Go Live: How to Capitalize on Live Streaming with Social Media
Go Live: How to Capitalize on Live Streaming with Social Media
The world has been going through one of the worst pandemics in the history of mankind and yet somehow, we found a way to make it fun. Do you remember the early days? Going stir-crazy during quarantine, watching the news to find out the latest death toll or the latest medical report from international health experts? With hundreds of millions of people forced to stay inside for weeks, many turned to the internet and social media for entertainment. Influencers, content creators and entertainers had to find new ways to reach their audience and turned to Instagram (IG) and TikTok as the main platform drawing everyone’s attention. One of the people that stood out was Canadian rapper and R&B singer Tory Lanez. The hip-hop sensation went viral and attracted millions of new followers for his Quarantine Radio Instagram live show, which had at one time 350,000 simultaneous viewers — a record on IG (later broken by N.Y. rapper-turned-informant, Tekashi 69).
On Quarantine Radio, Lanez played music mashups, hosted dance competitions and conducted interviews with other famous celebrities including Drake and Timbaland. He also released one of his latest projects, The New Toronto 3, and marketed it heavily using IG. DJ D-Nice was another artist who was able to capitalize on IG at the height of the pandemic. He went live from his Instagram account Saturday night for what he called #ClubQuarantine, a streaming event that drew famous viewers like Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Rihanna, Will Smith, Diddy, Kelly Rowland, Usher and more, according to USA Today.
He’d been hosting parties on IG Live every Wednesday but it hit a peak on that fateful Saturday night and drew entertainers, athletes and politicians such as Missy Elliott, Ellen DeGeneres, Mark Zuckerberg and Magic Johnson. Presidential hopefuls Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders also stopped by the virtual party, as did senators Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris.
There were a lot of other account that were either created or received significant attention, including: The Verzuz battle, created by rap artists Swizz Beatz and Timbaland; WFH Fits; the Social Distance Project; Love is Quarantine; Some Good News; and various challenges on TikTok and Tik-Tok Live.
Success stories like this make it possible for you to duplicate the same if you focus on putting out good content. This is the power of Instagram Live. It lets users stream live videos to their followers through their Instagram Stories. Allowing you to build engagement, connect directly with your users and sharing news, content creators and influencers are using IG Live to establish a brand.
According to numbers from Livestream.com:
· 80% of audiences would rather watch a livestream than read a blog post
· 82% of audiences would rather watch a livestream than see a social media post
· 67% of audiences who watched a livestream bought a ticket to a similar event the next time it happened
Let’s walk through exactly how you can start using IG Live, some tips on using it, and a few ideas you can use to create an amazing IG Live stream today.
How to Create Strong IG Live Content
We’ll show you all the tips and tricks so you can see why IG Live can be a fantastic tool to help grow your brand and expand your appeal. Always remember:
· Be authentic: This isn’t the time or place for scripts. Be intentional with the words you speak and come off as a genuine human. Try not to fear being vulnerable; show emotion; and, communicate as you would with a friend or family member, in an in-person conversation or over the phone.
· Plan: Just because you won’t be writing a script doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take time to plan. Please, plan your live sessions. You need to appear organized and demonstrate your ability to set goals. Think of it like a news cast. You have a top story, a group of not-so-serious stories, the weather, sports and a recap. Having a format for your live sessions is somewhat similar. Livestreaming an event or giving a product review needs to be done in the right format come off correctly to your audience.
· Develop an ongoing series: Whether it’s daily, weekly, or monthly, a consistent livestream series that your followers are excited about will boost your chances of IG Live success. Try to create ideas or special days to get customers engaged.
· Promote smart not hard: Market your live event on your social media channels through email thread, posters, or any other tools you can leverage to promote your event. You can also use it to tease product launches or give updates on your brand. You can also do contests and giveaways to keep people engaged as well.
· Show the behind the scenes: Everyone gets the end result but not everyone gets a sneak peek into how it all works. People want to connect with people behind the scenes. Your audience wants to know your company vibe is like and get an behind-the-scenes look at what makes your business run.
· Conclude with a call to action: You should always end your Instagram Live with a call to action that ties directly back to your objectives. Whether it be something as simple as following your account or more involved, like filling out a form, it is critical to get people involved.
Find New Ways to Go Live on IG, Tik-Tok & More
Live videos are more popular than ever and there are a variety of ways to do them. Making sure you understand how to use IG Live to leverage your business is critical to your long-term success and short-term results. Whether it’s collaborating with an industry influencer or hosting a tutorial or workshop, over time, you can find out what works best for your brand. Remember, these videos are supposed to be fun, informative, and engaging. Find your excuse to let loose and start building your brand to new and successful heights!
