Social media has been evolving. The ways that social media was used or its capabilities even a year ago are substantially different from how they are today. While the older, tried and true ways of using social media are still being used amidst the updates and changes, there are some new implementations that are proving just as useful and effective, if not more! One of the most popular new features is the use of live streaming, used across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and more! Today, let’s talk about how to maximize the effectiveness of your live streams.
Planning
First thing is first, planning is never a bad idea. As a matter of fact, you might as well chalk it up as a necessity. If you jump on a live stream all willy-nilly without even a slight semblance of what you will cover in that live stream, it will be anything by beneficial to every party involved. You will stretch for ways to formulate a point, plus you’ll have the added pressure of having to do so in a live setting…We all know how that goes, not well. This will ultimately lead your audience to lose any sliver of interest they may have left, and this will transcend the live stream at hand, and affect any live stream moving forward. Sounds like a pretty stressful and fruitless scenario, huh? It can all be circumvented with some good, ole fashioned planning.
Engagement
Perspective is key. Do not think of your live streams as being you pressing play on a live recording and being in your own world without regard for the fact that others are watching and wanting to be involved. It shouldn’t be a one-way showing, it should be a two-way exchange. While conducting your live stream, invite people to be a part of the stream. There are various ways that you could achieve this.
One simple way is to ask questions regarding the material being covered and see how others could provide their own insights to aid the conversation. That or your could welcome folks to ask their own questions, easy engagement. If you are giving a demonstration in your live stream on how to do a particular task or function, you are actually able to invite someone to be involved in the demonstration as the guinea pig, so to speak. That will make the participant stoked that they go to be a part of the process and show your openness to working with your audience. Win win!
Relaying the Message
Once you find that your audience is nice and comfortable in the setting of the live chat, take advantage of the fact that they are enjoying what you are putting out there. Request that they like the live stream to show you that they are into it in a tangible way that you can really make sense of. Down the line in your live stream, request that people share the live stream as well. Frame it in a way that suggests that since they found value in the information provided, maybe they know someone else that could benefit from it as well, and that sharing is the next proper stepping stone. This will, in the end, lead to engagement from sources that you did not even have at the beginning of your stream. Embrace that growth!
Incentivizing
Periodically throughout your livestream, offer tangible things of value to those that have given you their time and attention. Run contests as a way for the winner of those said items to be determined. And before you think to yourself that it would be costly to give away your products and services, think hard about what you could offer that would be of value to a brand follower, but would not crush any margins of yours. If you have a recurring service that your business offers, you could offer a free trial, which could ultimately convert into a recurring client. Discounts are always a win as well, so consider that.
One final approach that would prove effective is to offer a free consultation. Think about it, you have an entire mob of people that are watching your live stream, meaning they love your insight. What would be even better is if they could get some one-on-one time discussing the industry or specifics with you, and to do it for free!? People will definitely be about that!
Call to Action
The last thing that you want to do is get people stoked on a really informative and engaging live stream only to end it…With no further action…leaving people to wonder what happens next. Give a call to action! If you have a line of free products to get people using your services, promote that now. If you have a page with lots of cool information, promote that. Ultimately, just give your audience a next measure to take, further solidifying themselves as a patron of your products or services. Keep that momentum going, here is where to do that!
Conclusion
In conclusion, new social media features such as live streams, are a great way to market your business digitally. By engaging your audience via these means and enticing them to be a patron of your business, you will see more growth in your brand following and a more genuine following. Give live streaming a go and see how it works for your brand! To learn more about this feature and other digital marketing approaches, contact Rave Retailer today!