Any skilled marketer knows that a strong online presence is critical in today’s digital world. Customers are going online, which means businesses should maximize the opportunities of selling their goods and services on the internet. This is where digital marketing comes into play to help brands reach their customers and build awareness. To make this happen, businesses depend on SEO companies or digital marketing firms to increase website traffic and launch their marketing campaigns.
Social media is the biggest part of digital marketing. It’s the best place to connect with customers and increase market reach. It comes with a variety of features to help businesses engage with their target audience. In 2016, social media giant Facebook launched Facebook Live, a live streaming service that allows real-time broadcasts through mobile devices. During the first few years, only a small number of users are willing to use the new feature. It quickly became forgotten until content creators, and influencers finally started doing livestream sessions. Because of its popularity, other social networks, such as Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube included the live stream feature into their platforms.
Digital marketing witnessed another change when the COVID-19 pandemic happened. People consume content more than ever as they remain stuck inside their homes with only social media to connect with their loved ones and favorite public figures. Given the rising popularity of livestreams, entrepreneurs should take advantage of this feature to connect with their customers in real-time. In this article, we’ll discuss why livestreaming should be a part of your social media strategy during this pandemic.
It’s cheap and easy to use
Organizing public gatherings is difficult during a pandemic when social distancing policies are in place. This raises the problem of how companies can organize events or exhibits, launch new products or services, or conduct product demonstrations. Livestreaming addresses this issue by allowing you to hold virtual events with minimal preparation.
Company events or product launches require serious planning and preparation. Not only that, organizing on-site events is very expensive since you have to pay for the location, decor, hosts, DJ, sound systems, catering, and print materials. With digital livestreaming, you can simply hold an event in the comfort of your home. All you need is a great background, a reliable internet connection, and a trusty smartphone device.
For a better streaming experience, you can also invest in a tripod, proper lighting, cable, and microphone.
It saves a lot of time
Before the pandemic, organizing on-site events took a lot of time. Event organizers had to go through a lengthy planning process, which often took several months before execution. Meanwhile, live streaming is a different thing. As mentioned earlier, live streaming is easy to use, allowing you to stream your content anytime you want.
Facebook Live saves us from the time-consuming process of event planning. In turn, this provides a lot of opportunities to devote your time to other meaningful tasks.
It’s more personalized
The great appeal of live streaming is the informal atmosphere, making the interaction more personal to your audience. It’s like having a typical conversation in the living room.
When it comes to on-site events, there is always an invisible wall dividing the audience and the event host. This affects the viewer’s engagement because of their inability to connect personally.
Another benefit of social media Livestream is direct engagement. Since live sessions can happen in informal locations, the branding becomes more humanized, helping the company develop a stronger relationship with the audience or social followings. When viewers feel more engaged with your brand, they’re more encouraged to know your business and follow your updates.
It raises brand awareness
If there’s one thing live streaming and on-site events have in common, it would be to increase brand awareness. Livestreaming vary from Q&A sessions, formal interviews, news sharing, product launches, behind-the-scenes, or even a Livestream of an online event! Some people are still reluctant to venture into the outdoors because of the pandemic. For this reason, companies cannot expect full attendance at their on-site events.
Livestreams allow companies to broadcast their on-site events to their audience who want to stay at home. You can also receive real-time feedback from them as the event happens. If your country still has movement restrictions, you can launch the actual event while being broadcasted online.
There’s a reason why social networks keep introducing unique features into their platforms. They want brands to maximize their social media pages to connect with their followers in the most interactive way possible. In these times when face-to-face interactions are impossible, live streaming functions offer a great way to improve engagement with customers.
