The advent of social media has fueled a surge of visual content, such as images and videos on every platform. Some social channels are even designed only to host and share videos that allows users to consume this content format way easier.
Not to mention that videos will make up around 82% of internet traffic in 2022, suggesting that this type of content is preferable for many people. Therefore, in an online world where video content is dominant, live streaming platforms have proven to be among the most favored places to share videos effectively.
Live streaming is unlike typical video content that most marketers have produced and used in their promotional campaigns. With live streaming, you can connect with the audience and engage with them in real-time.
What makes it more different is that the live streaming enables you to make a quick decision or take action that often drives more live viewers to watch your live stream. Keep in mind that more viewers mean more chances of getting new leads, allowing you to convert more customers.
Why Should Businesses Use Live streaming?
To begin with, there shouldn’t be a real reason why businesses should catch up on using live streaming. The numbers speak for themselves when most people enjoy watching video content rather than reading articles.
Here are some statistics you should care about live streaming:
- According to Streaming Media, live streaming grew 93% in 2019, with an average viewing time of 26.4 minutes per session.
- Users’ attention is 10-20 times longer when watching live videos than pre-recorded, on-demand content.
- 7 out of 10 people watch live streaming on a daily basis.
- The online live streaming industry has grown 99% between April 2019 and April 2020.
However, there’s a big difference between live streaming and on-demand video content, even though both are preferable to produce than any other type of content format. Time plays an important role in this situation. While on-demand videos allow users to rewatch the content multiple times, live streaming offers a different experience for viewers.
When you host live streaming, you have the flexibility to operate or act according to your current situation. If you have a surge of new viewers, you won’t stick to the rundown paper. Instead, you’ll improvise as you need to liven up the streaming.
Therefore, live streaming is often seen as an authentic and candid way to showcase the brand. Many would prefer watching live streaming as it offers a genuine scene that on-demand videos don’t.
5 Ways to Leverage Live Streaming to Increase Sales
1. Use engaging titles to attract the audience
There’s a quick and effective way to hook viewers from the get-go. You can add a compelling title for your live streaming that pretty much summarizes what you’re going to present in your content.
When choosing a title for your video, make sure to include something that viewers can expect. You should use words or phrases that will entice people enough, so they click the play button and join your live streaming right away.
Do not use click-baiting titles that would turn down their expectation. If you want to share a demo video about your latest products, include a few keywords that define your item and the interesting facts about it. When you hook viewers from the very beginning, you’ll have a greater chance to collect new prospects quickly.
2. Use teasers and notifications
With so many options for reaching your audience, how do you know which method will work best? A great way to start is by creating teaser videos and images.
Teaser content builds excitement for the audience before the main event happens. It’s important that you share teasers and notifications in weeks prior to your live streaming. That’s because people would be aware of your content and know what they can expect on a live day.
3. Offer discounts
You can promote your product in a live video by encouraging viewers to make a purchase right away. For instance, you can mention that there is only one chance to buy the product at a discounted price. Or, you can say something like a limited offer for live viewers only.
The exclusive offer will build excitement and encourage people to do impulsive buying since they know the offer won’t last after the live streaming ends. Your viewers will think they have the last chance to buy your product at a low cost. Some of them may boast that they were among the first ones who had it.
Don’t forget about repeatedly mentioning discounts and time limits, so people know this is their final opportunity before prices go up again.
4. Opt for longer live stream sessions
Hosting live streaming isn’t like producing on-demand video content. Since pre-produced videos will stay on social platforms and blogs for a longer time, people can easily search and access the content later on. With so many videos on the internet, getting short video content is key to retain viewers.
However, that’s not the case with live streaming. When you need to focus on making short on-demand videos, you’ll work the opposite for live streaming content. Views on live videos are counted differently. The hosting platform will count every log into the broadcast, allowing users to join and leave the streaming anytime they want.
When you run a short streaming session, you’ll lose a chance of grabbing new viewers who are potentially interested in buying your products. Live streaming is all about streamers presenting the real-time shooting without script and editing process. Hence, more viewers are interested in joining a live streaming than watching on-demand videos. Making your live stream session longer allows new viewers to join in your content at their preferable time.
5. Promote your live streaming
Lastly, make sure to promote your broadcast a few days before you go live. At this stage, you can use paid campaigns to reach out to a broader audience and encourage them to check out your live streaming.
Use the live streaming teaser as your promoting campaign as it summarizes what you want to bring in the broadcast. Remember that even though it’s not mandatory to promote the live content, getting your words out about the anticipated broadcast will spark curiosity for new viewers, especially those who never encountered your brand before.
You can promote the broadcast using paid social media campaigns, such as Facebook ads or Instagram ads. The paid campaign allows you to reach out to the right audience based on geolocation and profile targeting that fits your broadcast’s content.
Takeaway
Many have predicted that live streaming will become one of the most effective promotional strategies in the years to come. Since live streaming has become popular in today’s younger generation, using this tactic allows marketers to connect with them easily. More brands will utilize live streaming to promote their products without leaving the audience bored.
This article should help you find effective tips to improve your live streams when promoting new products. Using an engaging title and attractive teasers will hook viewers to check out your broadcast in no time. Make sure to reward your viewers with a special offer to keep them engaged during the live streaming.
This article was written by Andre Oentoro is the founder of Breadnbeyond.
