Young Entrepreneur Council June 18, 2020 Video has become one of the most effective and popular forms of content businesses use in their marketing efforts. Live video in particular is a great way to engage with your target audience in a personal, meaningful way. Here are 11 key elements every business leader should consider to achieve success with their live video content.
What’s one thing business leaders should take into account with their live video content?
1. Authenticity
Digital content consumers are resonating more with authenticity over production value. They want to see entrepreneurs in their natural environments, not a highly-produced set. This can be as simple as going live while walking to your next meeting or sitting in a cab. This raw authenticity gives value as it is a real-time scope of what an entrepreneur actually does on a day-to-day basis. – Jared Polites, LaunchTeam
2. Timing
Based on the audience you’re targeting, there are tons of statistics showing when particular users are online. Go live when your audience is online so they get the alert that you’re going live. Also “interact” with people. Give them a “shout-out” or reply to their comment in real time. Livestreams are so powerful because your audience can feel like they are right there with you! – Bill Mulholland, ARC Relocation
3. Transparency
While we’re in a crisis, it’s important to stay transparent. Answer questions from your audience on what your business is doing in the crisis to survive. We are all dealing with struggles, whether it’s personal, financial or business-related. It’s important for us to just be there for each other. Being a beacon for others will not only benefit your viewers, but also your business as well. – John Hall, Calendar
4. Necessity
Live video is awesome and can do so much for a brand’s growth, but it’s important to use it wisely. If you can easily do something without having to use livestreaming, then it’s preferable to do so. Live video is good to show your audience something new, showcase products, etc. But if your stream is something simple, such as telling users about a new blog post, then it isn’t worth the hassle. – Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms
5. Notifying Followers in Advance
Although it can be tempting to do an “impromptu” live video session, many of your followers will feel left out because they didn’t get a chance to work it into their schedule. Give some advance notice before going live; that way you can build an audience of dedicated followers who will engage with your content, as opposed to a “last-minute” audience that drops in on a whim before quickly leaving. – Amine Rahal, IronMonk Solutions
6. Search Intent
A video that doesn’t have a search intent or an answer to a customer question simply won’t work. Your clients look at videos for information about your company, and they don’t need to be in 4K. They are looking for relevant information that pertains to a topic or situation. Make sure you are looking at your comments from customers to know what they are looking for. – Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS
7. Keeping It Natural
You don’t need to have completely scripted content that you read verbatim into a lens. The best video content is the most natural and authentic-feeling. Whenever I share live content or step up to a camera, I pick one person to speak directly to, and it becomes more of a conversation and less of a performance. – Jared Weitz, United Capital Source Inc.
8. Compelling Content
The content has to be just as compelling as the video. So be sure to answer the following question correctly: In terms of the content of the video, will the audience walk away from the video with something of value that will help them? Proceed if the answer is “yes,” and go back to the drawing table if not. – Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance
9. Digital Eye Contact
One mistake that you should avoid is to not always looking at the camera. Yes, the camera is recording, but it’s also the perception lens of your audience. If you look anywhere but the camera, there is no digital eye contact and that drives people away. It doesn’t matter if your content is great and if your topic is catchy. Digital eye contact is a thing and it’s crucial in order to have engagement. – Abeer Raza, TekRevol
10. Equipment Quality
Live video content is an excellent way to grow your brand and engage with your audience. However, if your equipment is subpar, you may have a harder time generating traffic while keeping your bounce rate low. People don’t have a tolerance for content with half-baked production value, regardless of the strength of your message. – Chris Christoff, MonsterInsights
11. Lighting
Good lighting will make your live video seem like it was taken by a professional, even if it’s just you with your smartphone. If your stream looks noisy and grainy, it’s because you don’t have good lighting. Choose one that has several brightness levels and color temperatures, if you can. That way you can adjust it based on your ambient lighting for those cloudy or overcast days. – Thomas Griffin, OptinMonster
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