Live Video 101 for Marketers

There’s no doubt that live video on social media is “in.”  In fact, 82% of viewers say they prefer live video to social media posts. As marketers, we know that the thought of planning and executing live video effectively can be daunting, so we’re bringing you tips and tricks to help you feel comfortable tapping into this undeniably successful way of reaching audiences on social platforms.

1. Have a plan

One of the most important tips we can give you about live video is not to wing it. By having a plan in place you will look prepared and polished, and ultimately deliver the best live video experience you can for your audiences. While you can’t troubleshoot every little thing that could happen during a live video, you will at least be prepared in case any problems do come up.

2. Inform

Audiences want to know exactly what they are tuning into before they open your live video, so make sure you also include a caption that explains what your video entails. Inform audiences who is in the video, what they are doing, and any other information that is relevant to their watching experience. To drive more live viewers, promote the fact that your brand will be going live across all of your social platforms. This is best to promote 24 hours beforehand so it is top of mind for audiences the next day.

3. Practice

For a smooth live video experience, practice beforehand. Test out all of your equipment including cameras, phones, computers, lights and microphones beforehand by doing a test run with somebody on screen to make sure that you can see and hear them clearly. This will eliminate any potential technological issues when it comes to filming the real deal.

4. Get the right equipment

Depending on your location and the atmosphere where you will film the live video, you may not need much. In an area with a lot of commotion, a microphone could help the people in your video project louder, and in an area with dim lighting a brighter light source could help brighten up the space for better video quality.

5. Create and drive engagement

Audiences don’t want to watch a live video and not feel heard. Live videos provide an excellent opportunity to directly engage with audiences. You can ask questions in the video and inform audiences to comment on the video with their thoughts. Another effective tip here is to have the person behind the camera monitor the comments on the live video. They can narrate and read any questions or comments to the main person speaking to avoid having the speaker try to follow a quick influx of comments.

6. Content

Make sure the content you are sharing is appealing to audiences. For fresh produce marketers, we have found that behind the scenes content and recipe demos perform very well. If you want to gauge exactly what your audience wants to see, consider running a poll on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter with some possible options for them to vote on.

7. Repurpose

Once your live video is over, it does not mean that has to be the end of it. Consider promoting it to your audiences with a small budget or downloading and repurposing the content from the video. Using a video editing software, cut the video into smaller snippets that can be shared on your platforms in the future as video content. If you plan to do this, it will be helpful to put a script together when you are developing your plan for the video so that editing these snippets will be quick and easy to do.

Has your fresh produce brand tried out live video? Let us know how it went in the comments below! For more tips on executing a successful live video, reach out to us for a free social media consultation.

 

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