the worldwide usage of the internet more and more.
What Is Live Streaming?
Live streaming is like live television but on the internet. It’s the broadcasting of a real-time, live video to viewers online. With a smartphone or device, it’s easy to start live streaming – it can be as simple as clicking a button and saying hello to the world.
This technology helps you reach more users, it’s the evolved form of a radio announcement or loudspeaker in the streets only more targeted and global.
The fun thing about live streaming is that you can broadcast anything you’re doing in real-time around the world with instant delivery and no editing required.
Easy to access platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube make live streaming simple and affordable. Viewers can watch your live stream on their phones, tablets or desktop computers.
So, what are the benefits for your business or event when you start live streaming?
Cultivates Trust and Authenticity
Sending out an unedited, unfiltered video can seem reckless for a brand but it’s a great way to build trust and authenticity with your audience. It really adds that human element, a live stream gives your audience something real to relate to, it removes a layer or protection between your brand and customers and that’s something people love to experience. Raw, authentic communication is a powerful way to build trust.
Generate A Larger Audience
In the past events were restricted to a physical and geographical location – now, thanks to live streaming, you can literally host your event online, share content in real-time and make it accessible to a global audience. This means you can have more people engaging with your content than you would have had if you’d hired the biggest venue in town and filled it – now that’s something to think about.
A bigger audience means more potential customers, a larger response, a greater impact for your business.
Plus, live streaming invites people who wouldn’t have otherwise participated in your event, Q&A, forum or online video to get involved, ask questions and experience what you have to offer where if it was a physical event or meeting they may have been less likely to come along.
It’s Affordable and Reduces Costs
The kind of live stream you’re doing will influence what equipment and software you need – are you switching from camera to camera and aiming for that live TV feel or are you learning towards a more personal face to camera chat with your audience?
Either way live streaming is cost effective, affordable and often free.
You can start live streaming with nothing but a smart phone and a social media platform such as Facebook or YouTube.
Not only is live streaming easy on your bank account to run, it can also save money – you can host a conference or event online and save on venue hire, flights, catering, accommodation, security, insurance and much more.
Experience Real-Time Engagement with Your Audience
Live streaming gives you the opportunity to have a direct conversation with your audience and customers on the spot. A high-quality live stream can have the viewer feel like they’re sitting in the audience, not just watching from afar but participating in real time, in a real way.
It creates a sense of excitement – you can answer questions in real-time, respond to situations as they unfold and ask viewers to take instant action to what you’re saying. This interaction is seamless, fun and can generate loads of leads.
When you release a video online people will engage with it over a period of time but a live stream gathers all that interaction together and allows you to offer live support, instant updates, Q&A sessions and time sensitive information quickly and directly. This type of communication can be very engaging and encourages loads of interactions.
Engage With Your Audience Longer
Research tells us that online audiences will engage with most online videos for 1-2 minutes before they stop watching. This trend seems to change when people watch a live stream – with no clear streaming duration and in the knowledge they can’t skip forward, viewers will often engage for longer and be less likely to stop watching with the intention to come back.
Live Video Creates Urgency
Jumping on a live stream is like jumping on a moving train – delay too long and you’ll miss it. This is a powerful component of live streaming – your audience must come with you now. If you’re streaming video live for a one time only event or message, your stream becomes something people have to quickly engage with and that can create some great brand awareness among your fans and followers.
It’s A Fast-Growing Industry
You may not realise it, but live streaming is one of the fastest growing industries today. Nearly all social media platforms now offer live video streaming capabilities.
With more and more global connection and social disruption (hello COVID19) live streaming is emerging as the solution that’s holding much of our communication together.
Live streaming is here to stay – it’s a powerful video marketing tool that’s engaging, affordable, interactive and easy to use.
If you’d like to know more about how you can use live streaming to invite the world or a selected online audience to your event or brand online get in touch – we’d love to work with you.
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