Since 2003, Skype, among other apps, has allowed one-on-one video chat. Over the past year, social media has expanded to Periscope, Meekart and even Facebook Live to make live streaming video possible to millions of people at the same time around the world.
Live video streaming platforms have a major impact on social and video marketing. Let’s take a look at one of the most famous live streaming networks: Periscope. Periscope was bought by Twitter and launched in March 2015. In only a few months, the service accumulated more than 10 million users, or Scopers as they are called.
- Real-Time Content
The uniqueness of this social platform is in its format. Periscope makes it possible to stream live videos from any smartphone. Users all around the world can see what is happening instantaneously on the other side of the globe.
The short, easy-to-consume format is one of the top 2016 marketing trends, made popular by 25-34 year olds.
Not only is Periscope ideal for Millennials, it also meets their increased demand for unique content. Periscope provides the opportunity to travel the world through our smartphones and see someone else’s perspective in real time. Its founders describe it as “the closest thing to teleportation.”
- Live Streaming for Brands
Consumers are always looking for exclusive content and love feeling spoiled by brands. Small and large businesses have been taking advantage of growing social media to reach out to a broader, new audience, sharing their messages in an exciting new way. Live streaming networks allow a more transparent and humane image of your brand, which is exactly what consumers are seeking.
Live streaming can be used in many different ways to promote businesses through webinars, events, the launch of new products, exclusive news or a tour of your headquarter. The opportunities to interact through live streaming services and to engage with consumers are huge.
Some brands have started using live streaming networks and have created successful content. Spotify, for example, experiments with Periscope by sharing behind-the-scenes videos of bands performing private sessions. San Diego Padres unveiled their new uniform during a press conference back in December and fans had the opportunity to watch it live on Periscope.
- Promote Your Content
If you decide to live stream, make sure you promote your content so it can be seen. You might be streaming a really exciting event, but if no one knows about it, who will be watching? The real-time format creates a sense of urgency – it is now or never – and you need to tease your consumers beforehand. Promote your live sessions on your regular social media channels, or tease it with another live streaming video prior that promotes the next one. If you are going to be live streaming on a regular basis, make sure to do it at the same time to create a recurring audience and increase expectations from your consumers.
Live streaming content is the answer for a generation looking for real-time content as well as a personalized connection to the world and their peers. It brings the world together as well as brands to their consumers.
