Using Live Content to Engage an Audience

Brands are increasingly leveraging live videos for better engagement. Consumers are significantly impacted by live videos. It is not easy to be able to stand out in digital channels and different formats should be created to attract the attention of the target audience.

People enjoy live content and a business can definitely jump on this growing trend to generate sales and awareness.

The popularity of live content

Businesses cannot rely solely on images and pre-recorded videos to engage the audience. According to a survey, by 2026, the global live streaming business will reach a value of approximately $149 billion. For the audience, live content is appealing for a few reasons. They can ask questions, buy, and also interact with their favorite celebrities and influencers.

They can also connect with other people who share similar interests. It also helps to make a brand feel more accessible and real. Consumers prefer watching a live video to reading a blog. Some would even go to the extent of paying to watch a live video of their favorite influencer. Live content helps to create an immersive experience and the audience feels that they are part of a physical event.

This cannot be replicated by pre-recorded content. Attending an event digitally helps to create a sense of community. Given below are tips on how a brand can use live content to promote itself.

Live stream events

If a business organizes presentations and events, it is always a good idea to live stream it. If the event is shared with the target audience, they feel included.

For instance, World’s Greatest Motivators was a live event where motivational speakers spoke to the target audience about how they could live fuller lives.

Everybody needs motivation and the event became very popular as the audience could save the live event for later use.

Tutorials

A live stream tutorial can also give the audience tips and tricks which could be helpful for them. When the audience gets tips and tricks in real time, the content appears to be more authentic.

It also elevates the quality of what a brand is offering as everything that is presented seems real. Live stream tutorials on products can also help the audience to understand if they need a product.

Product launches

Live video of a product launch can be very effective in generating sales. For the product launch to succeed,the product has to be matched with the right kind of audience.

Facebook Live and YouTube are the platforms that have the most audience. Launching on these platforms can help to generate buzz for a new product. For instance, Target launched their Cat and Jack line of kids’ clothing on Facebook Live. The engagement was twice as much compared to the average engagement of their live videos.

Q&A sessions

The element of interactivity is important in live Q&A sessions. The audience feel like they are being active participants when they ask questions.

Questions and doubts answered in real-time help to promote engagement. As no time is invested in preparing questions, the content becomes more trustworthy.

Read more from Ronn Torossian

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