Live streaming can be an especially powerful part of any social media marketing strategy. But that still begs the question: How, exactly, does one go about setting up a live stream? What equipment do you need in order to run a live stream smoothly? Is there a general process to follow or can you jump straight in? These are some questions newbies need to ask themselves before jumping into live streaming as a marketing tactic.
Plus, it is always worth remembering that in order to achieve marketing success, you need a solid plan based on clear fundamentals. Moreover, you should be flexible with your plan and allow it to compensate for any hiccups that may arise.
One of the most important tips when going through with your plan is to keep everything natural. You should remember that the concept of live streaming humanizes you. The customers will feel as if they already know what and who they are dealing with. The idea of live streaming can only work if you have a large social media base to rely on. This is never the case for most people when they are starting out.
If you don’t already have a decent sized social media following, you will need the help of social media influencers or social media marketing companies. These are people on social media who have many friends and followers. They can help you host a watch party for their fans, followers, and friends. Thereby, they will endorse your product or services to their social media base. You should also remember to do your research to target industry-related influencers who are willing to help your specific business niche.
If your business is already booming, you could instead hire a professional to handle all of this for you. It will be their responsibility to manage networking with influencers, plan the live stream, and organize everything else so that you can get the very most out of every live streaming session.
Remember that consumers can market for you. That’s the beauty of social media.
Unlike other forms of marketing, consumers who tag you or your product in their posts will be doing the marketing for you. They will invite others to look at your product or service information, making your consumers your most practical and useful asset. Therefore, frequently giving your customers “shout-outs” to show your appreciation for their loyalty will go a long way to creating a positive image of your company. Including these shout-outs in live streaming videos is an excellent way to show you’re connected with your customers.
You should remember why you are live streaming. Therefore, you have to remember to mention your product and its benefits to the customer. Above all, you should make sure your customer gets to know how the service or the product operates. If they watch the live stream and, at the end, fail to comprehend the need for the product or service, then you have failed as a marketer. As I have mentioned before, you should also try to sell a feeling to the customer.
The emotional concept of live streaming will capture the attention and the hearts of many people. However, you should try to research your audience to find what makes them tick. This is to avoid making the wrong pitch to the wrong crowd.
Offer your loyal customers incentives. This may include a discount or a gift for valued, frequent buyers of the product or service.
So, all in all, when you are making the live stream video, it should serve the needs of your customers. In business, a satisfied customer is a customer for life.