Want to engage your audience while sharing your deepest insights and best content in real time? Add live video to your marketing strategy.

It’s no secret that people are now watching billions of hours of video daily on platforms like YouTube and Facebook. While pre-recorded video still dominates the video marketing landscape, its live counterpart is catching up. Live videos are meaningful and personal, and they produce more engagement and impressions than pre-recorded video. In fact, Facebook video viewers will spend three times longer watching a live video than a produced one.

The Newest Trend in Video Marketing

Live video has a widespread user base and growing popularity. It’s extremely popular among millennials (63% of people aged 18-34 watch live streaming content regularly) as well as internet users of all ages.

People prefer to receive the greatest amount of information in the shortest amount of time. They would rather watch a video to see what a product can do instead of reading about it on a website product page. In fact, 80% of consumers prefer to watch live videos from a brand rather than read a blog.

Increased Views, Traffic, and Engagement

Live video offers the potential to reach thousands of new customers. Most social media platforms have integrated live streaming, making it even easier for businesses to connect to customers. Live videos on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram allow audiences to engage with those filming with “likes,” comments, questions, and reviews. According to Facebook, people comment 10 times more on Facebook Live videos than on pre-recorded videos. These direct audience responses provide instant feedback that businesses can leverage to improve their videos immediately or in the future.

Getting Started: Determine Your Objectives

What do you want to achieve with your live video(s)? What are your key messages and core brand objectives? Although live video is less polished than a commercial or a pre-recorded video, it still requires thoughtful consideration of its content. Take time to think about what your live video is about and what you want to say or do in it.

Decide What Type of Video to Create

What type of live video(s) are right for your business? Here are a few of our favorite ideas:

• Live events such as conferences, expos, sales, fairs, concerts, or other places you think that your audience would want to get a glimpse of in real time. Share your experience at these events live—and don’t forget to engage with the audience while you are filming.
• Interviews and Q&A sessions with your company’s CEO, clients, employees, or other key people in your industry. Live video interviews are authentic and allow for greater transparency. Plus, you can encourage your audience to participate throughout the video and ask questions that you can answer in real time.
• Behind-the-scenes at your office, warehouse, showroom, manufacturing facility, or anywhere that is typically “off-limits” to customers. Share how you create your products, what goes into a “typical day” at the office, or what the team is working on.

A few weeks before you begin your video, inform your audience about when and where they can watch it. Cross-promote and publicize your video on all of your social media platforms, not just the one you are using to host the video. Once you create your first video, think about releasing future videos on a regular schedule so people can make tuning in part of their routine.

Remember that viewers want to watch captivating, information-rich videos in real time. And although any businessperson with an iPhone and a social media account can broadcast live, that doesn’t make for the best quality viewing experience. For companies wanting a more professional investment in live video, give the video marketing experts at Millennium Agency a call today.

About Millennium Agency

Millennium Agency is a national, award-winning, digital, creative, content/PR, and video marketing firm. With offices in Boston and New Hampshire, our team unites creative branding and data analytics to accelerate our clients’ growth, while combining our clients’ vision with our marketing expertise to increase sales opportunities and drive brand success. From video advertising and web design to social media and PR, Millennium can guide your marketing efforts every step of the way. Contact the professionals at Millennium Agency to learn more.

Linda Fanaras is the President and Founder of Millennium Agency (www.mill.agency) located in Manchester, NH, and Boston. She can be reached at 877-873-7445 or lfanaras@mill.agency.