Five ways to grow your business with live video

Live videos are here to stay. They are an excellent engagement tool as “viewers will watch a live video approximately three times longer than a pre-recorded one,” according to Social Media Today. Social media platforms reward publishers with increased reach on their live videos, which are increasingly growing in popularity. Currently, “20 percent of all Facebook videos are broadcast live” as Buzzsumo reports. Additionally, video marketing is an effective way to draw attention to the launch of a new product or service as “84 percent of consumers surveyed were convinced to buy a product or service after watching a brand”™s video” according to Kissmetrics. So how can your business take advantage of this trend? Here are five strategies:

PERFORM WEEKLY BROADCASTS AT
A SPECIFIC DAY AND TIME
Get your community into the habit of viewing your videos at the same time each week. Email your subscribers the day before and twice during the day of your broadcast, highlighting the benefits of what they”™ll learn if they join you live. For example, you can discuss the launch of a new product or service, showcase your onsite location during an office walkthrough, highlight a recent media feature or announce the winner of one of your social media contests. You can also use day-specific hashtags in the caption of your live videos. Examples include #MotivationMonday, #TerrificTuesday, #TransformationTuesday, #TestimonialTuesday, #WisdomWednesday, #ThrowbackThursday, #FabulousFriday, #SocialSaturday and #SuperSunday.

RESPOND TO YOUR COMMUNITY”™S
COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS
People may leave comments during or after the live broadcast. Acknowledge that they took the time to watch your broadcast and reply to their feedback. It helps establish a deeper connection with your viewers. To encourage more feedback from your audience, post a comment on your video after your broadcast ends thanking everyone for watching and asking them to post any comments or questions in the comments section.

START AND END YOUR BROADCASTS
THE SAME WAY EACH TIME
In advance of your live video, decide how you are going to start and finish the video. For example, my usual opening is “Hi everyone I”™m Michael Guberti, social media strategist and co-founder of Guberti Giving, happy to discuss (insert topic of live video).” The typical ending for my videos is “If you like this content, then visit MichaelGuberti.com for more strategies and videos like this. Until I see you in person, in the next video or speak with you over the phone, ”˜Dream Big, Achieve Greatness and Unlock Your Potential Today!”™” The beginning and end of your videos is an excellent opportunity to insert your company motto or tagline. Be sure to mention your website and if appropriate, phone number and email address so your viewers can contact you for further information.

#TECHTALK: TURN ON AIRPLANE
MODE, RECONNECT TO WIFI AND
CHARGE YOUR PHONE
Connect your phone to airplane mode so you don”™t get a text or phone call in the middle of your broadcast. When you do this, your phone will disconnect from WiFi so be sure to reconnect back to the network you were using. Additionally, live video requires a fair amount of battery strength so ensure your phone is charged before you go live.

GO LIVE ON MULTIPLE PLATFORMS
AT THE SAME TIME
Different people use different platforms. So, if you”™re going to do a video, why not go live on more than one platform? You can increase your exposure and show that you”™re using social media in a cutting-edge way. How many of your competitors are regularly broadcasting live on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube at the same time? Stand out in your market by doing just that.

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
By 2021, Cisco predicts that 82 percent of all internet traffic will be video. Of all the types of video you can publish, live video is extremely engaging because it is real, raw, unedited, establishes a deep connection with the viewer and distinguishes you from your competition. The point? Go live!

Michael Guberti is the founder of Smart Business People Services, a full-service digital marketing agency. He has spoken at Microsoft, the annual ECA Fitness Conference and has been featured on television show,s including Verizon FiOS News. With his brother Marc, he co-founded the nonprofit 501c3 organization Guberti Giving to empower youth, veterans and single mothers.