How to Use Live Video to Establish a Devoted Audience
Every marketing budget should make room for video content — and we’ve been saying it for years.
Why? Because people can’t get enough of it. Demand is so high right now that most businesses plan to up their video content production even more in 2021.
There are many different types of videos you can post, and one type to consider is live. We all know Facebook live (they’ve been around for a while) and Instagram live (a fan favorite), but have you checked out Twitter or LinkedIn live lately? What about YouTube and TikTok?
No matter where you go online, there are opportunities to connect with your audience in real-time.
The What
On all platforms, live video is exactly what it sounds like. You present yourself in real time to your followers and anyone else on the platform. It’s like a Zoom meeting, but without staring at people’s virtual backgrounds or bedroom walls.
Each social platform creates, streams, and shares live video content a little differently, but the general process is the same: finding the live button and hitting “start.”
The Why
So, why should you go live?
No matter your mission, the opportunity to connect in the moment with your audience is incredibly valuable.
Think about other real-world scenarios. How do people respond when you share your story with them over a meal or during an in-person meeting? Even pre-recorded and produced videos don’t match the impact of hearing directly from you, your team, and your customers.
Your audience can also ask questions, which you can immediately answer, spurring opportunities for new discussions and insights into your viewers’ preferences.
For example, let’s assume your organization supports families impacted by the pandemic, so you decide to host a fundraiser. It would be incredibly powerful to host a livestream of a family that you’ve helped. They could share their story, answer questions, and connect with existing (and potential) donors in real-time. If you just sent their picture and the same story in the mail or posted it on your feed, you wouldn’t generate nearly the same results.
People connect with people and livestreams forge that connection digitally, which is critical in our continually remote world.
The When
The best time for you to livestream is whenever your audience is on the platform.
To determine when your audience is active, you need to use (and understand) your platform’s analytics and tracking tools. Presenting during each platform’s optimal windows will help you increase your reach and viewership.
For example, you may find that Instagram users view your content at 7 pm, whereas LinkedIn users check it out around 12 pm. In that case, you should go live on Instagram during the evening activity spike, and you should use LinkedIn live to find people on their lunch break.
Here are some helpful articles on how to navigate your analytics and find user activity info for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.
The How
Okay, now we know what live video is, why you should go live, and when to go live, but how do you do it?
Let’s walk through each platform’s live process and unique features.
You can go live from a profile or a business page, and all live videos are public — unless you specify that you want to privately stream to an event or group. In that case, only group members or event attendees will see your stream.
The process is straightforward:
Decide whether to use a business page or user profile
Choose between livestreaming publicly or privately to a group/event
Set a time (ideally, during your audience’s peak activity)
Go live!
Pro tip: Have someone monitor the comments, questions, and general feedback while you’re livestreaming. Software like StreamYard can make this easier.
Going live on Instagram is also pretty simple, but you can only go live from your profile.
To start, click the “+” button in the top right corner of your feed. Then scroll at the bottom of your screen and click the “live” option. From there, the only thing left to do is add a Title. Once you’re ready, hit the button located at the bottom of your screen, and you’ll go live!
There are no extra hoops to jump through and no limits on who can livestream.
You can also invite other users to join your stream, enabling unique ways to create engaging content and connect to other users’ audiences.
Pro tip: Take your Instagram live recording and share it as an IGTV post to keep it on your feed, allowing anyone to view it later (especially people who couldn’t join the live session).
Twitter live adds a little variety to what you can share in real time. In addition to a video livestream, you can also launch an audio-only livestream.
Like Instagram, Twitter also lets you directly invite people to your live video, which helps get your audience’s attention and reminds them that you’re live.
A live video will go anywhere a Tweet goes, so even if you don’t invite someone to the livestream, they can still find your content in their feed.
Pro tip: Tweet at relevant organizations or people and invite them to your live video. Then make sure to thank them for attending!
LinkedIn is the black sheep of the livestreaming world — they’re a little more particular than the other platforms.
For starters, you need to apply for access to LinkedIn live. Keep in mind, if you apply from your business page, your application doesn’t automatically transfer to all admin or manager profiles.
On top of that, LinkedIn only allows three admins to manage a page’s streaming, so sort that responsibility out ahead of time.
Lastly, LinkedIn requires you to use a third-party broadcasting system. They have a list of ones you can choose from, but StreamYard has been our go-to.
So, before you start planning and promoting your live stream, make sure LinkedIn has approved your application and you’ve set up your broadcasting tools.
Pro tip: Create a LinkedIn event to help promote your live stream and broadcast directly to your event to create a level of exclusivity. Then you can repost the recording at a later date. Or, if the video provides a ton of value, make it gated content to help build your email list.
If you want to go live on TikTok, there are a few requirements: 1) You must be 16 years or older and 2) you must have at least 1,000 followers.
Once you meet those two requirements, you can access the TikTok live feature, which is as simple as clicking the “create” button, swiping to “live,” and setting up your camera.
There’s one major differentiator between TikTok and other platforms (besides its user demographics). If you’re 18 or older, viewers can send you “virtual gifts,” which can be exchanged for real money. However, the exchange rate is pretty low, so consider this feature carefully.
Pro tip: Post a new video before you go live; if someone sees your video while you’re on live, they will get an icon inviting them to join your live stream.
YouTube is a fan-favorite platform for watching fail videos, puppies frolicking, and fix-it videos for random appliances. But did you know they offer live video as well?
YouTube has three main ways you can stream content: webcam, mobile, and encoder streaming.
Webcam and mobile are good places to start if you’re a beginner and want to go live quickly.
Encoder streaming is more advanced and can include sharing your screen, connecting to external audio and video tools, and managing a high-level live stream production with multiple cameras and microphones.
Pro tip: Use this handy checklist to prepare for your first stream, so when it’s go-time you won’t be flustered or forget anything.
Take some time this week to plan ahead and schedule a time to go live on one of your platforms. Don’t be nervous! You never know how it will go until you try, and, if you’re really scared, do some practice sessions with your friends on Zoom. See how it goes and welcome their feedback. We believe in you!
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