How Your SME Can Benefit From Using Live Streaming Apps

The popularity of recorded video content has grown substantially in recent years and as new platforms emerge; new ways of interacting with your audience are also emerging. YouTube was a huge hit in allowing brands to share video content with their target audience and since then we’ve seen a number of video based apps released such as snapchat and vine. However earlier this year the release of 2 of the most popular live streaming apps (in Meerkat and Periscope) has seen real time interaction between brands and their target audience taken to a whole new level. Live streaming is not new however the wide scale use of it by brands is becoming a growing trend.

Many big brands have taken to live video streaming and experienced great success with it too. Live streaming can be used in a number of ways to best cater for your industry sector and target audience. Here’s what you can learn from the big brands and how you can start implementing into your marketing and communications.

Sharing knowledge/industry news

As an SME being noticed on a platform such as Periscope can be difficult therefore the content being put out has to be worth people time to tune in. Sharing industry news or knowledge within your sector is a great way of capturing people’s attention. Not only does it provide them information which is relevant to them but it also works towards building the reputability of your brand.

Product demonstrations

Live video streaming is a great way to introduce a new product or to demonstrate the features of a pre-existing one. It allows viewers to ask questions if they are uncertain about a particular aspect and get a direct response from the broadcaster. This approach is ideal for industries such as the tech sector given the manner in which technology is always advancing and getting more complicated for those who aren’t tech savvy.

Hold Q&A sessions

Another great way of using periscope is to hold live Q&A sessions. You can set the topic beforehand or simply have your audience fire any questions away. Having a topic or broad area you’d like to cover would probably the best route though as it’ll help to give the stream some sort of order but regardless of how you go about it a Q&A session ensures a direct 2 way communication with your target audience while also showing a degree for care for them as well.

Take your audience behind the scenes

Giving your audience behind the scenes access can be great as it offers content which to an extent is exclusive. It can also be done in a number of different ways. Spotify streamed behind the scenes video of Irish folk singer Conor O’Brien before he went on stage to perform. Football teams such as Newcastle United have previously provided live streams of occasional training sessions, bringing fans closer to the brand and giving a greater insight into the club. This sort of content will be appreciated by your followers so even if you’re simply showing them around your offices or introducing them to members of staff, giving them something they wouldn’t ordinarily see will most likely go down well.

How to videos

Serving up tutorial videos are always sure to go down well. Broadcasters within areas such as cosmetics, food and photography are regularly seen giving tips and advice as well as full tutorials via a live stream.

Having the right type of content is important but there are also a few other things to consider before venturing onto a live stream.

Remember it’s live

The last thing you want to do is come across as being unprofessional or out of touch with what your brand represents in the manner in which you behave and the language you use including the occasional slip of the tongue and explicit language.

Be natural

We wouldn’t recommend rehearsing a script before going on to broadcast a stream, simply have an idea of what you’d like to address in order to maintain some structure and then take to it as you would having a conversation with someone face to face.

Interact with your viewers

Be sure to actually communicate with your viewers. This isn’t a pre-recorded video so make the most of having real time communication with your audience, ask them questions and answer their queries to really build relationships and provide a better viewing experience.

Measure results

Just as with any of your other social media efforts be sure to measure the performance of your streams to s what works for and what doesn’t. Certain styles of videos may create a greater level of engagement so look to focus on your strengths.