Top 6 Reasons Why Live Streaming Is Amazing For Business

Sporting events. Concerts. Social Media Tutorials. News. Video games. What do all of these have in common? All these have been live streamed on social media. There’s a good chance you’ve watched one of these streams yourself! Live streaming is the next evolutionary step for digital video.

What Is Live Streaming?

Live streaming is transmitting and receiving live video feed through the internet or cable TV. Today, we’re talking about internet live streaming.

Live streaming isn’t new. Live broadcasting events have been featured on TV for decades.

However, we’re seeing a boom in the scope, breadth, and depth of live broadcasting access.

We can thank the internet for democratizing live streaming by eliminating barriers to access, share, and create content.

This puts creators and audiences at a huge advantage. Anyone (celebs, journalists, makeup artists, high school students, gamers, you name it) with a smartphone, an app, and an internet connection can participate in a live stream.

Better yet, anyone with a social media account can leverage their network of choice to host their live stream content.

But why would any brand or agency want something live instead of a carefully directed and produced video?

Yes, there’s more opportunity for something to go wrong. But there are also huge advantages. Let’s break it down…

Top 3 Reasons Why Live Streaming Is Amazing For Business

Live streaming holds a number of advantages for a brand that is brave enough to try it.

1. It Humanizes Your Brand

Classic brand communications are slick and glitzy videos with high production values, but this production style doesn’t always connect with the audience.

Consumers have become jaded by gimmicky brands. Sometimes high-production content comes off as fake or untrustworthy.

However, raw, unfiltered video during a live event is considered to be authentic and genuine. Viewers feel that it’s more compelling. It’s transparent and shows the brand’s confidence in being its genuine self. It’s real and alive.

Audiences love this about live streaming and build their brand affinity in these raw moments.

2. Increased Engagement

Live streaming is almost as good as having a customer in the same room as you. Here’s why:

• You get to see their reactions to what you’re showing you

• You can view their comments live

• You have an opportunity to directly respond to what they say and answer their questions

• Viewers have an opportunity to interact with each other and bond as a community around your brand

Live streaming will help you drive conversations in organic ways that are challenging to reproduce with pre-recorded material.

3. Larger Reach

Streaming has proven incredibly popular since its introduction.

What Can Businesses Do With Live Streaming?

Don’t be intimidated by a new marketing channel. You should be thrilled! This is a great opportunity to break new ground.

Here are just a few creative and compelling ways you can apply live streaming to your business’ marketing plans:

4. Behind-the-scenes Footage

Treat your client’s audience to VIP behind-the-scenes footage that they wouldn’t normally get access to.

For example, show them how their favorite products are created, what HQ looks like, what your brand’s creative process looks like, how a staff party is ramping up, or what’s happening at the latest cultural event.

Live stream audiences love to see people having a good time, so show them one!

5. Live Stream Presentations and Conferences

Your audience would love to attend conferences and seminars that interest them, but sometimes can’t make it.

If you could give them VIP access to the conference by sharing speaker sessions, updating them on the notes you took, and the lessons you learned, then consider them glued to your feed. They would kill to see one of their favorite speakers doing a session from a hundred miles away. Your brand can offer that to them.

6. Ask Me Anything Sessions

Live streams are the perfect medium for fast-paced AMA sessions. These are a perfect opportunity to help your client connect with their audience on a more personal level.

The speaker can show off their expertise and personality. It’s a great opportunity to develop an organic relationship between the host and their audience while developing a good rapport.