Why You Need Live Video Streaming for Your Marketing Strategy

It was only two years ago that Facebook launched it's Live function, and it has since become a staple of many marketing campaigns. As one marketing expert said, "It upped the ante on video marketing in a way that excited companies looking for new ways to attract and engage users."

Of course, you may be wondering why the live video is somehow superior to an event or activity recorded and then made available. After all, live video runs the risk of being boring or low quality. However, there are several reasons that consumers have responded so well to live video streaming and why you will want to incorporate some plans for it into your marketing strategies.

Before we look at the why, though, we need to reassure you that it is not something you have to handle on your own. Whether a large or small firm, you can and should use it, but you can hire skilled teams to develop the concepts and execute them to your benefit, and once you discover those benefits, you will want to act.

The Benefits of Live Streaming

It's important to remember that live streaming is no longer limited to Facebook a lone and can be done through Snapchat, Twitter, Tumblr and YouTube among others. With it, you can enjoy the many benefits it brings, including:

• Instant gratification - Live video has immediacy and happens in the now. That is something many modern consumers or viewers like, but there is more to the story. After all, live video with the option for instantly responding allows viewers to share in a dialogue. You are facilitating that dialogue, showing viewers your trust and interest. As an example, let's say you do a live stream of a new product launch. You promote it and let viewers log in and share comments throughout the stream.

You have created immediate interaction, allowed others to communicate and even created some interesting debate about your industry, product, service, and so on. You are fully engaging them, and you enjoy the benefits of their trust and their feedback. You might even use your live streaming activities as product assessments.

• It makes you real and accessible - We all know that Bill Gates is a real person, and that Oprah Winfrey is, too. However, if we could interact with them via a live stream, it would bring them out of the realm of celebrity and make them real humans. You want your website or company to feel that real to your audience, and live streaming does that by allowing you to show more of yourself. Can you show how something is made? Can you live stream a conversation with your key staff? Maybe you can live stream a DIY tutorial with real time questions? Whatever you can do to "pull back the curtain" and make yourself a real, familiar entity is going to benefit you immensely, and is possible only through live streaming.

• It appeals to the masses - A new infographic, Pinterest contest, video or podcast is interesting to those who enjoy such things, but live streaming really has the most for the widest audience possible. It generates excitement as it happens, and can then be shared again and again across any number of platforms. It gives the most bang for the buck.

Now that you see that live video streaming is for everyone, are you ready to roll up your sleeves and integrate it into your marketing plans? If so, SOAP Media has a full team of video production and live streaming professionals ready to help!